It’s easier than you think to replace paper with cloth in the kitchen. Here’s how my family stopped using paper towels and transitioned to a paperless kitchen!
Happy Earth Day! I thought today was the perfect day to tell you about my family’s transition to a paperless kitchen. Over the years, I’ve been on a slow journey towards a greener lifestyle. Certain things were easy, like ditching plastic water bottles, because not only was that a good choice for the Earth, but I also had a vested interest in my family’s health.
Eliminating paper in my kitchen seemed much more daunting. Paper towels and napkins have become so ingrained in our society as the standard, and reaching for them was second nature, making the task of getting rid of them overwhelming. Even though I knew it was a greener, less wasteful choice to get rid of paper products in my kitchen, I wasn’t sure I was ready to let go of the convenience factor.
Well, I’m here to tell you my fears were unfounded. Going paperless is so much easier than I anticipated! These are the steps I’ve taken to replace paper towels with cloth and transition to a paperless kitchen. If we can do it, so can you!
How to Stop Using Paper Towels and Go Paperless in the Kitchen
1. Set a timeline for going paperless.
When I decided once and for all I wanted to go paperless in our kitchen, I set a timeline in my head. I had large amounts of paper napkins and paper towels, but said that once they were gone we’d be completely paperless. I used that time when those products were running out to make the transition, so it wasn’t a cold turkey kind of thing. We started by using cloth napkins for dinner only, and would use the paper napkins other times of the day when we needed a napkin. I tried putting the roll of paper towel in a less convenient place so I wasn’t so used to grabbing a paper towel for every little thing. For us, a slow transition was key.
2. Stock up on enough cloths to replace napkins and paper towels.
You want to make sure you have enough cloths that you aren’t doing laundry everyday. I’m not doing more laundry than I was before. I just throw the cloths in with the rest of the towels I’m washing anyway. We have 20+ cloth napkins on hand. I didn’t buy them all at once. Some are from way back when we got married and registered for them and a whole bunch are random napkins I’ve picked up over the years for my pictures for this blog. We don’t care that they don’t all match, in fact I kind of love that they don’t. You can pick up cloth napkins whenever you see them on sale to start your collection. Great stores to get for great prices, especially if you find sales, are Target, Homegoods, Pier 1, and World Market.
You also want to have cloths for all the things you would normally use paper towels for: dish drying, hand drying, food drying, and wiping spills.
3. Have all your cloths in a convenient place.
Our cloth napkins are in a basket on our dining table. In my eyes, it looks fine for everyday use. If we are entertaining, it’s easy enough to put away and replace with a nice centerpiece.
I bought two cookie jars and put them by the sink, within arm’s reach. In one are the cloths designated for drying food, and in the other are the cloths designated for wiping up spills.
Wiping up spills is probably what you use paper towels for the most. Having these in a convenient place is key. You don’t want this process to be less convenient than using paper products.
If you want to know how to get rid of paper towels and made it stick, my answer is to make it EASY.
The two other types of cloths we have are for hand drying and dish drying. Those are kept on separate sides in a drawer by our sink. One hand drying cloth is kept on the dishwasher handle, used for drying clean hands, and is replaced each day. The dish-drying towels are kept in the drawer until needed.
4. Have a laundry bin close by.
The next part of this process if having a place to put the used cloths. Just like throwing away paper products in the trash was easy, this needs to be easy, too. We keep a metal bin in the pantry. You could use the space under your sink or on the edge of your counter. It just needs to be close so that it’s easy to throw the used cloths in there. The key to success is have a convenient system in place! I clean the kitchen cloths about two times per week, and just throw them in with the other towels I’m already washing.
5. Get who you live with on board.
Whether it’s your spouse, your kids, your roommate, or all of the above, going paperless in your kitchen will be a much smoother process if you have everyone on the same page. I’ll admit that Tim rolled his eyes at me a bit during this process. When he saw the cookie jars with rolled up cloths he asked, “What, are we opening a spa?!” You’ve got to love a husband with a sense of humor. In the end, he was on board because I had a system in place to stop using paper towels and keep the convenience level the same. I know I keep saying that, but only because it’s so important!
This process has been a lot easier than I ever imagined it would be. Once you have a system in place, you’ll wonder why you ever thought it was necessary to waste so much paper on a daily basis. Make the transition to a paperless kitchen and you’ll save money and not lose any convenience.
Helpful Products for a Paperless Kitchen
You can purchase products from my affiliate links to help get your kitchen ready to go paperless! Thank you for supporting Happy Healthy Mama and my mission.
