When thinking of ways to save HUGE money at home, the biggest that pops up in my mind ins ~ Paper Towels.
I know how crazy folks get for a GOOD paper towel sale; I do some of my shopping at Costco… and I always sit in the Food area watching cart after cart stroll by with none other than HUGE packs of Paper Towels. They were always a luxury when we were kids… that hasn’t changed for me. Unless I get a free roll but that’s pretty rare.
While I understand how much people love their Paper Towels, if you really want to SAVE more money at home, consider ditching those paper towels for cloth. (Obviously if you are a daycare provider you are required to have paper towels so things might be different for some!)
Most times, the spills you have can be taken care of by old towels… cleaning can be done with old shirts/rags and even newspapers. You can even give it whirl for a week and buy a 12 pk of White Washcloths to see how it works for you.
Towels. I have probably close to 30 Kitchen Towels – they are white, and I picked up some HERE at Bargain Outfitters, and some at Home Depot (they sell them at some stores).
Costco has a GREAT deal on them too!
I keep a bucket in the laundry (with a cover of course) and dirty towels go in there and usually get washed once per day – or every other day. Use hot water and a small amount of bleach.
Our towels handle everything from wiping down kitchen counters (for which we use our own cleaner)… to wiping spills on the floor, kitchen table, and everything in between.
Cloth Napkins. Eliminate the need to buy huge packs of Napkins and make your own cloth napkins – they work just as well. You can even see a tutorial on Apartment Therapy (HERE) – where you can learn how to make your own quite easily. Throw in the wash with the towels & if you aren’t inclined to fold them you can keep them in a cute basket on the table.
In the last 15 years, I can count on one hand my paper towel purchases.. we just don’t get too wild & crazy about them here.
Do you think you could forego Paper Towels?
Sheryl, great article. We do the same (cloth napkins and rags/towels for clean up). I struggle with where to store the wet/damp used towels and napkins though…I feel like they need to air dry first, if I just toss them in a hamper or bucket they will stink and mildew (especially if I go a day or two before washing them). Do you throw all towels in your bucket, wet or dry?