Replace your Paper with Cloth

I’ll admit it, I have an absolute love affair with household linens.  From starched vintage pillow cases,  vibrant printed top sheets, plush white towels, crocheted tablecloths and damask napkins.  I love them all.  Possibly though, the linens that serve me the best are my paper towel substitute, flannel rags. 

When I think back to my childhood, late 60’s and 70’s, I can’t even remember my mother ever using a paper towel.  She always had (and still has) rags for many purposes, laundered, neatly folded in several different locations for immediate use.  

Today, however, the average American household uses 220 pound of paper products every year. These items include toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, paper plates, and tissues but 40% of this budget is in paper towels.  

Creating paper products is the biggest cause of deforestation and water pollution.  Up to 40 % of the world’s landfill is paper waste and the third largest contributor to climate change is the paper industry.  Trading paper for cloth can reduce our waste by tons, and possibly save  hundreds of dollars every year at the grocery store.  

Don’t over-complicate

I have looked at several DIY’s on making your own “unpaper towels.” I even bought some for my daughters at Christmas time, because I loved the thought of putting them on the paper towel roll and having them in the kitchen.  To be honest, this is a bit labor intensive.  I think we have a tendency to over-complicate things. When things are too hard to use, we don’t make simple changes.   I have found that squares of flannelette, folded neatly in a basket is just the thing for me.

What kind of Fabric should I Use?

All fabric is not equal when it comes to making and using household rags. You need to use something that is one hundred percent cotton or linen or a blend of the two. These fabrics are the most absorbent. Of course there are microfibre cloths that one can buy in hideous colours and have that weird hand-feel that assaults the senses on several levels.

No they are not for me. I believe that I am more likely to use things that I believe to be beautiful, things that are beautiful to the senses, even something as banal as rags.

I went by the local fabric store with the idea of making a few coordinating sets of flannel rags. Frankly,  I was really put off by the price of new flannelette . I found two beautiful 70’s something flannel bottom sheets at the second hand store for less than a couple of dollars each.

I wanted more than one pattern because I didn’t want to mix up the uses.  One set occupies the kitchen.  I have them all neatly stacked in a wicker basket, ready for those quick spills, and they even serve to wash the sticky hands and faces of my two grand-babies. The other set goes into the linen closet for diaper changing and cleaning and polishing taps and mirrors.

Make Your Own

Alright, here is the thing, there are lots of instructions about how to make unpaper towels.  My version couldn’t be simpler.  I don’t double my fabric.  I cut the squares exactly the size that I find to be most convenient.  I use about a 12” x 14” rectangle.   You may find a smaller 10” X 12” more to your liking.  I am careful to make sure that they are all the same size, they stack so much nicer if they are uniform.

Many of the DIY projects for unpaper towels show serged edgings.  Don’t sweat it if you don’t have an overlock machine. You can zig zag along the edge if you have a sewing machine, or if you have a pair of pinking shears you can just pink the edges to keep them from fraying.  Like I said, don’t overcomplicate things, or you just won’t do the job.  

How to Care for your Reusable Cloths

Many people suggest that there might be a bigger environmental impact due to the need to launder these items.  To be honest, I just toss them into my usual towel wash and I don’t notice much impact at all.  The amount of water used to make paper towels is far more significant.  

When they have been stained, I just soak them in a little pail in the laundry room with some laundry detergent, maybe some lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide.   Sunlight is great for removing stains as well.  Hang to dry on a clothesline.  If they are really soiled, start a bag of rags that you can use for dirty jobs like cleaning the car, bathing pets, or  messes in the garage or garden.