I got my wire basket that I hold my napkins in at Target. Click here to shop wire baskets and find the perfect napkin storage for your kitchen!]
Glass storage jars like these make a pretty display for white cloths.
Stock up on white cloths so you’ll have plenty between loads of laundry.
Find some cute and colorful napkins that you’ll love displaying in your kitchen.
Edited to add: It’s been almost two three years now since we went paperless in our kitchen and it’s still going well! I love our paperless kitchen and hope I’ve inspired you to take the plunge, too.
Hello, My question is, do you the “wipe up spills” cloth to clean countertops and table after dinner? Not necessarily a spill, but just everyday cleaning? is there a certain type of cloth that works better?
No, I use ecloths for general cleaning of the counters. They are a special cloth (similar to Norwex, I believe) that you only need water to clean with and I love them. I use them to clean the counters, microwave, stove, etc.
can you use ecoths to clean up grease and oil, etc?
Yes!
You could use Norwex cloth for antibacterial wipes got countertops. My uncle uses microfiber cloth on his black granite and it’s always pristin. The key with microfiber and norwex is to not launder them with anything that makes lint. I usually hand wash with dawn or do a small load alone. That way they stay clingy and don’t get smudgy and loose their absorbency.
I use ecloth brand for cleaning my countertops (not regular spills, but when I’m cleaning them, that’s what I use.) I believe they are similar to Norwex, but they are available to purchase in stores. I love my ecloth! 🙂
My family only uses paper (saran wrap, foil and bags) for long term food storage. To save on costs I just bought basic wash rags for the family to use as napkins. I use the same towel to dry hands and counters/ dishes because I change my towel at least once a day and they are used for drying things only.
We are mostly paperless in our home also. I made some unpaper towels out of dishtowels and we use cloth napkins. I made a wet bag out of some pretty PUL fabric and hang it on my kitchen cabinet below the sink. It works great to put the dirty cloths in. I use cloths to clean, and launder them as needed. People think I’m crazy but that’s ok because I know I’m saving money and not wasting paper. Glad I found your website. I like the idea of the jars. I have a basket on my counter for the towels but I think I like the jars better. So much prettier.
Thanks, Vickie! I’m glad you found my site, too. 🙂 Your fabric bag sounds like a great idea.
I LOVE this!!! You’ve broken it down and made it so simple, it would be hard not to go paperless after reading your post! We’ve kept a basket full of cotton napkins next to our fridge for the past few years, and you’re right — what a difference convenience makes! If it’s not handy, you’re not going to use it. My next step if going to be finding some beautiful containers like your glass jars for the countertop. Just gorgeous! And what a way to go green! 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind feedback, Leah!
I’ve been mostly paperless in my kitchen for several years and we are happy with it here. I do keep a roll of paper towels, like you, for when something is really nasty/greasy. But I have cloth napkins in a basket on the island counter, small cloth towels made from birdseye diaper fabric in a basket by the sink and a basket right next to it to drop in the dirty towels and napkins. The white towels get bleached once in a while when I’m doing other bleachable whites. I also have a regular dish/hand towel hanging conveniently and it gets changed daily. I don’t dry many dishes because most of mine go through the dishwasher and large pots just air dry in the rack. Hubby has gotten very good at following the easy system and is totally on board with it. I also use cloth wipes in the bathroom (Just for ME and just for number 1!) I have a basket of wipes and a mesh laundry bag holds the dirties. They get washed once a week with the whites on hot, occasionally getting bleached….once or twice a month. Men don’t use much paper and I wouldn’t ask the rest of my family to do the cloth wipes if they were still at home. Some people just get all “eww” about it. I cloth diapered all three babies 30-40 years ago and I don’t find the cloth wipes objectionable…..besides, I’m the only one doing the laundry here, LOL!
I love your method for reusables in the bathroom!
I love this! Such a great way to be environmentally friendly and to save money! Paper towels/napkins ect. the costs do add up. I like the jars you used for storage, really cute! This is something I can totally see myself doing! 🙂 thanks for sharing! Take care all. Ashley xxx
Thanks so much, Ashley!
Along with your kitchen being paperless, it looks beautiful! I love all of the colorful napkins and towels. Even the white clothes in the jars look pretty!
Thank you! 🙂
i am curios where you got those glass jars at? Thank you
I got them at a variety of places. They are mostly from Wal-Mart, Homegoods, and Hobby Lobby. 🙂
What do you use for wiping grease out of skillets or pots after deep frying? I can’t imagine putting a cloth loaded with grease in my washer, with or without other towels; nor can I rinse the grease out of the towel down the sink. Thanks!!!
