Reader’s Question: I do not use any paper products regularly except toilet paper (which I am working up the initiative to quit). For years though I have purchased one roll of paper towel to keep only for draining fried foods on. It of course lasts and lasts. However…I am ready to kick the habit. What alternatives do others use if at all? I have tried a “special” piece of fabric used only for that but it eventually becomes difficult to clean even with soaking. So…thoughts? ?
Reader’s Question : Replacing Paper Towels
October 2, 2009 by Alan from Roberts Roost
Posted in Readers' Questions | 8 Comments
8 Responses
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I just did a post on this topic…check it out at
http://oneacrehomestead.blogspot.com/2009/09/goodbye-paper-towels.html
Timely post. We have moved to cloth napkins, and handkerchiefs (partially). Next is paper towels! Thank you for posting this topic.
thanks Cassandra, Alan and Kathie. I had been thinking of buying a small screen type thing for draining but just hadn’t done it yet. Now that the three of you say you use (or at least pre use) a screen….I will look for one that will fit my needs. I am not sure why “screen” didn’t come to mind for me but there you have it 🙂
Thanks again.
Thanks for the idea about the newspaper and brown bags. We use paper towels sparingly but grease soak up is one of the uses. However, I think we’ll still have “emergency” paper towels for the occasional cat throw-up!
karynsweet – that’s exactly what I use paper towers for: cat puke. Somehow, I just can’t make myself use rags for this…er, um…’item’. But I do buy unbleached toweling made from recycled paper. Don’t use as much during the summer because the puking usually takes place outdoors… 😛
Karyn & Carla, next time you have cat puke, try a double thickness of newsprint first. Go on, try it! No harm, right? You’ve still got your paper towels for back-up. 😉
I remember not long after we stopped using paper towels (about which my husband was not exactly thrilled) our dog threw up on the floor. And it was NASTY puke. My husband walked away mumbling under his breath something to the effect of “I bet you wish you had some paper towels now.”
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a sheet of newspaper. It worked better than paper towels. It scooped up the puke and didn’t lose its shape and get… (gag) damp… like paper towels would.
Give it a shot!
At this point, we use about one roll of paper towel a year, so I figure I’ve got bigger fish to fry…
I’m with Emily, I buy a two pack of the Select-O-Size and we use about 1 1/2 rolls a year. I think just my home dairy production, using recycled jars offsets my paper towel use. We have so many low carbon practices that I am not going to feel guilty about something that insignicant in our practices.
Thinkersrock – we use newspaper too for puke, but our’s comes from dogs, so I get the shovel first. Too warm and squishy for me… and now we are supposed to stop using the newspaper too to save trees. 😀 Then what?