August 13, 2012
done! Where Are They Now?
One of my most-clicked on and linked to posts is this one from two years’ ago about giving up the paper towel addiction. I thought you might like a little update…
the bar towels lasted two years, I just replaced them last week
(stains, and some little holes – they are re-purposed, don’t worry)
here’s a comparison of one of the few decent ones that was left – pretty good! I think two years is a great run for these kitchen not-paper-towels.
here are the new ones – I went with white again, it’s my favorite towel color for any type of  towel (no fading, can be washed on super-hot, and they can be bleached if necessary)
need a closeup? they’re the same brand again from Target in the kitchen towel section
here are the pretty new towels ready for action – I’m convinced that putting them in this container is the only reason I stuck with this plan for the past two years
 After 2 years of living with this complete revamping of my kitchen clean up lifestyle, here’s how you can learn from my experiment if you were to try to do this yourself.
Dorothy-Life With Boys Says
Love that you’ve made it 2 years with no paper towels! We’ve been “off” our paper towel addiction for a good 5+ years and honestly, we don’t miss them. =)
Anonymous Says
Where did you get the container?
Clean Mama Says
Target – it’s Anchor Hocking – they have them at Wal-Mart, Amazon…
Robyn Says
Is it a 1 gallon or 2 gallon?
Becky Says
Post author1 gallon 🙂
My2Gs Says
Love this idea and your fabric napkin idea. May have to add this to my fall/winter to-do list I’m working on 🙂
carol jane Says
I use bar mop towels for cleaning, but My family uses paper towels after washing their hands. I think its more sanitary. What about window cleaning? What do you use?
Kathy C. Says
I’m the same with using paper towels in the guest bathroom. For cleaning windows I actually use newspaper. Then throw them in the recycling. They’re great for a streak-free clean.
Clean Mama Says
We use different towels in the bathrooms and I try to change them daily — but I can totally see the paper towel argument 🙂
For window cleaning I use a squeegee and dish soap when I do all the windows and a microfiber cloth for windows and mirrors for smaller jobs.
MJ Says
I love this idea of not using paper towels & keeping nice (rags) out on the counter! (I hide mine in the back of the sink cabinet, but the family still finds and uses them when a rag would work better.) I also do not like sharing hand towels in the guest bath and use wash cloths the same way as you use the bar rags. I got a pack of inexpensive washcloths from Sam’s or Costco and rolled them up in a black wire basket that I got from Ikea. I hung that basket on the wall and hung a second basket to catch the used towels. People love it, and it cuts down on the paper waste as well. 🙂
Becky Says
Post authorGreat ideas!
Unknown Says
You can always use coffee filters too or rags for windows if you are not a coffee drinker.
Ali Says
I love these towels, I use them in my kitchen too! Great idea to cut out the papertowels!!! 🙂
Clean Mama Says
Thanks Ali!
theconfidentmom Says
I’ve been paper towel free for almost 2 years – well nearly! I still have a few rolls around, one is still under the sink for really icky messes, but I am not sure where those came from still because I no longer buy them! Maybe it is my hubby? 🙂
Clean Mama Says
They’ll sneak back in 🙂 I do have a roll on hand ‘just in case’ there’s a gross mess. Otherwise I’d be throwing out towels!
missy Says
I went paper towel free a long time ago. I love it. It’s so much cheaper, great for the environment, less garbage can fill up and they are way more absorbent then a paper towel.
Gennevia Porterfield Says
Because of your post, we went paperless as well. First it was the napkins (haven’t looked back), then the towels. We still have paper towels only because we had some, but never use them. When we move, we’ll donate them to the church (along with the paper napkins). 🙂 Thanks for the tips!!!
Clean Mama Says
Yay! Thanks for letting me know – I love that!
Cassie Says
Is there a particular brand cloth napkin that you use? I actually keep a stack of cloth diapers under kitchen sink for spills.
Becky Says
Post authorI bought my cloth napkins on Etsy 🙂
xo, Becky
Kathy C. Says
I LOVE this idea for the kitchen. I’d still use paper towels in our guest bathroom…but for the kitchen this would cut down our use so much!! Thanks for the challenge… I’m accepting!
Clean Mama Says
Awesome Kathy!
Jenna Says
We don’t use paper towels either. I keep a roll, but it last forevvvver now. I don’t use them, and neither does my husband, so I guess it’s the kids. It’s a habit I picked up from my mother in law.
AndreaBai @ Glam Hungry Mom Says
I’m going to have to try this!
L2L Says
Oh my!! We use hand towels as well as paper towels and dish rags, but NEVER thought to let them dry before I put them in the dirty basket for dirty rags, lol. MY kitchen thanks you soo much and our noses too!!!!
run_love Says
How do you break your husband of this????? I can use only towels, he however makes up for what I don’t use plus some. Talking does not work… LOL!
SolaceMama Says
What happens if you just stop buying them?
GG Says
Ditto SolaceMama. 🙂
Motivated Mommy of two Says
I use towels in the kitchen, but I still keep paper towels around. I am thinking I need to stock up on more towels and start diminishing the use of paper towels in our house.
