Comments on: Replacing Paper Towels Experiment – Update

By: Felicia

Felicia — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:52:30 +0000

Wow, thanks Crystal. Microfiber for floors. I’ll give it a shot.

As far as my kitchen towels, I’ve stopped using softener on them. I only use them to clean up messes so I don’t really care if they’re soft. Nice tip on washing the dryer lint screen.

By: Crystal @ Custom Memorial Quilts

Crystal @ Custom Memorial Quilts — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:50:26 +0000

Liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets may be the culprit – both can leave a residue on fabric that repels water. If you use either, you should also wash your dryer filter screen regularly with hot water and soap to keep the dryer running efficiently.

As for floor cleaning, I was recently advised by a flooring professional to use microfiber rather than terrycloth or a sponge on my laminate as it actually lifts the dirt off the floor. Well, guess what? It’s true! But I didn’t have to buy the expensive floor-care system she was selling – I just bought some microfiber cloths on sale for a buck and they work great. And they’re also great for a lot of other cleaning jobs and most impressively, plain water is often all I need:)

By: Felicia

Felicia — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:29:41 +0000

Great advice, Meadow. Thanks.

By: MEadow

MEadow — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:39:10 +0000

Cloth will start to repel due to detergent buildup. This is true for cloth diapers, so I assume it is the same for towels. Try washing in hot water with no detergent and look for bubbles. Rinse until the bubbles are gone. You can also try boiling for a few minutes to get out the detergent. You can also use a squirt of blue dawn dish soap and rinse, rinse, rinse. These should save the towels from the landfill.

By: Felicia

Felicia — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:54:23 +0000

David, I’ve run into the same problem.

My towels get a true workout so I find that I periodically have to replace them.

By: David

David — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:30:15 +0000

I replaced my paper towels a few years back and have gotten along fine except for one detail: even though I always wash them in low-additive detergent (Charlie’s Soap), they still seem to be losing their absorbency over time. I’m not sure if it’s because I use them to clean greasy things and the detergent’s not degreasing well enough or what, but some have reached the point where water rolls off of them rather than sinking in. I’ve tried vinegar-in-the-bleach-dispenser runs, but that doesn’t seem to help.

Have you had the same problem, or does your Fels Naptha cure all woes?

By: Marlene

Marlene — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:42:10 +0000

Though we’ve moved away from using paper napkins and paper towels, I have yet to get rid of the “gucky” sponge. Even though I know that it’s a harbour for bacteria and other unfriendlies, I haven’t found a better alternative for scrubbing my kitchen dishes, pots and pans (I don’t have a functioning dishwasher). I also can’t get myself to using dish cloths for dishwashing…..however, I may try it out soon since you’ve found that it worked for you. Thanks.