I don’t do any deep frying, but we do occasionally cook bacon. In those instances we have a roll of paper towel on standby (in an inconvenient place, so we aren’t tempted to use it too often ;-)) While my goal is to not use paper in the kitchen, there are definitely a few instances where it’s unavoidable. I have heard of people saving certain old cloths just as a dedicated grease towel; maybe I’ll get to that point!
Before when people didn’t use paper anything they used mostly cast iron. Most grease would be poured into a tin for later baking/cooking. The little bit left would season the pan.
That’s what I remember my dad doing when I was growing up!
i use old tshirts that have been cut up, or pieces of brown paper bags
Use newspapers/flyers to wipe off grease from the pans and skillets. I also use them to line my counters while cooking. Just wrap them up and throw them away leaving counters mostly clean. They absorb any spills and grease particles. And best of all they don’t cost you a dime!
Great idea!
We are mostly paper free in the kitchen. My husband takes a sandwich to work everyday and I wrap his sandwich in a paper towel and then a sandwich bag… I want to get away from doing this as one of the final steps to paper free. We are in the process of moving to cloth wipes since we have cloth diapers and after that the only paper we will have is toilet paper.
That’s great! We are not totally paperless in the whole house. We use paper tissues for runny noses and toilet paper. 😉
I hadn’t even thought of cloth wipes for using when doing cloth diapers. Where do you get yours?? How do you like it compared to disposable wipes??
We LOVE the convenience of cloth wipes – just toss them in with the diapers! You can buy them at most places you can get cloth diapers at or just use baby washcloths or make your own out of receiving blankets. Pinterest or Google can provide directions for making wash solution.
For my husband’s sandwiches I use square glass containers with a lid. In one goes bread and in another goes filling. Works great, zero waste and glass won’t retain the smells if he forgets to bring it in as well as it cleans better if he overheats something in the microwave.
Super cute idea. Going to try this. Its simple and saves tons of $$$$$!
Why two jars of white cloths with specific designations? If you’ve used it and tossed it in the laundry basket, and all are washed together, why use counter space? I must be missing a point 🙂
The cloths are slightly different. The ones for wiping up spills and the counters are more absorbent. The ones specifically for drying food are cheaper cloths. I also wanted to make sure we didn’t accidentally dry food with a cloth used to wipe up the counter if one was left out.
Gotcha, thanks!
i have done this for years. i buy the cloth napkins at yard sales and thirft stores. no one wants them and are pretty and cheap. u have to do laundry anyway so why not go paperless. and for the paper plates idea don’t use those either. use paper bags for bacon on your plate. i do use kleenex i find handkerchiefs nasty. lol
i used your idea of paper bags for draining bacon grease this morning after reading this article the other day!! saved one of my rags from the trash bin! lol
Now, how you do you get a stubborn husband to use the cloth napkins? I have b o idea why, but he thinks it’s “gross.” He’s infuriating.
by not having any paper napkins in the house? and the cloth one is his only choice? might ask him what type of cloth he would rather have, maybe a softer one for napkins, like flannel or something? simply buy a yard, cut it into the same size as a paper napkin, and zigzag the edges. super cheap. i actually found a flannel baby blanket at a garage sale for a quarter and did that. my family loves the flannel cloths over regular rags for napkins.
Thanks for idea about making own dont want to vuy paper but was kinda scared about price of cloth….what did u do for towels /rags to clean up spills elizabeth
I use a variety of cloths. I’ve found it much cheaper than buying paper towels every week.
Go to local thrift stores. There is usually brand new ones that someone was “saving” for a special occasion. I have acquired most of mine that way. They don’t match. Usually they come in a set of some sort, but we haven’t used paper napkins in over 20 years (I’m only 44). I like the eclecticism of them not matching. If you must have matching look at restaurant supply houses for linens and buy in bulk. They are also industrial use so are ready to work. Good luck. It’s really not that hard. Just retraining. 🙂
I love the look of them not matching, too!
How do you launder your ‘pretty’ napkins? I only use boring white napkins because the only way I am able to remove food stains is with bleach.
They have stains. You just can’t see them when I fold them up. 😉
I actually really don’t use any paper in my kitchen – so WOO WOO! I am all ready up to speed 😉
That is fantastic!
I have a question for everyone… how do you drain bacon and cooked ground meats if you have not paper towels? We cook bacon in the oven on parchment paper but when we take it up, we always drain it on paper towels?
