Handmade Paper Towels

[pollypurebred39]

Links for handmade paper towels

Grandma's Trash: HOME MADE PAPER TOWELS

LOVE THIS ONE!!!!

Homemade Genius! / reusable paper towels

[SwirlyThing]

I got excited when I saw the title. But then I opened the webpage and found that they are not paper.

[stinkbug]

I don't know how those would be very absobent. Why not just use kitchen rags?? (which is what I do)

[Spirit Deer]

Yeah, I didn't get it either. Someone with too much time on their hands? Why not just use rags?

Most sheets are NOT cotton, and percale sheets aren't very absorbent. And if people who owned them prior used fabric softener on them, good luck getting that out so cotton is absorbent again.

Thanks for the links though. It's always interesting to see what others come up with. It obviously works for them, so that's what's important. And I think putting the 'paper towels' in a nice enamel container where the old paper towel roll was is good advice when trying to convert people to using cloth.

[nuisance26]

~I use cotton t-shirts for my kitchen towels and cotton sheets for handkerchiefs. Based on my experience, I'm doubtful that sheets would do anything that a paper towel would do. They don't dry your hands, they don't soak up spills and they aren't good for cleaning surfaces. Sheets are just too thin.
Now flannel sheets would work!
To reuse any clothing item for household purposes, you should wash the items twice in hot water, no detergent, with a good splash of white vinegar. Vinegar will strip the oils from the fabrics and bring back absorbancy.~

[pollypurebred39]

I got excited when I saw the title. But then I opened the webpage and found that they are not paper.

Sorry to disappoint you

[pollypurebred39]

I suppose there are bugs in the process, like the percale, or fabric softener, etc. I just thought it was a lovely idea to have something pretty in the kitchen. The enamel pan was quite lovely.

Thanks nuisance, when I get there I'll make sure to follow your advice. It looked like the snap together paper towels were made from flannel, but that may just be my monitor. I think I'd like them in flannel. I made some "paper" towels from t-shirt fronts today. Cut them out with pinking shears. Not as smart looking as I'd like when company drops by and wants to grab a paper towel, but it will do for now.

[Spirit Deer]

Bet snap tape would work even better than the snaps shown on the snappy towels. Easier and quicker to install, too.

Wonder why the first person doesn't like her serger, and why she doesn't get it fixed so it can be used more often. They're so darn handy.

[pollypurebred39]

Snap tape? I've never heard of it. *Intrigued*

And a bit lost on the serger. I have a sewing machine that I only know the very basic, of basics of. I'm not sure what a serger does.

[Spirit Deer]

A serger does an overlock stitch that neatly binds the edges of the seam and trims them. If you look at ready-made clothing, many items have serged seams. The inseams on jeans often do. Some sergers do an overlock hem stitch, like the hems on tee shirts, and those overlock without trimming a seam so you can sew in the middle of the fabric instead of just on the very edge. I'm not familiar with those, as mine doesn't have that feature, drat the luck.

Snap tape has snaps already installed in it, and to attach to a garment or whatever, you sew the tape to the garment rather than using a snap setter to attach the snaps individually. Very slick. Here's one kind of snap tape.
Natural Snap Tape 2mm By The Yard | eBay

[zakity]

I bought bar rags to transition my guys into cloth paper towels. Next, I plan on using their old t-shirts cut into the proper sized squares.

[pollypurebred39]

Well SD, that machine sounds pretty cool!

I'm liking the snap tape too. I can think of so many ways to use it.

[marianne98]

I think the papertowels look really nice..would love the details...but can't seem to pull the info up on how to make them. I wonder what kind of fabric they used?

[josantoro]

I agree, just use rags. Def. WAY too much time on her hands, or else OCD type who wants everything square, neat, and matchy-matchy.

I have been married over 30 years and have never bought a roll of paper towels. Dish rag for most spills, rag-rags which get thrown out, for really nasty spills. I always have tons of rags. If you need some, check with your local thrift shop for clothes they are throwing out.

ETA - I just checked out another of her posts - quote -

Just look at what you have to do to preserve the trash so it will be useful later.
I carefully cut the top off of packages, open boxes more carefully and never crush a milk carton or plastic milk jug. I am always finding new things I want to save.
I have a large room upstairs that I try to keep my junk treasures contained in, but the spillage gets bad sometimes. I mean, I have boxes and boxes of boxes, cardboard, lots of board games, playing cards not to mention jewelry bits and baubles. I just know that as soon as I throw something out I will need it.I have convinced myself, now I just have to convince my SweetiePie that I need all that stuff. I must admit he is very tolerant.

I predict we will see her on Hoarders one of these days.

[pollypurebred39]

Marianne, I think so too! I'd love to know them myself. I only know the very basics of sewing, I need details. It's nice to know someone else likes it as much as myself, I was starting to feel like the cheese. You know,

The farmer in the dell
The farmer in the dell
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer in the dell
The farmer takes a wife
The farmer takes a wife
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The farmer takes a wife
The wife takes a child (2x)
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The wife takes a child
The child takes a nurse (2x) . . .
The nurse takes a cow (2x) . . .
The cow takes a dog (2x) . . .
The dog takes a cat (2x) . . .
The cat takes a rat (2x) . . .
The rat takes the cheese (2x) . . .
The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
Hi-ho, the derry-o
The cheese stands alone