One of our recent successes at our new place has been how we dropped paper towels for good! Finally, eradicating using paper towels, which I find wasteful for many reasons need not to be listed.
This was a goal that has taken many months, years really, and the rerouting of brain cells but 2025 – Yes, my household is serious about taking responsibility for our side of the street.
How I dropped paper towels for good:
Stop Buying Paper Towels
- The most important step, stop buying them. I had already bought in bulk so we had a lot of surplus that we used sparingly. This helped with the “adjusting” period.
How I dropped paper towels for good:
Noticing Where/When you Use Them
Simply noticing how my household uses paper towels was an eye-opener to how we will replace them. I knew they were an on-the-counter convenience. I predicted we’d reached for them the most for ugly or unexpected messes that happen in chaos but I also learned:
- My house used paper towels as napkins with dinner the most. Knowing that to make the switch cloth napkins needed to be put in place. (See below for my list of to-make items for a no-paper towel kitchen)
- We used them with guests and visually being on the counter guests found that easy to openly grab from.
- Cleaning, I used them for especially dirty jobs. For this, I needed to use my rags rather than my “handmade” peper towels and rinse them out before putting them in the wash with laundry.
- I noticed I used paper towels with produce, fresh food and baked goods a lot. I’d used paper towels as a plate, to pat produce dry, cover foods… all so easy to get in the habit of tea towels.
How I dropped paper towels for good:
Laundry, Linens & Taking Time to adjust
Even after ditching the paper towels, it was funny how I was still looking around for the roll. New habits like reaching for rags or cloth napkins take time.
Having more cloth to wash made it important to keep up with my laundry. I’m a fan of “Minimal Mom” on YouTube (Learn about Dawn Masen’s Book by clicking here!) Her way of doing laundry changed everything for me. A one load-a-day mentality. Nearly every day the kitchen is restocked with fresh linens, a natural flow. I store up and sort anything that is extra dirty in the laundry sink for another day if that’s needed.
Making this change for me, is not about going out and buying a bunch of stuff to replace the paper towels. Finding what type of towel or napkin, look and feel of napkins worked for our household takes some thought and time as well. I don’t care for a restaurant-style napkin that doesn’t absorb oils or water well. (They also remind me of late nights working as a waitress! 🙂 Fleece is often used but isn’t very eco-friendly though, if you have some lying around you may as well use it up.
As I work through my fabric and sewing projects I hope to replace the towels and napkins as they wear out with handmade fabric “paper products” This is my list for what flows in my space. I do not do separate lunch/dinner but I thought it was interesting to include the sizes in case someone is looking for smaller or larger scale.
How I dropped paper towels for good:
Finding the right containers for reusable paper towels
Find the right vessels and putting my new napkins and rags for clean up took some adjusting. I found myself annoyed with paper towel rolls always being thrown about but not having a distinct home. So When it came to dispersing the new rags storing them on a “roll” wasn’t a priority to me. I tried putting the small napkins in a tissue box which was a breakthrough
- Napkins: Basket on the counter for napkins
- Kleenex box of small rags in cupboard
- Folded kitchen and dish towels in drawer
- Rags of larger and various sizes in laundry room basket
It’s time to ditch the paper towels! This convenient habit has got to go. We have the tools we can feel great about creating and implementing in our homes.
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