cloth napkins, paper towel alternative

[+stella+]

I want to completely eliminate paper towels and paper napkins in my home. However I am kind of clueless to what material would be best to switch to. (I am sure this sounds like a dumb question) I have heard of people using linen napkins or whatever, and I could have a set of cloth for face wiping and for use that would be like paper towels, cleaning up spills, countertops, etc.

Anyone want to share what you use? I think I will buy the material, cut and serge them myself. But if you have any links to buying them that would be nice to see too.

TIA

ps, i used the search function for cloth napkins and got a lot of cloth diaper posts, so I am search function stupid, forgive me if this is a topic you read a lot.

[eurobin]

I have a ton of cheap, plain white washclothes that I use in lieu of paper towels. They're sturdy enough to wipe down the kitchen but soft enough to clean my DD's face after meals. I got them at Target in packs of 12 for $4 or $5 a pack.

I have a dozen or so plain white cloth napkins from Ikea - they were cheap ($2 for a pack of 4) and very soft.

I also have a small hamper in my kitchen just for kitchen washcloths, genera cleaning rags, and napkins so it's extra convenient to use them. It's really no more effort that paper products.

I do use paper towels occasionally though... just for extremely gross things, like cleaning up cat puke. But I've cut wayyyyy down.

[Juvysen]

I cut up a few old t-shirts into small squares that I use for "one-time use" (i.e. I wipe then toss in laundry - I don't rinse and reuse so much before washing). I did this because it was the most comfortable change for me, having come from paper towels. The number of bacteria that live in sponges kinda creeps me out. We keep a small laundry basket in the kitchen for "kitchen laundry" - washcloths, t-shirt rags, bibs, cloth napkins as well as general cleaning cloths.

[Christian_mom]

I just picked up an 18 pack of washcloths from WalMart [I know, I know] for $3.96 for DD to use as napkins. They work well for her to keep clean while eating, for face wiping, etc.

For counters, I use cleaning cloths that I found in the cleaning aisle. They are washable and seem to hold up well. They're blue but I forgot what they're called, I think they were under $3.00 for a four pack. I'm sure they won't last as long as washcloths.

I still use paper towels for wiping down the toilet (ew!) and other nasty jobs but I've greatly reduced how many of them we use.

[askew]

I have three sets of cloth napkins that match table cloths I have. This makes an awesome family holiday gift request. Hard to mess it up. I have some hemp ones, and regular cotton ones from target. We have been using cloth napkins for a few years, and have enough to wash kitchen linens once a week. Towels and such as well. I use microfiber cloths for dusting and cleaning things like granite and stainless and windows.

[roostery]

I use pieces of DH's old socks for one time clean-ups.

I have a couple dozen all purpose washcloths for everything else.

I picked up most of our cloth napkins from rummage sales. Cotton is the best fabric for us. It's best if they're a bit absorbent --at least with a 3yo around.

[pampered_mom]

I went to an antique store and bought all my cloth napkins there. The booth owner had oodles of them and they were priced very reasonably. In place of paper towels I have a couple of options. If it's a less messy option I'll just use my kitchen towels (like drying off veggies for example). If it's a more messy option I have some cheapo kitchen towels that we got as gifts from dh's family when we got married. I use them for cleaning up spills and for cleaning in general.

[smeisnotapirate]

I bought 11 yards of flannel on sale at JoAnns and cut it up different sizes for what I needed (I got about 40 baby wipes/spit cloths, 120 pieces of toilet paper, 80 tissues, 12 post-partum pads, 8 pantiliners) and I have about 4 yards left just in case. I then did a zigzag stitch around the edges to stop any fraying and chucked it in my pile! So easy!

Flannel is soft and wonderful and pretty absorbent too.

[Ann-Marita]

Flat Diapers!

I've been using cloth for cleaning (in the kitchen and elsewhere) since before I found Mothering mag OR MDC. I got this tip from The Clean Team, a place that has books (and products) that teach how to clean your house efficiently. They also lean toward items that have less environmental impact than most.

Flat diapers work incredibly well. Unlike terrycloth washcloths, the texture is less likely to snag on surfaces you are wiping. And they are soft - dd chooses to have one in bed at night instead of tissues, if she needs to blow or wipe her nose at night.

