Apr 2019: Unpapering Your Towels
- Kaili Brande
- Apr 15, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 8, 2022
Hello all, and welcome back to the blog! This month’s post will focus on the paper products we use in the kitchen, namely paper towels. I must admit, I love paper towels. They are absorbent and multi-functional; I’ve used them as spill-wipers, plate-dryers, and napkins. However, all of this paper waste is mostly unnecessary, not to mention expensive.
Americans on average spend more money on paper towels comparatively than people from any other country, and that can mount up to hundreds of dollars for a single household by the end of the year. In addition, the environmental impact is, of course, extensive. Producing paper products requires a sizeable amount of energy and resources, which go toward harvesting the wood, processing the wood into a pulp, bleaching the pulp, and bonding the towels (with glue). Learn more about this process here.
To combat these environmental tolls, there are alternatives you can use to continue keeping your kitchen clean but actually cut down your environmental impact. We can make our kitchens more sustainable and “unpaper” our towels with these three alternatives!
1. Our first example of an alternative is the Swedish dishcloth. A great example can be found here. It should last 9-12 months, as long as you squeeze it out and hang dry it so it doesn’t get mildew-y (just like any regular sponge). I feel they are better than sponges because they can do the job of both a sponge and a paper towel, due to its flat but simultaneously absorbent qualities. Below is a photo of the Swedish dishcloth that we use in our kitchen! I hang it on a nail above the sink for easy access and drying capacity, although you can also hang it on a small towel bar or over the kitchen faucet neck. And no, I’m not predisposed to like Swedish things just because I studied abroad in Sweden! These things actually work!
2. As a second alternative, below is a cute example of “unpaper cotton towels”. Once you wipe up a spill or water droplets, you can simply wash them in the laundry with your clothes! If they get really dirty with food pieces or a colored drink, you can rinse them in the sink first before washing them in the laundry. Having some unpaper towels like these would surely brighten your day (figuratively and literally)!
3. Finally, the lowest-cost option can come from something you already own at home. Do you have old shirts or sheets you don’t want anymore? Cut them into squares and use them as your unpaper towels! This tutorial can be very helpful too. It seems that using cotton and linen is best for absorbing spills, and microfiber cloth should be put to better use on dry surfaces (i.e. dusting wood floors).
I’m not sure about you, but I think it looks nicer to have colorful, reusable cloths around the kitchen rather than the basic chunky paper towel roll. If you think about it, nice restaurants offer cloth napkins, while the cheapest food shops give you paper products to wipe your face. Which kind of “restaurant” do you want your kitchen to be?
Together, let’s reduce our impact, brighten our kitchens, reduce our trash can loads, and become more sustainable. Oh, and maybe save a little money over time! If you plan to use “unpaper” towels or are already doing so, please share your story in the comments section below! :)
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