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Post by w8n4dave on Oct 10, 2011 16:04:35 GMT -5
So did you ever think about how much paper towels you use?? I did a few years back, and so I slowed wayyy down. I make sure I have towels hanging on the stove and refrigerator, I still use paper towel but not half as much. I love the kleenex paper towels. But like I said I have cut down. It is so much cheaper to wash a towel. But I still need paper towel to do some greasy jobs like bacon and such. you know
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Post by auntyemerald on Oct 11, 2011 0:16:23 GMT -5
I too think about this a lot! We only use them for greasy or yucky clean up and for our "mouth/finger" wiping while eating.. We still go thru maybe a roll a month. I prefer the plain white "bar mop" towels that you can buy in a huge bundle at Sam's or even any big box store for cleaning, when they get too grimy for me to tolerate, even with bleaching, I buy more and use the stained ones for when I cook in the earth oven, since that tends to ruing them for anything else.. (well I have quite a few in the cubby that we don't use until the ones that are out are grossy) But one trick to cutting back on what I buy-when we go to eat at any fast food restaurant they always give more napkins than we usually use, or you can get your own at the condiment station.. I tend to grab maybe 5 or 6 more per trip(if not more) and we have a small cardboard box that sits on top of the microwave and they all go in there.. you would be amazed at how much they build up over a few weeks.. we use them to do the "mouth/finger" wipey! lol And yes I have one of those big gallon pickle jars with extra ketchup/taco bell sauce that comes in the the bag.. it tends to go great in hub's lunches or when I pack a small snack for our walks on the weekends. But I have been thinking about picking up more of the linen napkins that I often see at yard sales and such as they tend to be quite cheap and if not used for normal napkin tasks they may do well for hubby-he always carries a nasty hanky in his pocket(ewwww but that is a story for another day). I got some for free from a friend and hubs used them for about 10 years as hankys and they took the wear and tear very well. or since I do know how to sew if I got a nice old linen tablecloth I could very well make him several(more than that I suppose) out of one. I wish I could just give them up entirely but when the cat horks up a big nasty hairball on the rug I just gotta use either tp or paper towel and just toss it all.. ick.
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Post by dogwoman on Oct 11, 2011 8:01:24 GMT -5
I use old face cloths and hand towels for most of my clean-up chores. However, being the mother of eleven animals, makes paper towels a very handy item to have on hand.
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Post by w8n4dave on Oct 11, 2011 20:31:24 GMT -5
Yes Aunty I agree we also have some from , restaurants and or fast food. I also save mustard and ketchup and stuff , not to much tho , Dave is not a big fan of condiments, but sometimes they are nice to have around.
Yes Dogwoman I assume having 11 critters paper towel would be handy.... I only have Harley and a outdoor kitty so they don't need much paper towel .... now this week with the kids ... yea we are going thru them like crazy!!
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Post by garrett on Oct 13, 2011 9:23:06 GMT -5
sams iz the way to go.
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Post by luvstoplant on Oct 17, 2011 5:34:31 GMT -5
I just never got into the paper towel trend... maybe sometimes i'll buy a roll or two a year for certain chores.
I have always uses cloth napkins ...the bigger the better. I pick them up at bargan stores, yard sales etc...as long as they are in good condition. Making them from old tablecloths is a great idea too. I use the dark colored ones for greasy staining foods ...and save the light colored ones for other foods that are not....and for the garden tea parties!!
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Post by w8n4dave on Oct 17, 2011 8:05:36 GMT -5
Well I am going to start using more and more of the cloth ones Great tip on the dark colored ones!!
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Oct 17, 2011 8:16:23 GMT -5
I've fought an uphill battle with DH for years about the misuse of paper towels. I tried not having them in the house but his whining was worse than his using them. Now when I buy them, I only buy the half sheet ones; lot less waste that way. And after use they go in the Green Bin for municipal composting, never in the garbage.
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Post by w8n4dave on Oct 18, 2011 10:33:57 GMT -5
I know what you mean Blue... my hubbs uses them like kleenex , I do buy the kleenex brand and they are in the half sheets. I don't hardly use them at all. But we would never not have them in the house. Because he uses at least one or two a day. I can go a week without using one. Depends on what we have for dinner. I should keep them in the garage and see if I can go without them at all .
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Post by tastyofhasty on Oct 18, 2011 13:43:07 GMT -5
BLRH and w8in, what is it with hubbies and the paper towels? Must be some "man thing?" DH is the same way ... he's getting a LITTLE more careful, now he uses the ones I rip in 1/4's for nose-blowing, etc., for little things he would've used a whole one for.
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Post by w8n4dave on Oct 21, 2011 8:03:35 GMT -5
tasty my brother in law won't buy the ones in halves so he cuts them and piles them up on his counter. He only uses them to blow his nose. No my hubbs won't use a 1/4 one to blow with. In a way I don't mind him using paper towel for that task. I remember my dad carrying around a kleenex in his pocket. it really was disgusting. I feel good that he at least uses a 1/2..
