I am loving decluttering, loving it. But, I cringe everytime I throw out a paper towel or kitchen sponge. I have a thing about germs and surfaces not having marks (when I finally get the clutter off), but I HATE buying paper towels. With a 2yo I go through a LOT.
So, I decided to go old school and obtained some good ol’ fashion dish cloths. I also bought a big pack of reusable cleaning cloths. Not only do I feel SO much better about going through a boatload a day but I am enjoying the different colors and patterns! And…they are super easy to store…unlike those jumbo rolls of paper towel that seem to always fly out of the closet at my head.
You can see a sampling here as I prepare them for storage. Luckily, I have a wonderful aunt who likes to make dish cloths so I have some really pretty ones. I also bought some on etsy with hearts and flowers.
Between the colors, patterns and different textures I really enjoy these more than the sponges which I felt just grew bacteria despite a good dishwasher so-called sanitize.
So while some of mine have had better days and faded, they have probably been through 100 washes in the machine, smell great, are soft and best yet are thrown in the laundry daily.
The cleaning clothes are no where near as fun or pretty as the dish cloths…although of you search on amazon you can find other fabrics, colors and probably patterns too. I chose white so I could easily bleach them though. They are nothing fancy but they work. I can clean the whole kitchen with just 1 or 2, but if I need more I dont care because I just wash them with the next load and they are back!
So while this seems silly, this switch has really made a difference in my life. I no longer buy a TON of paper towel, I no longer get clocked with rolls when I open the utility closet and I can spend the money on something else or salt it away. Also, I know that my dishes are being cleaned without any bacteria harboring in a sponge. Now that makes me happy and makes me feel better. Simple.
Consider joining me in saving the planet, money and killing bacteria. If interested I can find links for the etsy and amazon purchases, just leave me a note!
love and life 