Plus, in our state, once a year just before school starts, there is a "tax free" weekend when you can buy clothes (and certain other items) and pay no sales tax. The diapers qualify for this. I evaluate my stash every year to see if I need to buy a new pack.

[Benji'sMom]

I just keep a drawer full of whatever I can find for cheap at the dollar store or whatever, washcloths, kitchen towels, cloth napkins, bar towels, microfiber towels, whatever, it doesn't matter. And I use them for everything, they don't have specific jobs. I still have my original dollar store wash cloths that I bought 4 years ago, they last forever!

[Malva]

I get all my cloth napkins from the second hand store.

[+stella+]

thank you for all your suggestions, it will be fun being on the hunt for thrifty old cloth napkins. And the little hamper in the kitchen is a good idea. I always use cloth or old rags for cleaning now, hardly use paper towels so this is mostly for my husband to grab for dinner, he is notorious for taking a paper towel, not even using it then throwing it away, when i then save it from the trash and put it in a drawer to use to clean something up, and he makes fun. ANYWAY, we are going to rid ourselves of them completely so I will get some cotton or flannel and keep my eyes out. Thanks!

[alysmommy2004]

I watch for sales and buy cloth napkins cheap. For cleaning up around the kitchen and wiping faces I just use dish towels. For some reason I have a zillion of them so I might as well use them.

[t-elaine]

I have just a bunch of cheap white (very stained) washcloths.

A friend of mine was a little smarter and bought a bunch of cheap BROWN washcloths. The stains do not show up as much.

[Pancakes]

I purchased some cheap cotton fabric to make cloth napkins. I used it as a way to teach my kids to use the sewing machine, they loved it. The only problem I have is that they aren't very absorbent, but I guess they really don't need to be.

I have a ton of cheap white washcloths that I use to clean the kitchen and a ton of the flour sack towels that I use in place of paper towels. I think I picked up both at target.

[texaspeach]

if you want napkins with out paying dept store prices, check a restaurant supply. they're generally open to the public and are super cheap. I found a dozen cloth napkins for $7 yesterday, and they had a bunch of colors available.

[barose]

Kichen/Dining
I have a bunch I got from yardsales (like, super cheap), some were new.

I have some dingy everyday ones and some nice "company" ones, but end up using the company ones anytime.

We do need more napkins though.

Bathroom
For company, we have a ton of washclothes I fold up and place near the sink for their handwashing purposes.

[brightonwoman]

There are some great suggestions here for if you want to make your own (that's certainly the most economical way to go!)

I just wanted to throw out there that there are also a number of people on www.etsy.com who sell cloth napkins and they have some really pretty/cute ones. I like supporting etsy because it's cottage industry (and that's green!)

FWIW, yes I do have an etsy store, but I don't sell cloth napkins, so this is totally not a self-plug!

[woobysma]

Originally Posted by eurobin

I have a ton of cheap, plain white washclothes that I use in lieu of paper towels. They're sturdy enough to wipe down the kitchen but soft enough to clean my DD's face after meals. I got them at Target in packs of 12 for $4 or $5 a pack.

I have a dozen or so plain white cloth napkins from Ikea - they were cheap ($2 for a pack of 4) and very soft.

I also have a small hamper in my kitchen just for kitchen washcloths, genera cleaning rags, and napkins so it's extra convenient to use them. It's really no more effort that paper products.

I do use paper towels occasionally though... just for extremely gross things, like cleaning up cat puke. But I've cut wayyyyy down.

Funny, I read the OP & this was EXACTLY what I was going to write in response! I love it when someone else does all the writing for me

I also have an assortment of old large flannel/terry wipes that I made as diaper wipes when DS2 was little that are now used as general clean-up rags.

I like a blend of dish towels (I prefer the large white "bar towels") and smaller wash-cloth sized wipes, so I can use the appropriate size for whatever spill/mess/face I'm cleaning.

[jadekat]

I use old towels and socks cut up for cleaning. I bought a pack of washcloths from Walmart and use them for wiping dirty hands and faces. I also bought some cheap flannel for tissues and baby wipes. I use baby washcloths for the kids baths.