Replace paper towelling with reusable kitchen cloth wipes in minutes!
As you already know, I like to reuse, recycle and re-purpose anything that I can. I collect old t-shirts, towels and socks to chop up and turn into kitchen wipes over a few months and then hey presto, I get a new batch of reusable kitchen cloth wipes in minutes!
If the clothes we want to discard are wearable and in relatively good condition I will donate them to people in need. But sometimes, we have garments that are not wearable. And this is a way of reusing, re-purposing and recycling them!
Quick and simple is my jam
I’ve seen numerous posts about making cloth wipes for your kitchen and they look absolutely beautiful. But they don’t take 5 minutes to make. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the time or inclination to sit in front of my sewing machine, hemming 20 squares of material for my kitchen. I think everyone else’s efforts are commendable and are aesthetically top-notch. But for those of you out there who want to make kitchen wipes in 5 minutes and don’t care too much about how they look, this post is for you!
5 Reasons for Switching from Paper Toweling to Reusable Kitchen Cloth Wipes
- Using reusable cloth wipes is an act of caring for our earth. At the bottom of this post, I will add a few links that will give you some more information on this.
- It will save you money. In Zimbabwe, paper towelling is pricey. I know that this is not the case overseas but overall, it will save you money wherever you live.
- One wipe cleans a whole lot more that one piece of towelling. The wipes that you make will absorb more moisture and remove far more dirt than a piece of paper towelling. When I used to use paper towelling I’d often use more than one piece to clean up a mess. With a cloth wipe, I often don’t have to use more than one and if I do, it makes no financial difference so who cares!?
- They are simple and free to replace, and they don’t sit in a landfill for the next 400 years, like some plastic-based scourers. When your reusable kitchen wipes have turned to threads you just have to reach for an old holey and tattered t-shirt, cut it up and boom! You have some more.
- They will perfectly compliment you recently made chemical-free lemon and vinegar cleaning spray.
How to Make Eco-friendly Reusable Kitchen Cloth Wipes in Minutes
1 – Gather your old and tattered garments
If the material will absorb moisture, you can use it. In the photos here, I have one old red t-shirt that my husband had annihilated in his workshop and two very old tea towels that have holes in them and in some part are threadbare.
2 – Decide on a size and start cutting
Decide on the size of wipe that would best suit your needs. I have found that around the size of your hand works best but it is nice to have a few bigger ones for bigger messes. In this batch of wipes, I have made myself bigger sized wipes because I’ve been making big messes lately – oops!
Remember that this tutorial is aimed at getting as many wipes as possible in as little time as possible. If you have a bit more time on your hands, you could hem your wipes, but it really isn’t necessary.
3 – Pick a Storage Container
Sticking to my commitment to reuse, re-purpose and recycle, my wipes are stored in old formula containers and placed on my kitchen counters. I don’t put the lids on the containers because it is much easier to quickly dip my hand in and grab a wipe. I am quite sure you will have a cute container lying around to store your wipes in.
So that is how you get reusable kitchen cloth wipes in minutes!
What Happens After You’ve Used a Wipe?
Well, this is up to you but let me tell you what I do.
The system that works best for me is that once I have used a wipe, I dust it off into my composting bucket (depending on the contents) and then place it at my sink. When I get a moment, I take all of my dirty wipes and put them in the laundry basket, waiting to be in the next wash cycle. They dry quickly so in no time at all, they’re back on my kitchen counter waiting to be used again.
Curious about the impact that paper towelling has on our environment?
Here are a few article to read:
Thank you…I enjoyed reading your latest post and appreciate the rationale. My only reservation is that I dont think we generate enough “throw-away” garments to keep us in a constant supply of wipes. Still worth trying it out. Would love to visit your home, one day, and see how an Eco- friendly Reusable kitchen operates.
Thanks for a lovely comment Revcec! I see what you’re saying about not generating throw-away garments. Some families generate more than others, I guess. What may help you is if there is a jumble sale near you. You may pick up a few pieces for a minuscule price and that would start you off!
Great post! I love that you re-use what you already have. No reason why not to do that when the material works perfectly well for a towel!
Thank you Alexa! I am so glad you enjoyed this post and hopefully you can make some of these wipes soon!
Love your blog! It’s full of great and practical ideas. I can’t wait for your next posts
Thank you so much, Lesley. It is still a very young blog but when I get time to add to it, it gives me great joy!
Love this article! It’s so important that we use alternatives to single uses. And what a great way to make sure you always have cleaning cloths on hand! ❤
Thanks Kim!
Yas! Love this! I always get made fun of for my non paper paper towels but I love them soooo much! On top of all the good environmental stuff, they just look pretty!
You have a friend in me then. I also get teased. When my mom visited she found it so hard to not have paper towelling in the kitchen. She even offered to buy me some =)
I’m all about the simplicity of these too! Sewn ones look nice, but simple does me fine.
Then you’re in good company, Ann!
Love it! I have a stash of reusable rags that gets used for everything, even as a napkins. They are so useful I’m never going back to store bought.
Hoorah Kaylee! They are SO handy and effective!
Love this! We use our scrap clothing in my husband’s shop for rags and such.
Great idea! My husband tends to use the clothes he wears to mop up his mess … sigh. But that is how I end up with wipes at the end of the day I guess – all his old clothes!
Quick and simple is my jam too!!! I would have never thought to cut up old shirts. I never know what to do with non-donateable clothes, so this is perfect. Thanks for the great idea!
Thank you Amber! It makes my heart sing to know that I’ve found a use for someone’s undonateable stuff! Yipee!
So true about sewing the wipes. We don’t buy paper towels and tend to just use dishtowels. I found having a small waste basket in my kitchen to put dirty wipes in makes it easier to stay on top of laundering them.
Thank you Tani! I love the idea of a small wastebasket to throw the wipes into! Im going to look into finding one for my kitchen!
I love how you make this so simple and doable! I may just have to finally give this a try.
Thank you Emma! Let me know how they turn out!
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