The Eco-Friendly Home- Using Cloth in the Kitchen

Each year over 3000 tons of used paper towels and napkins end up in our nations landfills. This is an enormous amount of waste that can easily be reduced with minimal effort. Recycled paper products are a good option but for those who want to go one step further. Cloth in the kitchen is a sensible option. By using cloth napkins and towels in the kitchen you can easily do your part to reduce your footprint by using cloth in the kitchen. It may sound a bit out there but it's easier than you think.

First you will want to replace your paper towels and paper napkins with quality cloth. A selection of various types of dishtowels, rags and fabric napkins will do the trick. There are a plethora of websites on the Internet that sell cloth kitchen items for the many people switching to cloth in the kitchen. However, if you don't want to invest a lot of money upfront be sure to hit your local thrift store where you are sure to find a few dozen cloth napkins for around $1 or less per piece. If you happen to have old t-shirts, fabric scraps or towels handy and are creative you can make your napkins for just the cost of your time. Be sure to use absorbent fabrics but don't be afraid to experiment!

Using cloth in the kitchen need not be a one time use option. The beauty of cloth is that these types of products can be used several times before laundering therefore saving resources. Your water consumption need not increase due to washing and drying your kitchen cloth. If you regularly wash bath towels you can easily combine loads effortlessly. Keeping your kitchen cloth organized is key. A basket of napkins or a drawer dedicated to dishtowels will make things flow easier as you begin your journey into creating a sustainable kitchen. As for the soiled cloth and storage purposes you may want to use a basket or a flip top garbage pail with a remove-able bucket.

You will want to launder your kitchen cloth at least once a week, possibly more often if you have a large family. Some folks may think this system of kitchen cloth is too complicated and time consuming. The convenience of paper need not deter you from using cloth napkins and towels in the kitchen. The first week may be an odd transition but once you get the hang of washing and drying your kitchen cloth you will find it becomes second nature very quickly. Even if you only use cloth half the time you will be drastically reducing your paper consumption. This is a great way to "green" up your home and do your own part in reducing the consumption of valuable resources.