I use a lot of paper towels and I am willing to bet that you probably do, too.
I use them for my counters, cleaning up coffee spills, as napkins, and for general cleaning.
I am constantly changing out the roll and it was getting costly. We were purchasing Costco brand paper towels in packs of 12 every 3 months for $19. That's $76 a year on paper towels that I was either struggling to store in a tiny closet or forgetting to purchase entirely, leaving me frustrated all the time.
My Problem with Disposables
Aside from the glaring negative environmental impact of one-use items (plastic straws are destroying our marine life, 9 billion K-cups end up in landfills each year) disposable products are probably stressing you out.
Paper towels, sponges, napkins—and if you're a parent of a small child, diapers and baby wipes—are contributing to your monthly expenses.
But these all seem like necessary purchases. You need to clean up the spills, wash the dishes, wipe your face, and diaper your infant. These disposal products help get the job done, and they aren't that expensive.
But it adds up and it contributes to your mental load.
Paper towels are another thing you need to add to your weekly grocery list, or if purchased in bulk, you need to find the storage space to accommodate bulky rolls wrapped in non-recyclable thin plastic. You're probably putting more time and thought into these disposables that you even realize is possible. Have you ever planned a Costco trip just because you are out of paper towels? I have. Do you have a closet or signification storage area dedicated to storing single use, disposable items? I used to, too.
Let's get that closet space back.
Um, Crazy Lady... There Are Eco-Friendly Paper Towels
I know... but I’m so cheap, man. I will put down some serious cash for cat toys, jackets for my dog, and smart bulbs, but spending anymore than I already was on products I didn’t think work very well just to save the Earth? Well, my dog’s jacket budget has to come from somewhere. Buying paperless towels is a much better option for the picky, but frugal budding environmentalist.
But eco-friendly paper towels might be great option for you if you have a flexible budget and don’t want to take on the (very small) responsibility of washing some extra towels. Bamboo and hemp based paper towels are great options, but be on the lookout for products without plastic packaging and paper cores. Small switches like this make a really big impact without changing your day-to-day routine.
What even is a Paperless Towel?
A paperless towel is a cloth towel that you use in place of a paper towel.
Newsflash: Paper towels haven't been around that long. They were invented in 1907. People used reusable, frugal, cloth for cleaning up for centuries before modernity decided that everything needs to be disposable.
The paperless towel is really a modern, colloquial term for people who grew up—and have formed habits—that are encompassed by the use of paper towels. (Like me, and probably you, too.)
It's just cloth, people.
Okay, cool. How do I get some?
Use What You Have
Let's start with the obvious. You have too many small towels and clothes at home. And if you don't, how? I aspire to minimalism, but I still find it difficult to part with dish towels I took from my mother in 2013. So good for you, not-towel-hordering-statistical-anomaly. You can skip this section.
For the rest of us normies, there is probably no shortage of dish towels and old wash cloths in our cabinets and drawers. The simplest solution to replacing paper towels would be to use what we already have. You are virtually adding no extra environmental impact, and it's free.
I have taken to using old towels for deeper cleaning. I put a new dish towel with my all-purpose cleaner every morning and use it all day long.
But, like me, you may be looking for a prettier, countertop worthy, replacement for your paper towels. Read on.
Make Your Own
With the right materials, skills, and some time, you could make your own paperless towels. Flannel and cotton are common choices for materials, but you could use whatever fabric you have on hand—just make sure you can wash it easily!
I am definitely not the blogger for advice on how to use a sewing machine—maybe someday.
Purchase
When I was upgrading my disposable paper towels to paperless towels, I spent about a week lamenting over my vain need for a uniform replacement and my lack of sewing ability.
And then I got over myself and went on Etsy.
There are A LOT of options out there.
Towels that cling and can wrapped around existing paper towel holders.
Towels with snaps—to wrap around paper towel holders.
Towels that you just fold.
1-ply, 2-ply, organic, customizable patterns, embroidery options—are you dizzy yet?
I am.
