Paper Towels. liquids and trash. Rags, towels, mops or paper towels?

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WhatInThe

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When you have a small liquid or wet mess do you wipe it up with a rag or towel or do you use paper towels? I think paper towels are mostly a waste.

I don't like liquids in the trash so I tend to mop or wipe liquid messes with a rag, towel or mop then wash/rinse them . I think paper towels are over used. Wet trash is probably more prone to bacteria & germs and is more weight for the trash bag/trash men to handle along with more weight for the town to dispose of/pay a dump. Also can't help but think about the environment and all those dead trees.

Issue came up with company over the weekend. They used paper towels for EVERYTHING including after washing hands with towels available. And I don't know what the heck but the same people use about a roll of tp a day when visiting where frequently finding wadded tp in the trash. Eh just being petty I guess.
 

Paper towels have gotten to be so expensive lately. And it does seem like a waste to use them for small spills. I've been using these for the past couple of years: https://www.amazon.com/Skoy-Eco-fri...1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483121983&sr=8-1&keywords=Skoy

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They are very absorbent and if you rinse and squeeze them out, they dry quickly without getting smelly. Each one lasts for months. They are the perfect size to hang on a rack in the sink. I use one for messenger on my stove and kitchen counters and another for spills on the floor.
 
Depending on what it is, I am more apt to use a wet rag or towel, if a semi solid mess. Then mom up any liquid. I do not even have paper towels in my house. I am all about recycling and reusing. I would rather do a bit more laundry.
 

For a small liquid mess I use a dish towel and then hang it to dry.

My kitchen flooded about a week ago thanks to a problem with the plumbing and I put down all of my bath towels. Then I hung them up to dry in the bathroom and turned the heat up some.
 
I use paper towels for wiping down counters, cleaning mirrors and appliances, etc. If there's a lot of liquid, I'll use either kitchen towels or dog towels. I use rags to polish wood furniture and dust, and use sponges, brushes or Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to clean floors, woodwork and some other things. I use a crew mop also to clean the kitchen floor when there's a wet mess or the dog tracks in snow. TP always goes down the toilet.
 
I use paper towels mainly as super absorbent tissues to blow my nose!

For kitchen cleanup I have some old stained dish towels that I use. I also use those old dish towels on a Swiffer handle to mop the kitchen floor.

I hate spending money on things that are intended to be thrown away.

I use plastic grocery bags for the trash, bottles and plastic tubs instead of Tupperware, plastic bread bags for freezer bags, etc...

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without and save your cash for the fun little luxuries in life!!!
 
Rags unless it's a mess that isn't going to lend itself to being washed out! If it's glass, for sure dampened paper towels.

Every penny that I don't spend on something like paper towels is another penny I can fritter away on foolish pleasures��
 
Same with me Aunt Bea, paper towels are great for nose blowing when I have a cold or allergies. Re-using bread bags and plastic bottles is an excellent idea. I re-use big jars in my pantry for staples like dried beans, pasta, spices, etc.

Old worn old terrycloth wash cloths are great for dishrags and cleaning up spills as they are just the right size and very absorbent. Just launder with bleach and they are good to go. But I do like a little sponge for hand washing dishes.
 
I have a smooth surface stove, I use paper towels on it and on my electric griddle. They also get used for other things mainly in the kitchen. I also use them for cleaning windows and other glass surfaces. I love them!
 
I use torn up old flannel sheets as rags which get washed , for dishcloths I use terry face cloths at least one fresh one each day. Paper towels I use more for a cooking aid like blotting the fat from gravy or turning fried fish onto it pull out the fat, or draining the liquid from curds etc. it is easier than cheesecloth.
 
I do keep paper towels on hand in the home, but I reserve those for eating and cleaning up really icky, yucky messes (i.e., grease, oil, etc). For everyday messes/spills in the kitchen that are easily cleaned up, just a regular old dishcloth wrung-out as many times as I have to absorb the spill/wipe up the mess.

Also have a couple dozen old leftover cotton diapers from the baby days in our home, and I use those for windows, dusting, wiping up larger spills/messes, etc.

Had a neighbour that was mortified that I used 100% cotton dishcloths for washing dishes with. "No way would I do that", she told me, I use J-Cloths.

Surprising part of my old neighbour, she was older than I was, so it came as a surprise to me, a shock really, that she was so willing and comfortable with using disposable cloths for washing dishes, etc.

When I was growing up my mom had a drawer reserved for 100% cotton dishcloths and 100% cotton tea towels. They were used over and over again, washed and dried when wet/dirty. I do the same, it's totally natural to me to use 100% cotton dishcloths and 100% cotton tea towels. We never had anything disposable in the house when I was growing up, aside from Kotex Pads.

Aside from paper towels in our house, I use nothing disposable in the home.

Over and above the ongoing expense of disposable J-Cloths, they add to the already out of control, over-flowing waste issue of landfills.
 
