Do-It-Yourself "Paper Towels"

In the last few blog posts, I have given you several options for the best wood, bamboo, cotton, or linen cloths to replace wasteful paper towels. The goal was to share ideas to help us all preserve resources and reduce trash. I did not want to put the subject to rest until I had given you this one last alternative.

Materials

Perhaps you have a bin full of old rags? Or a closet full of cotton t-shirts that you no longer wear? Or swaddle blankets that your children have outgrown? Do not go out and buy brand new cleaning cloths if you are just going to chuck towels or fabric into the trash that still have life in them. Put them to good use by repurposing them into your own DIY “unpaper” towels.

Remember, the popularity with paper towels is their convenience. The trick is to make a replacement that matches some of their easy-to-use qualities.

Look through your fabric scraps and find the pieces that are the most absorbent; cotton, flannel, or linen will do fine. Maybe you even have some larger unused towels in your kitchen drawers, like terry hand towels or flour sack (“tea”) towels? The type of fabric you choose should take into consideration things like absorbency, durability and softness. (Do not go all crazy with the cutting and sewing; make sure you save some large, grubby towels for the bigger messes!)

If you plan to buy your own fabrics to repurpose, you can look for secondhand cotton fabrics at thrift stores and through local online marketplaces. Try to avoid polyester or microfiber materials, since they can shed microplastics in the wash and are not compostable in the end.

To economize, cut the larger fabrics into 11 x 11-inch squares, or maybe even 11 x 5.5-inch rectangles, to mimic the size of regular paper towels. If you are handy with sewing, make a new hem around the raw edges of the fabric to prevent fraying and to make them a bit nicer-looking. Or ask a friend to do it for you.

Storage Options

You want to also be strategic with how and where you store your repurposed towels. You can sometimes make your own cloth roll that can fit onto your old paper towel dispenser. Save a paper towel tube or other type of tube for this. Lay the cloths in a long row, with the one edge overlapping a quarter of the way on top of the next one. Then roll them up onto the tube, keeping the cloths tight as you roll.

Another idea is to fold the towels and layer them on top of each other so they can fit into a tissue box, basket, large jar or other similar container. You can also roll each one individually for a more decorative look. Place the container in a handy location (in your pantry, on the kitchen counter, under the sink, etc.), so you can quickly reach for one whenever you need it.

DIY Sanitizing Cloths and Wet Wipes

While you are at it, why not eliminate single-use wet wipes from your trash bin? Use any type of reusable cloths that I have mentioned already (bamboo, cotton, DIY) to make your own sanitizing or baby wipes! (If you plan to go this route, you may like to cut your fabric pieces a bit smaller than 11 x 11 inches.) See below for a few recipes:

1. Alcohol-Based Sanitizing Wipes
   • 2 cups water
   • ½ cup 70% rubbing alcohol (use at least a 60% concentration)
   • 2 teaspoons dish liquid (I use the ECOS Free and Clear kind, available at Whole Foods)
   • As many cloths as needed to soak up all the liquid and not be too soggy or too dry
2. Bleach-based Disinfecting Wipes
   • 2 cups water
   • 1 tablespoon regular bleach
   • As many cloths as needed to soak up all the liquid and not be too soggy or too dry
3. Baby Wipes (get the full directions here)
   • Gentle cleanser (bar soap or liquid, such as pure Castile soap)
   • Hot water
   • 1 tablespoon olive oil
   • 5-10 drops of tea tree oil

I prefer the alcohol wipes over the bleach wipes since they are better for the environment, but in special cases, when a strong disinfectant is needed, I will use the bleach wipes.

Keep any of the wipes you make in an empty baby wipes or empty Clorox/Lysol wipes container. You can also use a glass jar with lid or even a baby wipes warmer if you have one. The alcohol-based wipes should be kept in a container with a tight-fitting lid, so the alcohol does not evaporate. The bleach-based wipes will not be effective if stored for long periods of time, so you should make a fresh batch every week at least.