Comments on: Paper Towel Challenge

By: Living Frugal on Cape Cod

Living Frugal on Cape Cod — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:40:54 +0000

[...] the Paper Towel Challenge and see if you can lower your paper towel usage [...]

By: Reduce Paper Towel Usage : Blisstree - Health, Wellness and LIfestyles

Reduce Paper Towel Usage : Blisstree - Health, Wellness and LIfestyles — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:52:31 +0000

[...] May, I hosted a Paper Towel Challenge at Tree Hugging Family. Visit for guidance on how to drastically lower your paper towel [...]

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:07:21 +0000

The energy cost and environmental impact to produce, transport, stock, purchase, and dispose of (ie: add to landfills) is dramatic and totally unnecessary.

I haven’t purchased even a single roll of paper towels in eight (8) years. I use cloth towels and rags that are washed along with my laundry (hung on a clothesline instead of using energy-wasting dryer) and re-used for years. I also use cloth napkins. Toilet paper you ask? Well, I implore you to at least take some steps in the right direction.

Please be part of the solution and not the problem. Americans are way too wasteful and consume too many disposable items. Please STOP!

By: Green Baby Guide | Life with a Baby . . . and No Paper Towels

Green Baby Guide | Life with a Baby . . . and No Paper Towels — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:31:25 +0000

[...] May, Peggy from Treehugging Family issued a paper towel challenge. She personally wanted to reduce the number of paper towels she used and asked readers to do the [...]

By: :::::::::::: wife mom maniac ::::::::::::

:::::::::::: wife mom maniac :::::::::::: — Sat, 31 May 2008 05:39:35 +0000

I stopped using paper towels all together years ago, by simply not buying them, period. I have an abundance of rags, t shirt rags, receiving blanklet rags, literally about 50 clean ones ready at any time. I use rags for any wipe ups and napkins with the kids etc when we run out of cloth napkins. We use cloth napkins for eating, for messier things I use wash cloths with warm water. I use baby wash cloths with warm water for diaper changes, they work much better than disposable wipes and cause no skin irritation. People used rags in the olden days, they are reusable, once they get too ratty they can be composted, and can do anything that a paper towel can do. I say the best way to quit a habit is cold turkey, and we’ve never looked back on the paper towel habit, it’s become very normal to us over the years to not use them at all.

By: Peggy

Peggy — Thu, 29 May 2008 02:17:20 +0000

Katherine, I totally understand about the rougher recycled kleenex. That’s difficult if you use them often. I’m glad you like the flannel sheet idea!

Now that I’ve been keeping track of my paper towel use, I can say my cat has only thrown up once this month! : )

By: Katherine

Katherine — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:32:20 +0000

A little more than a month ago, I hatched a plan to replace our kleenex boxes with little baskets of hankeys. We’ll then put a plastic box somewhere for dirty hankey collection. My husband and two boys already use hankeys. I’m the last one hanging on to heavy kleenex usage. A couple weeks ago I bought recycled tissues for the first time, and given how rough they’ve been on my nose (since I’m sick this week), I don’t think this recycled tissue phase will last long. I’m gonna check the thrift store for a flannel sheet–thanks for the great idea!

We already use handmade dish clothes, dish towels, and other rags in place of paper towels. I think I freaked out my mother-in-law when I cleaned up some toddler puke with a rag instead of paper towels, though. We keep one pile of rags in particular for the nasty jobs. Thank goodness my two-year-old doesn’t throw up as much as your cats!

By: Peggy

Peggy — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:15:54 +0000

Good idea Nix! : ) Glad to have you join us.

Linette, I noticed a big reduction in my paper towel usage when I started using cloth napkins. The pet thing is tricky though. I prefer to use paper towels to clean up cat vomit.

By: Linette

Linette — Wed, 07 May 2008 01:21:04 +0000

We don’t use too many paper towels here. I think the dogs are the biggest cause for our use of paper towels. When they have an “accident” (doesn’t happen often) we are either low on paper towels or completely out, never fails.

I do need to get some cloth dinner napkins, that would cut our paper towel usage to almost nothing.

By: Nix

Nix — Wed, 07 May 2008 00:06:03 +0000

This is great! I need to get my fiance to kick the paper towel habit STAT!