SolaceMama Says
I keep a roll of paper towels for cleaning up glass. It is so much easier to use a throw away towel and wipe up broken glass and liquid all together. Plus, you usually get more fine shards than when I try sopping up liquid and then sweeping… ugh
Dawn Says
Try using tape to pick up glass shards…. a girl at work the other day did that and I was amazed that I never thought to do that! (She used that thick mailing tape)
Anonymous Says
What about peanut butter? My nemesis! How do you get the oil out of the cloth – this is why I don’t use cloth napkins either.
Anonymous Says
Dawn and hot water gets rid of the oil… Taxidermist use it on ducks.
Fresh Scent Says
I buy napkins by the bulk at Sams Club, but after reading this article I will follow this idea to save some money.Thanks
William Says
The money saved on not buying paper towels (not to mention the environmental impact) makes this a well worth-while endeavor. I think we are all so accustomed and socialized since childhood to use paper towels we see no other way. Great post. The cross-contamination point is a great one; the only drawback I could see happening with this method.
Anonymous Says
I picked up some of these today. What do you actually use them for? Cleaning the kitchen? What do you use the wash and dry your dishes? You clean up every kitchen mess with white towels (like red juice spills, or grease on the stovetop)?
GG Says
I just saw glass containers 50% off at Hobby Lobby yesterday. Large jars that are the perfect size for this and have a metal lid for only $4!!!! This is such a great idea.
Micki Mutch Says
Awesome! it’s great to read you were successful for 2 years. Now do you think it would be harder to go back to old ways? Paper towel waste adds up so fast and this is a great solution! Thank youuuu 🙂
Surf life to the Max Says
I found a 1kg bag of scrap microfibre that cost me $5 – I have not used paper towels in 9 mths and do not miss them. In fact when i was at a friends house and had to use paper towels to clean up I was amazed at what a bad job the paper towel did and how hard it was to use in comparison.
Nancy Says
We stopped using paper towels about a year ago. I prefer using something thinner than a bar mop, so I made our non-paper towels from flour-sack towels. (Just cut each big towel into ninths, sewed 1/2 inch from the edge, and let the edges fray. Quick and easy.) They look a lot like paper towels, and dry very, very quickly. That helps to avoid smells, and I don’t have to run the dryer any longer than I would anyway. We keep them, folded, in a metal basket beside the sink, where the paper towel holder used to be. Works for us!
Debbi Says
I just made some like that–with the flour-sack towels. There’s instructions somewhere I used. I actually used my edging stitch and went right over the edge. I’m trying to get away from paper products, too. I wanted to see what else could be used or what I could do. I bought some towels like these because they work great on the counter to dry dishes on (small apartment). These thicker towels would work great for larger messes and spills.
Unknown Says
I bought a pack of 60 bar rags from Sam’s for about $24 a year ago. We use them on everything and go through about a dozen a day. Since I have so many, I don’t worry about switching them out constantly.
I’ve also picked up several sets of cloth napkins at garage sales and from mother-in-law’s linen closet(not being used). She embroidered the numbers 1-8(our family size) on the napkins for me (she’s awesome!) and we’re all assigned a number. That way we can reuse them for a couple of days through less messy meals but my OCD kids won’t freak out since they have their OWN dirty napkin. LOL! It has truly made a huge difference in our house! I do still buy paper towels because I use them to drain bacon and collect other types of grease while cooking. I should hide them so they don’t get used up so quickly. ;0)
Unknown Says
I bought a pack of 60 bar rags from Sam’s for about $24 a year ago. We use them on everything and go through about a dozen a day. Since I have so many, I don’t worry about switching them out constantly.
I’ve also picked up several sets of cloth napkins at garage sales and from mother-in-law’s linen closet(not being used). She embroidered the numbers 1-8(our family size) on the napkins for me (she’s awesome!) and we’re all assigned a number. That way we can reuse them for a couple of days through less messy meals but my OCD kids won’t freak out since they have their OWN dirty napkin. LOL! It has truly made a huge difference in our house! I do still buy paper towels because I use them to drain bacon and collect other types of grease while cooking. I should hide them so they don’t get used up so quickly. ;0)
Vanessa Says
Paper bags from the grocery store work GREAT for absorbing grease from bacon 🙂 Once I started doing that, I had no need to use paper towels for that.
Kirstin Says
I am curious, I buy one roll of paper towel a year, but I use that roll for draining bacon or other things. What do you do for that? Other wise I would totally make the switch and not buy any!
Amy Says
Brown paper bags work great for draining bacon .
Amy Says
Brown paper bags work great for draining bacon .
Unknown Says
Love that idea Amy!
MamaBear Says
We make our bacon in a glass tabletop convection oven so all the grease drips down to the bottom through the grate and we don’t have any to soak up with paper towel (which I stopped buying 5 years ago). In six pieces of bacon there is almost 1/4 cup of lard that we don’t eat and the flavor and the resulting crispiness in the cooked bacon is to die for so we never miss the extra fat.
Unknown Says
I do love bar towels! Can buy them by the cheap at dollar stores. I would also recommend flour bag towels. You can by them in bulk and or 2 bucks a piece at farm supply stores. I love flour and tea towels!
Unknown Says
I love this idea as I realize I have a major addiction to paper towels that was growing worse by the day. I try to be green so I knew I had to do something. I went to target today got the container and the towels, love them already!! I think this is going to making the switch easy, thanks so much for the tip!!