3.08.2012

Paper-less

Going paper-less.
I am not talking about technology here.

Really, it is the opposite.
Slowly, over the years we have been using less paper and disposables.

We are getting better and better over time but...
it all started with not using paper towels.

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We were in our very first apartment.
And one of our wedding gifts was a stack of microfiber towels.
They worked great for cleaning up everything.

We were newly on our own...
and a little scared and really broke.

We were saving for a washer and dryer...
 so we didn't have to take our laundry to my parents.

We were running on a tight budget.
So we didn't buy extras.

It was Michael's idea, not mine.
He voted to get more cloth towels and stop using the paper ones.

So I found some more towels at the dollar store...
and that is how it began.

I put a basket under the sink and took down the paper towel holder.
We never bought paper towels again.

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Under my sink, almost 8 years later, there is still a basket.
Full to the brim with microfiber towels.

I buy them when I see them cheap.
The "One-Spot" at Target is a great place to get stocked up.

I wash them in hot water and hang them to dry.
They dry in almost no time.

I never use fabric softener or dryer sheets.
It makes them absorb almost nothing.

But that is it - easy-peasy.
The little pile of towels makes me happy.
(I am kinda strange about folded piles.)

We still don't use other paper/disposable products... plates, cutlery, swiffers.
We switched to cloth diapers and use cloth wipes part-time.

We still use Charmin for the big people...
I don't think that will ever change.

Doing these things saves money and the landfill.
But really it all started with not using paper towels.

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9 comments:

Sar said...

I love that idea! I have paper towels but I don't use them very often, and we have the ones where you can tear off 1/3 of the sheet and use that instead of the big one. Still, this idea is fantastic! I think I'll try to start...

Shauna said...

Great idea! I could definitely do to cut down on my paper towel use!

- Shauna life.love.

Melanie said...

Wow, this is awesome. I have thought about switching over to no paper towels too. You just gave me a big push friend. LOVE the under sink basket idea too! Gonna check out the one bin at my beloved Target today!

P/S I am a sucker for folded piles of an anything. Thanks for helping me feel less weird! Lol)

Nikki said...

Funny, this has perfect timing. This morning I went to grab a paper towel and thought to myself "self, you have to stop it with these".

Amanda said...

I love this. I've been trying to use cloth napkins instead of paper ones.

Danielle and Trev said...

Brilliant! So nice to be able to just throw them in the wash. Love your blog. newest reader!

Seeing Each Day said...

Great idea - thanks for the tip of just washing them in hot water.

Anonymous said...

This is a phenomenal idea... I might just have to join you on this paperless adventure... hmmmm...

Janel said...

Maybe you've blogged about cloth diapers before and I've missed it, but what kind do you use? We use cloth too! (Homemade ones. But I'd like a new stash with a different style...and I'm thinking of NOT making them this time...?)