Even is you squeeze all the grease out of cooked ground meats, there is always more to get rid of via paper towels. You can’t do this with cloth towels unless you throw them away!
So how do you all do this?
We do use cloth napkins and towels for the rest. (I do use paper towels to clean up if our cats throw up)
Thank you!
I use old towels that I reserve only for that use.
I keep a can in the freezer and pour the cooled grease in it. When it’s full I toss it out and start with a new can!
Oooh very smart!
I have just recently started using a cooling rack, like for cakes, set over a plate or tin cookware or even a small tin pizza pan, to drain our bacon/sausage etc. I keep it put away in the oven after use. Then when you need to clean the drippings off, use a spatula to scrape grease into the trash can or wherever you dispose your waste.
That’s so smart!
Where did you get the napkin basket?
It’s from Target!
There are other stores than Target. We are not buying from Target because of their bathroom policies. Sorry. Wish they would wise up. Always loved to shop there.
Way to exercise your rights! No two people are going to agree on everything, it’s just a fact of life. Instead of trying to force everyone to think like you, as some try to do, just go somewhere else! We all have that freedom, the ability to choose somewhere else. It’s illegal to have a monopoly for a reason. I get quite irritated when people get offended by someone else’s choices and try to make them change.
Sorry for the political interjection on a much more wonderful topic. I live in a house with people who are resistant to change, but fully intend to use ALL cloth products instead of paper when I have a house of my own.
I love this idea! We have a handful of cloth napkins, but I feel like we run out too quickly. I definitely need to stock up on more before I quit buying paper towels all together. Your cloth jars are super cute! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you!
If you quit first, then you will have a greater need and excuse to stock up…and with the money you were going to use to buy the paper towels, you can buy a few cloths. Every time you realize that you are in need of paper towels, go grab a few cloths instead. Soon, you will have more than enough!
Try giving each person in the family their own napkin ring. That way a napkin can often be used several times before it has to be washed. We have wooden fish rings with each name written in the bottom. They ho into a basket between meals. My kids got into it and now buy fun napkins as a gift for me.
Great tips and your cloths look lovely the way you’ve organized and displayed them. Going paperless in the kitchen is a goal of mine too. This has me excited to get started!
Good luck Ann! 🙂
Going paperless as much as possible is great, but what do you use for cleaning stainless steel appliances and the glass doors on microwaves and ovens without scratching them? Cloth does not do a good job…believe me I have tried all kinds of different cloths including microfiber, but it just sort of smears fingerprints around. I tried newspaper on my stainless steel stove and was pretty upset to discover a few little scratches when I was done. So, I am back to high quality paper towels specifically for those things.
Cloth also does not do a great job of cleaning granite counters, either, unless you are polishing them. I only polish about once a week and use plain water or water with 1 drop of dish soap in it, in between, but the counters do not look clean when I use cloth to dry them..They just look dull and smeared.
I use E-cloth for cleaning my stainless steel, microwave, stove, oven, etc. Seriously, they are the best ever! You only need to use water with them and they make your appliances shine. I use them to clean the counters, also, and it makes them shine nicely. You can find them on Amazon.
E-cloths are also carried by Frontier… you can find them locally at any health food / grocer that carries Frontier spices.
I use a method, that is used by cleaning companies, to clean stainless steel. It is cheap and easy! It is simply lemon furniture polish. Any brand can be used, even from the dollar store. Any cloth can be used, microfiber, cotton, etc. I have been using this method for years and it is the only one that works for me. It is cost effective also.
If u use fabric softener in your washer or dryer could be another reason for streaking the stainless steel and counter tops! Don’t use fabric softer, liquid or the dryer sheets! I quit using anyin my towels loads and it makes a difference
I use microfiber cloth. I got a large bag of them at Costco and they do a better job than any cleaner or paper product out there for glass or stainless steel. I use simple green on grease and wipe with the microfiber cloth and it shines! They are easy to wash to reuse. The longer I have them the more things I use them for.
What do you use to take away the mildew smell from the cloth napkins? We use cloth napkins and I have tried using two caps full of vinegar in with regular detergent to take away the musty smell, but that hasn’t seemed to work. Do you have any suggestions?
THANKS!
Anne
I haven’t noticed a musty smell in my napkins at all. Do you have a bottom loading washer, by chance? The only reason I ask is the my brother has one and I noticed his towels smell musty. Not sure if there is a correlation there.
Once a month we do a 2 part wash on all our towels to remove build up and refreshen. First wash only add 1 cup of white vinegar (no detergent or fabric softener) and wash on hot setting. once done, repeat but replace vinegar with 1/2 cup baking soda. Dry as normal.
