Product Review: Reusable Paper Towels
Introduction
Real paper towels versus reusable “paper” towels. I debate this now daily. When I heard reusable paper towels were an alternative to my extensive use of one-time-use paper towels, I jumped right onto the trend. Or, I am trying to anyway. Here are some lessons learned from my three months of having reusable paper towels at the ready in my kitchen.
You Don’t Need to BUY Them
When I found reusable paper towels were an alternative to one-time-use paper towels, I ran right to Amazon to buy some. The first lesson here is you likely do not need to go out and purchase reusable paper towels. So many of us have closets and drawers full of textiles, just taking up space. You may have a drawer full of free t-shirts you have received over the decades. These make great rags AND reusable paper towels!
Grease
What you wipe up with the paper towels will end up in your washing machine. Do you ever cook bacon or a fatty steak, and afterward, the pan is full of grease? Well, do you think I will use my reusable paper towels to wipe it off? Heck no. I am using the one-time use paper towels to throw that pan grease directly into the trash can.
Throw Up
My dog throws up every now and then. It's a dog thing. Anyway, when he does this, I pick it up and wipe up the rug. I always used paper towels for this. Now that I have reusable paper towels, the question becomes, do I clean up throw up with a reusable paper towel that I will throw in my laundry basket and then into my washing machine? No, that does not sound good to me. So, I usually grab the one-time-use towels.
Defrosting Bread
I often have bread I cannot use before its ‘good-by’ date, so I keep it in the freezer. I then need to defrost the bread when I want to have it. In the past, I would use a damp paper towel to wrap the bread in when I put it in the microwave to defrost. I started using reusable paper towels to do this. Game changer! The bread is so much better when I use the reusable paper towel. I assume this is because the reusable paper towel holds onto the moisture better than a thin paper towel.
Sandwich
I am not a fan of doing the dishes. Therefore, when I make a sandwich, I make it on a paper towel. This was an easy transition to a reusable paper towel. It took me a few times to get used to jelly falling onto the towel, but I realized it causes no harm! I dump any globs of jelly into the trash before putting the reusable towel in the laundry basket.
Paper Towels versus Napkins
There is no difference between a napkin and a paper towel. For some reason, this can be a strange concept. Since I purchased pretty reusable paper towels with a cute pattern, they work like a cloth napkin! So I don’t feel bad giving a “reusable paper towel” to a guest as a “napkin.”
Cleaning with Chemicals
When cleaning the house, I sometimes use bleach cleaners to rid surfaces of bacteria (e.g., chicken juice). I definitely still grab the one-time-use paper towel. It doesn't feel right to use a reusable paper towel (1) with bleach and (2) to put bacteria into my washing machine.
Conclusion
While I hope to get even more used to using reusable paper towels instead of one-time-use paper towels, there will always be a need for the one-time-use version. As you can see, there are multiple uses for paper towels of any kind. But this is one step in the journey to stepping green, and as you know, every small change can make a difference. So, if you want to take this step, I recommend finding some rags/old shirts in your house or purchasing some cute cloth reusable paper towels and start getting used to reusing items as well!
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