This series has taken me longer to write than I thought it would. But the good news is that all of these topics (bidet, cloth wipes, cloth diapers) are evergreen: they don’t expire and they don’t run out, pandemic or not. =)
Another commonly hoarded single-use (and therefore finite and run-out-able in a pandemic) item right now is paper towels. But I think this is far and away the easiest sustainable switch to make. I bet your kitchen is already equipped with some sort of towel–dish towel, wash cloth, rag. All you have to do is reach for those instead of paper towels!
Okay, I admit this is easier said than done. We have a basket under our sink for dish towels and wash cloths, and I generally already use them almost constantly. I’m pretty good about that. But opening that cupboard and bending over to grab a towel from a basket sitting under my sink is just a teensy bit inconvenient…which does make a difference. Mostly to James.
James is a classic paper toweler. He reaches for a paper towel maybe 8 times out of 10. He justifies this habit as being more sanitary in some situations (although with a Sanitary Wash on our washing machine I don’t feel particularly unsanitary when using a washcloth, but I guess he does) and mostly, more convenient. It doesn’t cross his mind to reach under the sink for a washcloth until after he’s got a paper towel in his hand. And then it’s easier to use the paper towel since it’s already in his hand. I’ve seen this event many times. And it’s clearly a very common habit.
So in an effort to use designated “unpaper towels” instead of washcloths (I think I thought that designated unpaper towels would feel more like using paper towels which seemed like it would motivate us to solidify the switch to cloth), I actually bought flour sack towels because they’re touted as super absorbent and super useful and just the Overall Best Towel. But I haven’t used them much because:
- They’re out of sight: they’re in a drawer.
- Their drawer is a little out of the way–in an underused corner of our kitchen. I put them there because it was the drawer that would be least disruptive to the flow of my kitchen when I cleaned it out and made them a home. My kitchen’s already well-established. Muscle memory. Habit. You know. But that has really worked against me since there is absolutely no muscle memory to guide us to that drawer since it used to be a junk drawer. (But it’s also had the added bonus of ridding ourselves of a junk drawer! I call that a win.)
- The tag lists a persnickety washing routine: cold water, gentle cycle, separately. So I was gun-shy to use these delicate flowers, but so many people assured me that that’s a load of bunk. They’re super hardy. They’re towels. For cleaning.
- They’re white and pristine! Who wants to ruin that?! That’s right up there with underlining in a new book and sweating in a fancy dress. Alas, they are meant to be used.
- Also, a lot of people said they’re too nice and useful and multifaceted to use as unpaper towels. (Validating roadblocks #3 and #4 above!) I should look into these other uses, though. I do actually need to use them.
Learn from my mistakes, people. One of Gretchen Rubin’s strategies for successful habit formation is the strategy of convenience. Which is basically just recognizing that even the tiniest inconvenience can derail us. Which means that making something as convenient as absolutely possible is the best way to be successful. Clearly I need to re-think my flour sack towel drawer if I ever want to use them. (Also this is a good lesson in recognizing that you often don’t need to buy specialty things. The Lesson of the Onion Chopper. And the Chicken Roaster. And the Fajita Cast Iron Mini-Skillet.)
Exactly opposite of what I just said: I think the best way for me to switch to full unpaper towel use is to invest in a roll of unpaper towels that we can use on our existing paper towel holder. That way, when muscle memory takes us (James) to the paper towel roll, we’ll simply be met with cloth instead. Also, our paper towel holder is mounted under our cupboard, so it’s more of a hassle to unmount it than fill it with unpaper towels. And, mostly, a roll of unpaper towels hanging from the mounted roller is VISIBLE without being on my counter, so it’s much more convenient–without the huge pet peeve of something additional on my counter. I hate counter top clutter. If I could, I would have absolutely nothing on my counter tops. Except plants. There is always room for plants.
Oh, one more thing–a lot of people reach for paper towels very purposefully when the job is really gross. Like cleaning dog barf or poo out of carpet. Or cleaning the toilet throne. Or stanching blood flow. Don’t worry; you don’t have to use your kitchen towels for that. And you also don’t have to use paper towels for that! Rags, my friends. We actually have a ton of household rags in our laundry room that we bought as a Costco mega-pack when we were moving into our house. We had to wash all the walls with vinegar water to get the smoke smell out, and they were also well-used for paint rags when we repainted every wall and ceiling–twice. (PSA: Don’t smoke inside.) So we already had designated gross rags. And James is excellent at using those. But take my advice above and don’t buy Specialty Gross Rags. Just use what you’ve got. Cut up old clothes that you were going to donate, but that D.I. was just going to throw it away anyway because they’re so old (I just cut up a pair of pajama pants that I’ve had since I was 14. Ain’t no Goodwill gonna want those.) Old blankets, sheets, whatever. Rags are the easiest things to acquire. You don’t need paper towels, I promise.
So, back to the kitchen. You can make unpaper towels or you can buy them.
How to Make UNpaper Towels
I have not actually made unpaper towels, mostly because my sewing machine is downstairs and I haven’t actually used it in years and I’m lazy. But these would clearly be a super super super easy project to start with–for a rusty, lazy sewer like me or a newbie or a child!
Here’s a tutorial with step-by-step instructions.
This “tutorial” is hidden within useful commentary (the instructions are minimal because single-ply are super easy to make).
Here’s another easy tutorial, this time using flour sack towels.
Where to Buy UNpaper Towels
I like Marley’s Monsters as a company (I haven’t purchased their unpaper towels yet, but I think theirs are the ones that will work best for us–they’re exactly what I want), and they look great. You can buy them on a roll or in a jar (to dispense like tissues). You can also buy the wooden towel holder for your counter top and replacements for the inner tube. They’ve thought of everything! Their unpaper towels are intended to cling to each other for easy rolling. (These are in my online cart!)
These linen ones are beautiful. And listen to this: “As part of Linoto’s Zero Waste Program initiative, Treeless Linen Towels are made from the unusable sections that also make our linen products.” Super cool!
You can also buy from Unpaper Towels, but these look way too expensive to me. They snap in place, which initially seems nice, but I can also see it becoming annoying to unsnap every time I want an unpaper towel. Especially if I’m trying to catch liquid from spilling off the counter or some other minor emergency =)
There’s always amazon. Many unpaper towels don’t roll together, so towels like these are typically folded and available in a basket on the counter top.
There are lots of etsy shops, too.
Resources:
Zero Waste Minimalist FB Group Ask any questions you have about unpaper towels. Lots of old pros in here. And yes, this is listed as a resource in each of my posts because it really is an awesome resource!
And there you have it. Swap ’em out, friends.
Satisdiction 