If you let the towels dry thoroughly before adding to laundry bin, the mildew smell won’t occur as often. Vinegar in the wash gets rid of it, too. Be sure to separate cleaning towels from eating napkins. Just some ideas.
I run two types of laundry loads related to towels: The nice bath linens, napkins, clean-ish tea towels (dish drying), and placemats are the first type; small area rugs, and all cleaning towels are the second. Vinegar works for any musty smells.
The one situation for a paper towel, in my kitchen, is wiping down the cast iron.
Fortunately, all paper spoiled by food can be recycled in our green/organic waste bins, which are composted by the waste company.
Karen just make sure you’re throwing in a little bleach or powdered borax non chlorine bleach when washing the bathroom linens along with the towels that wash and or dry kitchen items. My Mom was and still is a fanatic laundry Lady. She even has two white piles of clothing. Dirty whites and bright whites. She only washed the bathroom linens by themselves and kitchen linens only with tablecloths or small fingertip towels from other places in the house. She is a smart cookie and her laundry is impeccable!
If they are washed regularly they shouldn’t smell, I quite often swill mine in a bleach solution
You an get some lavender oil and put a few drops on an old washcloth, then throw in the dryer with your cloth napkins….works every time, if you do not like using essential oils then you can also add some baking soda to the wash water, or do both!
Great idea! I use wool dryer balls and often add a few drops of EO to them. I love the way it makes my laundry smell! 🙂
I use a company called melaleuca and order all my non-toxic house cleaning supplies from them. If you are interested I can send you the link from my email [email protected] I recently has a musty odor in my washing machine and I used their Sol-U-Mel 3-1 cleaner and it took the smell right out. then I used their all natural sanitizer to clean my machine. Now it looks and smells brand new. I hope this helps
I love this company. Are you still a rep for Melaleuca? If yes send link to [email protected]
If u use fabric softener in your washer or dryer could be another reason for streaking the stainless steel and counter tops! Don’t use fabric softer, liquid or the dryer sheets! I quit using anyin my towels loads and it makes a difference
Toss a half cup of baking soda in with the wash and use a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of the wash cycle. This will chase away almost any smell.
Try solumel from Melaleuca. Since I partnered with this company I’ve not gone back to any other products. Best decision I’ve made! Any questions on how to order, message me back!
I use the sanitation cycle on my washer. Works every time.
We have been paperless for about 5 years. With 6 kids I thought it would be harder but so easy. I also keep old t-shirts and cut up them to wipe for spills that we dont want to wash like an oil spoil or bodily fluids. We also use them in the garage/workshop. Works so nice!
Great tip! Thank you!
I love the idea of using cloth instead of paper but from the stand point of germs I like paper better. Using a cloth to dry dishes adds the germs back to the dishes. If using cloth to wipe the counter the same principal applies, the cloth must only be used once and not left lying around the kitchen. Another option would be t keep the cloth in a bucket of sanitizer.
That is the idea… use once and place in the bin… check etsy for “paperless towels” or “unpaper towels” and you will find tons of vendors making a slightly different baby wipe for use in the kitchen. I keep mine folded in a basket like the author does table napkins.
My last frontier of paper is grease… we do not deep fry or anything like that… but sometimes when I saute I still use a paper towel to wipe out the pan.
You could let grease cool and then scrape it into the trash and then wash pan. Better on septic that way as well.
Restaurants do keep their cleaning towels in a bleach solution. However, good kitchen hygiene in a typical home will negate the need for a sanitizing solution. Change out your towels daily for both cleaning and drying. If working with raw meats/seafood, a sanitizer and getting a new washcloth is definitely a good way to go.
With my babies and young toddlers, I designated a separate “cleaning” and “baby” washcloth each day.
Huh? You don’t re-use the ones you wipe the counters with or do dishes with. My husband and I one-and-done cloth napkins for that sort of work, and then toss them into the bin we keep under the sink. Haven’t noticed any decline in convenience.
How about turning the dishwashers dry setting to off, and letting the dishes air dry?
Good idea!
I have two types of dishwashing happen in my kitchen: the many dishes, plates, bowls, cups, glasses, and stainless table utensils go in the dishwasher; the pots, pans, , knives, delicate, small items, and single items which I’ll need before the dishwasher is run, are all hand washed. If I don’t let them airdry in the drainer, I use a tea towel to wipe them.
I keep three types of towels handy: hand drying, dish drying, and clean up. All of these are tossed into the laundry pile frequently.
Do you color code to know which is which…?