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Post by garrett on Oct 22, 2011 12:56:26 GMT -5
roll on paper savers..........smiles
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Oct 22, 2011 15:45:34 GMT -5
washing hankies is e-z. Hot water, lotsa soap, hang outdoors to dry and then iron them til they's all purty and flat. Another way to save the Earth and money too.
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Post by w8n4dave on Oct 23, 2011 6:59:05 GMT -5
If I washed hankies I certainly would not iron them ..........
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Post by zinniagirl on Oct 23, 2011 15:54:43 GMT -5
washing hankies is e-z. Hot water, lotsa soap, hang outdoors to dry and then iron them til they's all purty and flat. Another way to save the Earth and money too. Don't do hankies now, but I remember doing my Dad's as a kid. They were the easiest of the laundry!!! Boy, we ironed everything, even socks and underwear. I still iron most clothing, but not undies and socks. Don't iron napkins either unless company's coming.
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Post by w8n4dave on Oct 24, 2011 10:41:03 GMT -5
Yea I may talk to dave and see if he doesn't want to start using hankies, is that an oldman thing to do or what?? Hehehe he
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Post by annclaire on Dec 30, 2011 0:18:43 GMT -5
Instead of hankies, buy him bandanas ... very cowboy and they aren't WHITE HANDKERCHEIFS like old men use I find paper napkins cheaper than PTs for most off-label use such as blowing the schnoz, but they do help keep the PT use down in my house ... and buying the halfsies helps, too. The one thing we can't do without is HandiWipes for the kitchen ... sometimes they even survive a washing in with the laundry and get a second life as a dust rag or grease rag in the garage I have always had kitchen towels and there is generally 2 or 3 hung in strategic places in the kitchen, but another thing that has helped has been crocheting dishcloths from cotton ... man, those things can take some use/abuse and the raised stitching is nice for scrubbing. I also scrub net scrubbies, but had to buy 2x the net the first time I made them as they kept disappearing ... out to the garage as the ex found they were excellent for scrubbing the bugs off the car I solved the disappearing scrubbie problem by crocheting his very own and 2x the size of the kitchen ones so they would fit his hands better
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Post by bella18 on Dec 30, 2011 1:53:07 GMT -5
Ann, that's a great idea about handmade scrubcloths for the car and garage. I started making them for dishcloths, but they don't absorb water so well (for wiping counters,etc) , so we mostly use them for the scrubbing action. ;D
I do have a couple old sweaters I took apart to make stuff out of, and I think I'll make some just for garage use. Saves on using the old towels that usually get hauled out there; those, I like for cleaning rags.
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Post by marielouise on Dec 30, 2011 2:37:09 GMT -5
Ann and Bella ,
I grow and use louffas for scrubbies in the kitchen --bath-- and hubs uses them on the truck windows and cleaning bugs off the front grill and where ever they stick. Haven't used handiwipes in a long time but I always would wash them out using dish soap in the kitchen sink then hanging to dry on the back of the stove--they last much longer than washing them in the washer that way--or they did for me.
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Post by bella18 on Dec 30, 2011 2:56:43 GMT -5
Great idea, the luffas....I tried to grow them last year, but never even got one out of the deal. Maybe I'll try again this year; I sure did like them in the bath, too. And they last a long time. Note to self: Luffas on seed list.
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Post by marielouise on Dec 30, 2011 4:03:22 GMT -5
pm me later on and I will send ya some seed ! anyone else wanna try em???
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Post by garrett on Dec 30, 2011 14:37:56 GMT -5
thinkin...grins.... i opened a trade subboard in pure d chat......
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Post by marielouise on Dec 31, 2011 2:19:12 GMT -5
oook good idea garrr!
soon be time to plant our gardens. or at least thinkin and planning
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Post by garrett on Dec 31, 2011 3:17:20 GMT -5
time draws near...smiles
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Post by annclaire on Jan 4, 2012 3:27:40 GMT -5
Ann and Bella , I grow and use louffas for scrubbies in the kitchen --bath-- and hubs uses them on the truck windows and cleaning bugs off the front grill and where ever they stick. Haven't used handiwipes in a long time but I always would wash them out using dish soap in the kitchen sink then hanging to dry on the back of the stove--they last much longer than washing them in the washer that way--or they did for me. Yeah, I washed and let dry hanging over the divider in the sink, but at a certain point ... after the old man or daughter left them wadded up while wet too many times ... they just had to go through the washer ;D Then, I just laid them back on the divider in the sink and they were good to go ... dryers seemed to be what really "killed" them
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Post by annclaire on Jan 4, 2012 3:29:42 GMT -5
Ann, that's a great idea about handmade scrubcloths for the car and garage. I started making them for dishcloths, but they don't absorb water so well (for wiping counters,etc) , so we mostly use them for the scrubbing action. ;D I do have a couple old sweaters I took apart to make stuff out of, and I think I'll make some just for garage use. Saves on using the old towels that usually get hauled out there; those, I like for cleaning rags. I find the net scrubbies don't do well for actual washing/wiping up, so make dish cloths out of cotton thread and cotton yarn. They have enough texture to provide some scrubbing action, anything more needed, then the net scrubbie gets the job done ;D
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