I use rags to clean around the house. In the kitchen I clean the counter with my dish cloth. I use paper towels to clean up greasy messes around the stove. If I have a nasty spill on the kitchen floor I grab a rag to clean it up and then wash the area with my mop.
When preparing food I use my dish cloth but when I have to cut raw chicken I use the paper towels and then wash down the area with bleach.
I have so many rags I rarely wash them I just put them in the garbage.. The only ones I wash from week to week are my dust rags. Believe it or not, I have favorites. I hate breaking in a new rag.
 
Figured you’d resurrect this thread Marg.
What type of material do I use to wipe up messes?
It friends on the mess.
Paper towels are too expensive but do have their usefulness. Generally speaking I use a dish cloth or J cloth with detergent. Sometimes I use a natural cleaner like Method in a spray bottle since I really enjoy the scent of a clean house as well as the look and feel of it. This method works good on flat surfaces. On rough surfaces I’d use a sponge with dish soap or whatever is needed. then I dry it with a dish towel.

I like using vinegar on surfaces to help disinfect them since I hate the smell of bleach. Occasionally I’ll use bleach but prefer not to.
Some messes need grid so I sometimes use salt or baking soda or Comet depending on the stain and I make sure not to mix certain detergents together as it can be toxic.
 
Llynn said:
If there is a passing cat within easy reach, I find them convenient for wiping up wet spills.

Oh sure, you will get a dirty look from the cat but they are self cleaning and have lousy memories.
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Haha. They don’t all have lousy memories. Cats actually have great memories.
 
Ruth n Jersey said:
I use rags to clean around the house. In the kitchen I clean the counter with my dish cloth. I use paper towels to clean up greasy messes around the stove. If I have a nasty spill on the kitchen floor I grab a rag to clean it up and then wash the area with my mop.
When preparing food I use my dish cloth but when I have to cut raw chicken I use the paper towels and then wash down the area with bleach.
I have so many rags I rarely wash them I just put them in the garbage.. The only ones I wash from week to week are my dust rags. Believe it or not, I have favorites. I hate breaking in a new rag.
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Breaking-in dishcloths, bath towels, and new facecloths... my biggest pet-peeve.
 
Paper towels are just for dirty spills. Those ‘blue’ ones are really strong. If we ever get to travel to the US again, I plan to pick up another package of the plain white Viva paper towels that tear in small strips. They’re reserved for food items. In the RV, they’re my napkins, if needed. My husband gets stressed that I insist on rationing them. 🤨

The best wipe up rags for small jobs are the microfibre. There’s a type for every item that needs cleaning. They do a terrific job on windows. All I have to do is make sure they don’t go in the dryer.
 
Jules said:
Paper towels are just for dirty spills. Those ‘blue’ ones are really strong. If we ever get to travel to the US again, I plan to pick up another package of the plain white Viva paper towels that tear in small strips. They’re reserved for food items. In the RV, they’re my napkins, if needed. My husband gets stressed that I insist on rationing them. 🤨

The best wipe up rags for small jobs are the microfibre. There’s a type for every item that needs cleaning. They do a terrific job on windows. All I have to do is make sure they don’t go in the dryer.
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Why is it bad to put 'em in the dryer?
 
Murrmurr said:
Why is it bad to put 'em in the dryer?
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That’s in the washing instructions. *I’m obedient. Basically, I always thought it’s because almost everyone uses fabric softener and it leaves that residue. I only use alpaca balls. Even still, I just hang them on my drying rack. They dry quickly. Unless I miss something when sorting, I use lingerie bags for the wash.

*I might still have ‘those’ tags on my furniture.
 
Jules said:
That’s in the washing instructions. *I’m obedient. Basically, I always thought it’s because almost everyone uses fabric softener and it leaves that residue. I only use alpaca balls. Even still, I just hang them on my drying rack. They dry quickly. Unless I miss something when sorting, I use lingerie bags for the wash.

*I might still have ‘those’ tags on my furniture.
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Alpaca balls. Alrighty-then. :ROFLMAO:
I don't use any kind of balls in the dryer, animal or human. Nor dryer sheets, which is what most people here use, thank goodness. But I do use a community laundry room, and the microfiber cloths have come out just fine. I'm gonna be keeping an eye out for any alpaca balls, though.
 
I save used paper towels to wipe up spills. It's just easier and less messy. I've had a couple of serious leaks (and one minor flood) that required the use of towels. I use paper towels in my kitchen and cloth towels in my bathroom. It takes me about 5 weeks to use a roll of paper towels.
 
Murrmurr said:
I'm gonna be keeping an eye out for any alpaca balls, though
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I really did set the bait for that one.

Being that you’re a city boy, you may have a harder time finding them. Living near the country, there are several alpaca farms. You may find wool dryer balls if you have a farmers’ market and deep pockets.
 

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