So I made a Paperless towel wish list
White
Paper towel quilted texture
Half sheets
2-ply
Less than $75 for a quantity I only need to wash once a week, so 30 or more
Cling (no snaps)
I was able to narrow down my search a lot. There is a shocking low number of white paperless towel options on Etsy, and equally as few half sheet options. White towels definitely stain easily, so if you aren’t the best at treating stains, a darker or patterned option might be best for you. I have a not-so-secret love affair with white towels. My bath towels, hand towels, and even the towels we keep with the espresso machine are all white. I use bleach, oxyclean, or my hydrogen peroxide stain remover to keep my whites bright.
My my top two priorities left me with just a couple shops within my price range, so I opted for the one closest to me—Gina’s Soft Cloth Shop in West Virginia—and I’m so glad I ordered these babies. They are pretty much everything I wanted.
They came in a pack of 30 for $53.99 (and $6.10 shipping my area) and I only need to wash them every 1-2 weeks with my copious load of white towels from around the house. They are so small, I can fit all 30 folded into thirds inside a small wooden box on my counter. They absorb messes just like the name brand paper towels I have always been too cheap to buy. They work well as napkins, and my friends and family have no problem using them and placing them in the small bin I keep next to the trash can.
But I have to wash them, right?
Well, yeah. Definitely. But it's super easy and will save you a lot of time and money.
No matter what material, color, and size you choose, these simple tips will help make caring for your new eco-friendly, money saving towels a breeze.
Store them in the Same Place
We use paper towels often—sometimes when we don’t need them—because they are so accessible. Try keeping your paper towels in the same place. For me, this meant swapping out my paper towel holder for a wooden box with folded towels right in the middle of counter where I could reach them in both the kitchen and the dining room. If your paper towels were stored under a cabinet, try placing the new paperless towel holder directly underneath or nearby. You could even invest in one of those fancy under cabinet storage racks to keep that countertop clear. Regardless of how you do it, keep in mind that these towels should be easy for the whole family to reach and use.
Have a Bin or Basket to Put the Dirties In
You could put a dirty bin directly beside the clean ones, under the sink, in the pantry, or in another convenient location.
We chose a spot on the floor next to the trash can. This was a trial and error process for me and my husband. At first, we used a cloth basket we already had and were not using—it took about 2 weeks for it to get bad stained and a little smelly. It wasn't a great idea. We went to Target and purchased a $10 trashcan. (For those keeping track at home, this brings the paper towel investment out to $70.05 of the $76 budget. Skating by!)
Keep a Gentle Stain Remover Nearby
Stain remover may just come hand-in-hand with my white towel fascination and be totally inapplicable if you have a forgiving pattern or the mental stability to deal with a stain. Stain remover can also add a pretty price tag to your monthly expensive—definitely not the goal.
Try some DIYing. I recommend my simple, 4-ingredient stain remover that was actually born out of my need to keep these white, bright, and soft. You could buy stain remover, but if you use it like I do, that bottle of Shout doesn’t stand a chance.
I keep my stain remover in the bin with my towels and spray each one down before putting them aside. Treating potential stains before they have the time to set in plays an indispensable role in keeping them clean. My homemade stain remover is gentle enough to sit for days without washing—perfect for the clean-freak that only washes towels once a week.
Wash and Dry with Like Colors
We all know that disposable items contribute to our carbon footprint, but did you know doing your laundry does, too?
No, this isn’t an excuse to stop washing your clothes—darn it—but it is a good reason to keep your washing and drying to a minimum. I know a lot of people do a separate load for kitchen towels, but I wash mine with our clothes and have never noticed a problem. Wash your new eco-friendly paperless towels in an eco-friendly way—with like colors.
Most paperless towels can go in the dryer and I often dry mine too, but hanging them out to dry will help keep them fresh for longer, help out the Earth, and save you some cash on your electric bill.
Don’t Stress Yourself Out
I may or may not be writing this section for myself. Guys, don’t let a tiny piece of cloth you purchased to save you time, money, and effort stress you out.
In the first week of my paperless towel journey I made a big mistake—I sent a tomato sauce stained towel through the dryer. I. Set. The. Stain. In. (With HEAT!)
I sprayed it. I bleached it. I soaked it.
I couldn’t look at it.
I made up stories in my head where a friend would be over for dinner and grab the stained towel and tell everyone how disgusting our house is.
I now use it to wrap the ginger root.
It's okay to have some stains, frays, and tears along the way. Go with the flow. The trees are ecstatic that you chose to help them out.
