Whether you want to curb your disposable paper towel use for the sake of your wallet, the environment, or both, home management blog Simple Mom has a great system for switching over to cloth towels for good.

Image by otakuchick.

Blogger Maya acknowledges it’s not easy to make the leap from paper towels to the cloth variety, especially since paper is just so darn easy to use. Once you get a system nailed down, though, Maya says you’ll find it’s not a hassle to go paper-free.

You’ll need a batch of sturdy cloth rags or bar towels for deep cleaning, some nice fabric napkins for dining, and a pile of inexpensive, generic napkins for everyday spills and wipe-downs. If you have kids, toss some child-sized washcloths in a drawer as well. Keep a basket under the sink to collect used towels and throw them in the wash every couple of days.

If you’re having trouble imagining cleaning up really icky messes without paper towels, Maya says it’s time to look at the situation differently.

Change your perspective. Once you start using cloth regularly, you will also start to dispose off older cleaning cloths regularly. Such messes are good opportunities to get rid of old rags. And if you have no cloth you can use, there is really no problem with using a little paper, is there?

The post goes into more detail about how to implement a paper-free home, so you’ll want to check it out to get the skinny. Also be sure to take a look at the comments. Some readers wanted to know about the environmental impact of washing all that cloth toweling, but readers say the extra laundry is actually quite minimal.

Is your home paper-towel-free? Do you still yearn wistfully for that roll of paper towels or are you really happy with your system? Share your tips and experiences in the comments.

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