Washable Paper Towels Review – Plastic Free-ish Challenge Swap #2

Playing catch up this week and sharing the review for my February plastic free-ish swap which was switching to washable paper towels. I had posted my video to YouTube a couple of weeks ago, but here is the written review for anyone who prefers blog posts to videos. Here’s a little about the washable ‘unpaper’ towels I chose, the pros, cons, and whether they were worth it.

Washable Paper Towels Review – Plastic Free-ish Challenge Swap #2

Disclaimer

There are affiliate links included in this post. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn a commission if you book through the link.

Which washable paper towels I chose

I chose to buy bamboo towels from Amazon. One roll is said to replace 6 months’ worth of paper towels, and I bought 2 rolls. Theoretically, I have 12 months’ worth but we will see how they last as I continue using them.

I chose bamboo because it’s a more sustainable option because it doesn’t require pesticides to grow, doesn’t need as much water, and naturally grows and regenerates quickly.

How to use them

I mostly use them for cleaning up dog messes from the floor. It’s the same as using a regular paper towel but a million times more durable (that statistic is from the University of Katie). Instead of throwing them out after each use, you wash them either by hand or in the washing machine.

Since I swapped to washable puppy pads, I started a puppy pad bucket to soak the puppy pads in before I wash them. Now that I have been using the washable paper towels, I add them to the puppy pad bucket after I use them and wash everything in the same load.

After I wash them, I just hang them out and they dry quickly.

I use a separate washable rag for the kitchen counter and table so that I’m not using the same ones on the floor as I do the countertops.

They are pretty self-explanatory to use, but my biggest tip is to rinse them or throw away as much of the mess from the towel before you wash it. That will help to save your washing machine filters getting clogged up.

Relatable:Washable Puppy Pads Review – Plastic Free-ish Challenge Swap #1

Alternatives

If you are trying to make plastic-free changes, don’t feel like you have to spend a lot of money.

The most eco-friendly thing you can do is to upcycle something you already have in your house. If you’d like to ditch paper towels, you could upcycle old towels by cutting them into paper towel size strips – it’s that easy! You can also sew the edges so they aren’t frayed or you could buy some fabric to make your own.

If you are buying them, you can also find a lot of creative options for unpaper towels on Etsy, even some with snap clips to connect them. You can find a lot of unique designs but it is more expensive.

Pros

Obviously, the cost is a huge advantage to ditching paper towels. Not having to buy them with your grocery shopping will save a lot of money over time, especially if you have two messy indoor dogs. That’s not just me, right?

If you use a sweeper like a Swiffer, you can use the towels instead of buying the Swiffer pads. That is another thing you don’t have to buy any more.

Of course, there is also the eco-friendly perk of creating less waste and using less plastic.

Cons

They’re not quite as convenient as just tossing the paper towel away after you use it. There is a little more effort required to rinse and wash them and you have to get your hands a little dirty. After a couple of times, I was used to rinsing and putting them in the wash and it wasn’t a big deal.

Depending on how you wash them you will be using more water compared to paper towels. For these, you can add them to a load of washing or wash by hand.

They also come wrapped in plastic. In saying that, buying one small item wrapped in plastic every 6 months is far better than consuming a much larger item wrapped in plastic once every month.

Cost Comparison

The bamboo towels I bought cost $7.99 per roll and each roll lasts 6 months. I bought two rolls and spent $15.18 for the challenge this month.

Previously I was buying an 8 pack of paper towel for about $7 each month.

12 months of bamboo towels = $15.18

12 months of paper towels = $84

Saving = $68.82 per year!

Budget progress

My annual budget for this challenge is $600 and I have $534.84 remaining. I plan to save the extra money from this month to use for the food storage months which I anticipate will go over budget.

Overall

Even if you don’t care about making any eco-friendly changes, I think it’s worth swapping to some type of washable unpaper towel for the money saving benefit alone.

I’m happy with the bamboo towels I bought and now I can’t imagine going back to buying regular paper towels. I love that I don’t have to buy them with my groceries anymore.

The durability is awesome too and, of course, I’m happy to have reduced my eco-footprint a little with this change.

I hope this gives you some information and inspiration to make a plastic-free swap this month.

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