Best Paper Towel Alternatives

The Popularity of Paper Towels

Single-use paper towels, they have become one of the most convenient and most helpful products to have in the home. They are popular for cleaning up food and liquid spills, washing dishes, drying hands, wiping messy hands or faces, draining greasy foods, and disinfecting surfaces around the home. They are truly a multi-purpose tool. If that statement does not convince you, here is a list of many more things you can do with paper towels.

The Purposes of Paper Towels

Clean up all types of food or liquid spills

Dry cast-iron cookware

Use as napkins

Use as a plate

Use as a spoon rest

Cover food (especially in the microwave)

Dust and polish surfaces

Clean or dry fresh produce

Drain washed fruit and vegetables

Clean mirrors, windows, and other glass

Line the refrigerator drawer(s)

Keep leafy greens fresh (place a few towels in a bag with your produce)

Clean up pet messes

Drain grease and oil from bacon or French fries

Clean your sewing machine (sew a few stitches to remove excess oil)

Sprout old seeds (with a moistened towel)

Help remove silk from fresh corn

Soften dried-out brown sugar

Thaw frozen bread (keeps the bread from getting soggy as it thaws)

Pat meat dry before cooking

Strain pulp from juice

Strain grease from broth

Make a nonslip surface for your cutting board (moisten first)

Shine up stovetops and stainless-steel appliances

Make DIY disinfecting wipes

Make DIY baby wipes

Quickly chill wine (wrap a wet towel around the bottle and place in the freezer for a few minutes)

Cushion between cast-iron pans or between fragile dishes

Line serving dishes or breadbaskets

The Problems with Paper Towels

With the multitude of uses, it is no wonder that paper towels are so popular.

Sadly, the demand for paper towels is contributing to the deforesting of our planet and the loss of wildlife habitats. Besides that, manufacturing plants often use toxic chemicals to process wood pulp into paper and release pollutants into the air and waterways. At the end of their life, paper towels cannot be recycled with other recyclable waste and are just one more category in the 18 million tons of paper products that are landfilled every year in the U.S. (third place after food scraps and plastic).[1]

To be fair, paper towels have one thing going for them – they are biodegradable. In theory, they are good for composting, but not all types are approved for that. Even then, most paper releases the greenhouse gas called methane when it breaks down.

Better Materials and Brands

Now that we have had an overview of paper towels and their environmental hazards, are there changes we can make? Are there better substitutes for paper towels? What are they? Where can you get them? Or how can you make your own “unpaper” towels?

For the next few posts, we will examine different kinds of materials and their earth-friendly qualities. We will touch on renewable sources, recycled materials, absorbency and durability, low-impact dyes, care instructions, product certifications, and reusable and/or compostable properties.

I will share products from several companies that have revolutionized their business practices to make their sourcing, production, and/or packaging practices more ethical and sustainable than the normal, conventional brands. We will also include local and global sourcing because that can also affect a product’s transportation costs and carbon footprint.

All products will focus on sustainability and low- or zero-waste habits.

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