Monday, January 4, 2010

I Think I'm Going to Buy Something New......by Jessica


Wait, wait wait.....hear me out. Okay, so while telling my sister in law Jill about my straw deliberation she said "So what does that mean, you're giving up buying paper towels for a year too? They are pretty unnecessary....you could buy some cloth napkins and wash them." And I've been thinking about that statement ever since.

I really have quite a love affair with paper towels. I use oodles and oodles of paper towels. I know that my paper towel use is excessive and try as I may I can't get away from using them. But I should try. And I really should be trying this year.

So, if I bought cloth napkins just for meal use, that would cut my paper towel usage by a rough estimate of 35 paper towels a week (I know I'm a nerd, I really did do a little calculation) and since there is 80 towels in a roll, that means in a year I am using about 21 rolls of paper towels just in meal use! That's just ridiculous.

I feel content with purchasing NEW cloth napkins (not used, that's even a little grungy for me). All agree?

8 comments:

Juliana said...

How many times would you make your family use them before you washed them? Remember when Nana made us reuse napkins? So if you don't wash them every time that could be kinda gross. However if you wash them every time, how much extra water would you be using? Calculate that! Okay, so if you really want to use cloth after all, I could make you some.

Juliana said...

I applaud your effort to save tree's and i have to admit i (previous to this project) I bought a dish towel the says "I am not a paper towel." Have you calculated how much water and gas you are going to use by washing and drying these items daily? Uh huh, that's what I thought. I am such a stickler that I am not one to ask....Juli

Juliana said...

Weird I was typing my response when Justine responded! And I was going to say you could easily sew some! Great minds think alike! Juli

Juliana said...

And I had a response typed out at the same time you all were responding, but hadn't signed in so it got lost! Maybe I'll try for a week...would you mind making me 10 small ones, I have a load of laundry every other day so I'm sure tossing in the napkins wouldn't cause much of a water or soap difference. And I'm hang drying all my clothes for the year...WHAT? you guys aren't?

Juliana said...

Hey, I went a whole month without using my dryer during the summer. It was super easy and fast!!

Bobby Thomas said...

All agree? ummm do i agree hmm ummm lets see umm no!! Go paper towels!!!!!

threebodes said...

What an intense discussion! I feel slightly guilty for starting all of this with my innocent attempts of being a smartalic. I say go for sew. If all else fails, you're one step closer to your 'new' eclectic tableware.

Robyn said...

How are you able to dry your clothes during the winter by hanging them instead of using your dryer? Are they hung all over the house, or truly outside?