We don't use paper towels.
My husband bought several terry towels from Sam's, and this is what we use for all of our cleaning. They are very absorbent, and are larger than a washcloth, but smaller than a hand towel. So, they're not cumbersome while performing our cleaning task.
We use them for cleaning the toilets, sinks, spills, messes, spots on the floor, windows, tubs.........pretty much everything. Then we just throw them in with the wash and we're done.
I still keep paper towels around for emergencies. Like vomit. Not a fan of the vomit. Puke on the floor is not my favorite. I'm pretty sure I'd much prefer to clean it up and toss it.
We use cloth napkins.
We have both store bought napkins (thanks to a Target deal my hubby ran across), and handmade napkins. The store bought napkins aren't very absorbent, so we started making our own. The girls raided my fabric scrap box and pulled out any large scraps they could find. They cut them to 15 "x 15" squares, sewed a 1/2" straight stitch all the way around the border, and left the hem raw so the edges would have a frayed look. They don't all match and some have some crazy designs, but they're perfect, and the cotton will soak up any water or milk spill.
And the cute basket came from a half-off Hobby Lobby sale. I couldn't believe how perfect the size was for holding all of our napkins. Truly a blessing to have them neatly folded in a "holder", as opposed to tossing them in a laundry basket and snatching up a wad of napkins to set the table with.
No More Bounce
About three years ago, I switched from dryer sheets, to wool dryer balls. I have had the same 4 dryer balls this whole time and they are still in great shape. You can find handmade dryer balls on Etsy, in many colors, and I love that I can drip a few drops of essential oils on them to fragrance my dryer. No harsh chemicals, no synthetic perfumes, just natural wool and essential oils at work.
The dryer balls help control static electricity, and depending on how many you place in your dryer cycle (I use 2 - 4 at a time), the balls knock the clothes around aiding the drying process. Your clothing isn't all in one lump rolling round and round in the dryer, instead it is constantly being separated by the dryer balls allowing more air to circulated through and speed up drying.
I will be posting more on all-natural, non-wasteful items we use around the house. What are some of the ways you have made a change in reusable products? I would love to hear your ideas!
2 comments:
I make my own laundry detergent, shower gel, deodorant, and tooth paste. I keep intending to make my own wool dryer balls.
Have you thought of raising rabbits? They take very slightly more input than chickens and their carcasses are slightly more difficult to break down when butchering, but they are a great source of lean protein (as long as you have sufficient fat in your diet).
We have talked about raising rabbits, especially since they wouldn't take up much space on our very small homestead. What breed(s) do you recommend?
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