Less Paper More Laundry

Especially now that we have a washer and dryer, I've wanted to reduce our paper consumption. One way I've managed to do this is buy utilizing rags and dish towels for nearly all my kitchen needs. I use them to wipe up messes, to scrub, to dry my hands, to dry my dishes, really I use them for everything. As a result I may do a bit more laundry, but I'm doing no more loads than I've done in the past.



I used a basket I've already had and filled it with dish towels and cloth place mats (that were drying when I took this picture). I also had a planted lying around that I don't use anymore (b/c it doesn't have a drainage hole) and placed it along side. I use this planter as a "hamper" for soiled towels. To avoid contamination, I don't reuse the towels I use to clean, but I do reuse the ones I use only to wipe up water spills or to dry my hands. No need to spread salmonella from a spilled egg or chicken goo onto my kitchen counters.


See that rag was used with some water and vinegar to clean up my counters after a particularly messy cooking session.

So far so good and we've both been consistent with using them. Our paper towel usage was never a lot, but now it's even less.