Simple Green: Swap Cloth for Paper

We like these ceramic napkin rings from Raedun's Etsy Shop to hold our napkins from meal to meal

Inspired by a popular post on Re-Nest, our green sister site, about quietly and slowly giving up the paper towel habit, we've decided to try it ourself this month and give up our dependence on paper goods...

We've hung a kitchen towel to wipe our wet hands, purchased a stack of terrycloth bar mops to wipe up spills on our kitchen counters and kitchen floors, and, instead of paper napkins, we're breaking out Grandma's white linen napkins to use for everyday dinners instead of paper napkins. Besides being a green choice, they're elegant, and they make sitting down to dinner an event. We already use Trader Joe's Microfiber Cloths instead of disposable cloths in our Swiffer Mop and a small dry erase board by our phone and our bed to write stuff down. What paper products can you give up and what "green" substitute will you make?

Comments (8)

This is how I grew up--hand and dish towels, cloth napkins, regular broom and mop... Before it was "green" it was called "thrifty."

I go crazy if the kitchen towel disappears! I refuse to use a napkin to dry/clean my already clean hands!

Ikea has some plain waffle weave dish towels dirty cheap. I must have something like 2 dozen of them. I use probably 2 a night. I'd be lost without them.

Now my husband, the former executive chef, hates them. From a health code prespective they are a problem apparently. He can't watch Emerill because he's always using the same dish rag then tossing it on his shoulder then using it again.

I have been paper towel free for almost two years now and I don't notice a difference. Besides cloth looks so much better.

it's surprisingly easy to kick paper towels. using cloth at the table and in the kitchen is comforting!

I've almost completely made this switch, using a batch of white shop towels in the kitchen for mopping up spills but... What do you use when you need to absorb grease from food? (ie - cooked bacon)?

I'm fine with washing and reusing cloths for cleaning, but it gets a bit squidgy when it's going to be directly in contact with my food - especially greasy stuff.

Paper bags and some newspapers absorb bacon grease well.I never use paper towels, but napkin rings are just doo-dads.

I guess I'm too green already. I don't use paper bags (got my own bags to tote groceries), I don't read the physical newspaper (hello Internets!) and I don't eat out enough to get take-out napkins. Guess I gotta hold onto my paper towels just for the bacon grease and the pet accidents!