Kitchen paper

[thefrugaltribe]

So I have to admit. One of my weak spots is kitchen paper...I use it for EVERYTHING wiping up spills on surfaces and floors, wiping DD eating area before and after eating, I also wipe down her play table every day...I use it for LOTS of things...

The other thing is I HATE clothes I think they are dirty even if you clean it everytime you use it, I honestly feel like you might as well lick the mess off the table with the amount of germs that live in cloths.

I beleive the above could be in my head, I am sure there are things that I could do to make sure that germs do not live in my cloths apart from just washing them out.

So how do you get rid of paper towel in your house? What cloths do you use and in what rooms and for what jobs? How do you stop the germs?

Thanks heaps

[Debbie-cat]

You are just too cute with some of the words you use 'down under', I assume you mean papertowels right? I use old glen clothes and throw them out after messes spills. They would be thrown out anyway so I am using them before I do. Once the messy spill is wiped up then I wash with my sponge. If there is grease in a pan, I use newspaper first to soak up all the geese then wash in dishwater as normal.

[Contrary Housewife]

I use a sponge with soap to clean the counters, table, etc. Squeeze it out with hot water when I am done. Nobody here gets sick. I only use paper towels to clean up the cat mess, because it goes straight into the trash.

Frankly, I think the modern world's fear over germs is overhyped by the chemical industry and the media. We've been living with germs and bacteria for thousands of years with relatively little danger. The stuff is everywhere and there's no getting rid of it.

[Palooka]

Curious about what type of sponge because I thought some sponges was worse for keeping bacteria. That said, I need to cut out some of my paper towel usage, but don't plan to give them up for some things.

[mamamia]

I use Handi-Wipes. And guess what? Handi-Wipes are cheap, and can be washed in the machine quite a few times before you have to toss them out. And here's what I do on a nightly basis.....I fill the sink with a small amt. of hot water and a couple of squirts of bleach (i keep bleach in an empty dish soap bottle). I put in my sponge, and in between the washes, put my HW in there too. Just let them soak a bit, and they're nice and fresh again.

I stopped using PTs a few months ago, and this is what I do to make up for them. I also keep a nice dishwashing cloth on my empty PT cardboard roll that's still in the PT holder, using it for a make-shift towel rod. Makes it convenient to dry hands. That was my biggest gripe....everyone grabbing 2 PTs just to dry their hands. It works for me!

Theresa

[ladykemma2]

i keep a stash of about 5 dozen bar mops and little washcloths on the kitchen cupboard.

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i don't see what is germy about this? use one to clean the kitchen and then throw it in the wash. use several to "damp dust", and then throw them in the wash. dry your hands on a clean one and hang it to dry for the rest of the day.

[AmyBoz]

I have to admit, I, too, am a paper towel user. I go through spurts of trying to use dish rags or kitchen cloths, but I always go back to paper towels.

[ms.mel.who]

I also have dozens of dish clothes and bar towels in my kitchen, and I keep them rotating every day or two.
I also use paper towels as well for super gross stuff, and as to-go plates for the kids and I.

[savvy_sniper]

I bought a huge bag of sponges for almost nothing. I use them, put them in the dishwasher every couple of days, and throw them away approx. weekly.

I have a drawer full of hand towels.

I have a towel holder with a towel for drying CLEAN hands only. When I use one to clean up a minor mess, they get thrown in the washroom (off the kitchen).

I have a rack in the laundry room and it has old wash cloths, dish cloths, and towels. I use them for MAJOR messes and throw them away after using them.

In the beginning, I kept the paper towels hidden in the laundry room because hubby is the worst about using paper towels. Now the roll is in plain site on the counter.

I buy the cheapest paper towels I can find. A roll lasts me MONTHS.

I wash a load of towels once a week in hot water and bleach. All the kitchen towels, cloths, etc. are thrown in that load so there is no additional expense.

[Gotonenerveleft]

I haven't used paper towels in years. I do have paper napkins but those are for when we have a large group of people over or draining fried foods. We use cloth napkins. As far as replacing the paper I just have a couple of dozen white bar mops that I got at Sams. When they get dirty I put them in a plastic tub until I do laundry. All of our bath towels are white also so I just chunck the kitchen ones in with the bath ones....add bleach and there ya go. Clean...sanitized...cheaper than paper!

[madhen]

I keep a little water with liquid d/w soap and a bit of bleach in the kitchen sink, and I leave my washcloth floating in there. Something I learned on "How Clean is Your House?" But I also use paper towels. In the kitchen, I use them more as spoon placemats and grease absorbers when I'm cooking. In the bathroom, I use paper towels in place of face cloths. When I wash my face, and after I rinse it, I blot my face with a paper towel, then use the towel to do a quick swab over the sink, just to pick up splashed water, errant bits of hair, make-up, etc. Since I wash my face daily, it is a good way to keep the sink clean without letting it build up to the point where I feel like I need harsher cleaning products.

[Sassyclass]

PT user here. DH would be lost without it. As long as the mess isn't on the floor I just wipe up with a hot soapy dishcloth and then rinse and hang dry the cloth. I wash my dishcloths about every 4-5 uses. We eat pizza about once a week and I use paper towel to soak up any grease before I eat it.

Cat

[Contrary Housewife]

Curious about what type of sponge because I thought some sponges was worse for keeping bacteria. That said, I need to cut out some of my paper towel usage, but don't plan to give them up for some things.

Just ordinary cheap kitchen sponges. You know, the ones that come in a 4 pack in electric colors.

Two minutes in a microwave will sterlize them: News in Science - Microwaves zap sponges clean - 23/01/2007

[frugalwarrior2]

No,I am a germ phobe about the kitchen.I use paper towels and clean w/ a spray bottle w/ 6-1 water and bleach. I use softscrub w/ bleach for stuck on stuff. I don't even buy sponges.

[ncarr]

The only thing I use paper towels for is dog mess. For everything else I use dish towels. I throw them in the washing machine when they get dirty.