This is an email I got from my reader Heidi…
In reference to your post, Let’s Save Some Money – Reusing Towels, I wanted to share another way my family saves money by using towels.
Another thing we do with towels, and have been doing for about 4 years now, is we use towels for cleaning instead of paper towels. I realized several years back we were going through paper towels at a really fast rate, and they seemed so expensive. So, we decided to purchase a 24-pack of white shop towels/hand size towels at a warehouse store 4 years ago. We have them stacked in a kitchen cabinet for easy access in the room we use them the most. We use them to clean counters, clean spills and messes, I use them to clean window sills and floors, and pretty much anything we’d use a paper towel for. Then, when it’s dirty or grimy (they last much longer than a paper towel so we can store it under the sink for a few days to continue using), we toss them in with whatever load of wash is getting done, fold and return to the cabinet. We have saved a fortune in paper towels, and feel better that we have eliminated waste and “gone green” in the process.
Be sure to catch up on all the previous Let’s Save Some Money posts.
Candace says
I ran out of swiffer pads and could not find them cheap enough, so now when we have used a towel a couple of times but it’s pretty clean, I use it for a quick mop. I spray a vinegar solution on our floors and just wipe it up w/the towel using my feet on my way to the washing machine. I know it’s a little tacky but with little ones, I don’t have it in me to do legitimate mopping all the time and I like this because it’s practically free and I was about to wash the towel anyway (and now it doesn’t have to sit around being gross, cuz I throw it directly into a load).
RK says
I grew up with paper towels for everything, but my husband is into cloth napkins, dish towels, etc, so when I moved in with him after we got married, that’s what we used. I wasn’t sure if I’d want to stick to doing things that way, but I grew to like it rather quickly, so we continued with it.
We use a cloth napkin (just one for the two of us) with every meal, and we use a variety of towels for cleaning tasks. We have dish towels, etc. for the kitchen, but we also have a bunch of rags we got really cheap at the hardware store that we use for just about everything else.
One paper towel roll can last a year in our house!
RK says
I don’t reuse cleaning towels much, though. I’m afraid of bacteria. And since we just got a fancy high-efficiency washer/dryer set from my in-laws*, I am even less likely to reuse them. (I do reuse bath towels, though.)
* They were moving and decided not to take them.
Sara says
My mom bought me some Skoy cloths. They are super absorbent cloths that are reusable and machine washable. I just throw mine in the dishwasher when they need refreshing. They say that each cloth takes the place of 15 rolls of paper towels. They look and feel like a colorful thick paper towel until you get it wet. They absorb a lot and dry really fast.
Elizabeth says
Great post! I think people often don’t realize that “being green” doesn’t mean you have to buy expensive products that are marketed as being environmentally friendly. Going green can mean saving green : )
Lowbudget, I also donate old towels and blankets to my local animal shelter. Other charities don’t want items that are torn or stained but the cats and dogs don’t mind, they just like something soft to sleep on.
Barbara says
I am glad to see I am not the only one. My mother thinks it is strange and every once in a while she will buy a big 15 pack. That pack lasts for a while. I also don’t use much foil (I use a cookie sheet to cover pans in the oven) and I never buy plastic sandwich bags. I do it to save money and reduce waste.
Kristin from Couponing to Disney says
The cookie sheet tip is great! That would of NEVER OCCURRED to me.
Amy says
I have been using old cloth diapers. I used them as burp cloths and now they are cleaning cloths. It is amazing how great they clean. Thankfully, I have about 12-15 of them so I don’t have to wash them very often.
Beth says
I have used microfiber cloths purchased at a dollar store in the automotive section for a long time now. I DO still use paper towels from time to time for really yucky jobs, but it’s pretty rare. I also use the microfiber cloths with my power steamer that I purchased from Amazon with my Swagbucks! It’s great because the power steamer kills germs on contact, gets rid of odors, and cleans very well. With the microfiber cloths everything gets soaked up and stainless gets super shiny…all without chemical cleaners!
Cheri says
I am semi-quazia a closet tree hugger and that is why I use rags. If I use expensive paper towels, I am not only wasting money but also killing trees when I do not need to!
Lowbudget says
We have actually donated old towels to the local Humane Society. They were happy to accept them. I also make my own Swiffer pads instead of buying the refills. Two can be pinned or sewn together for the wet vac Swiffer. I also use old towels in the garage for washing cars and cleaning. They old towels are also cut and used as fabric softner sheets in dryer. I love to recycle and save money.
Amy W says
A lot of times I use paper napkins to quickly mop up a spill, to cover up food in the microwave, etc. They’re a lot cheaper than paper towels!
Brynna says
We do this, too. We use old dishrags, washcloths, and towels for cleaning. The one exception I do allow is paper towels for cleaning the toilet. LOL I also use old towels as wipes (serged into squares…we use cloth diapers, too).
Martha says
I like this. A roll of paper towels lasts MONTHS in my house – we use dish towels, kitchen towels, and cleaning towels all over the house. In fact, about the only things we use paper towels for are cleaning windows and cleaning the grease out of pots/pans before we wash them (we have a septic tank and no disposal, so no grease can go down our drain). I’ve tried using newsprint to clean the windows, but I don’t like the way it feels or the smeared print on my windowsills.
Brooke says
If your handy with a sewing machine another good tip is to take a sheet and cut up and sew a hem around it. Growing up those were our ‘paper’ towels! They stack really good together and their thin and my mom used to keep a stack right on top of the microwave for easy access! My husband tends to gripe cuz I do keep paper towels but I only buy them occassionally and I don’t usually use them! I would rather use something that I can wash!