How To Make Your Own Reusable Paper Towels with Jennifer and Keely
One day, after stumbling upon a Facebook post by mom and full-time teacher Jennifer Ventress, I decided to reach out to learn more about how her family works toward making more eco-friendly and sustainable choices in their home.
This was what she wrote that inspired me to grab her for a chat:
In this casual talk, you’ll meet Jennifer and her daughter, Keely.
We go over some of the eco-changes they’ve made in their home, and we also get to see how they make their cost-saving, ‘un-paper’ towels, while hearing more about the brands and products they use to live in a more sustainably conscious way.
Check out these show highlights for the quick-take:
- It started when Keely noticed she was using a lot of cotton rounds every day for her skincare routine, as well as multiple paper towels for food prep, dining, and cleaning.
- One day Keely thought, “I won’t have to run out so quickly if I just make some.”
- Keely and her mom began by making their own reusable paper towels out of receiving or swaddling blankets for babies—turning to the ‘Buy Nothing’ groups on Facebook to get ones that were being given away for free.
- They then began looking for other ways to replace, reuse, or reduce their current daily items. “We now use handkerchiefs instead of tissues,” said Jennifer.
- The family also switched from plastic trash bags to baby diaper bags that get rinsed out weekly after the trash has been thrown into the outdoor bins.
Pro tips for making your own reusable paper towels:
- Wash the cloth before cutting, to pre-shrink it
- Use pinking shears to cut the cloth, to help prevent fraying
- Wash again, after cutting into 9×9 pieces to get rid of marker lines
- Try using an old cardboard paper towel roll, wrapped in twine or yarn (for gripping), and assemble your new cloth paper towels around it for easy storage.
Jennifer and Keely’s recommended resources:
- Mightynest: sustainable subscription box
- Stashers: reusable, non-toxic silicone storage bags
- Etsy: cloth napkins and storage container tops
- Baby stores (like AlvaBaby): for DIY paper towel needs and makeshift trash bags
- ‘Buy Nothing’ Facebook groups: essential items for free
- Instagram: inspiration from other eco-friendly folks
As we closed out our chat Jennifer mentioned that she’s
“…always double-checking myself and asking, “can I do something different, use a more eco-friendly option for this; is there something I can make or buy to replace that?”
As for becoming more eco-friendly in her home, she says, it was pretty easy.
“I’m a mom and full-time teacher. I’m busy but it was one small change that snowballed into many changes. If I can do it, anyone can.”
I hope that you get that takeaway. Simply being more aware of the why of it all, can make all the difference in the world.
