One afternoon several years ago, when my kids were 4 and 1, I watched from afar as my son attempted to give his sister a milk refill in her sippy cup. I was so proud that he took the initiative to help her. He was so careful, and worked so slowly, but still spilled milk everywhere.
As I helped him clean up the mess, it seemed like we used half the roll of paper towels. Why though? It seemed like anytime a small mess needed to be wiped up, we ended up using 50 paper towels instead of 2.
I decided to do a little experiment on my family and I let the paper towels run out. I noticed that when paper goods were not available, everyone was more conservative with our resources. One wash cloth was suddenly enough to clean what they were using dozens of paper towels to wipe up before.
My findings were intriguing to me, but I let it go for several months longer until we made a family-wide diet change and our grocery bill went up quite a bit. At that point I decided to go paperless so that portion of our grocery budget could go toward food.
I am happy to report that it has been 5 years since our family transitioned to a paperless kitchen and I have never looked back. My kids know where the napkins, towels, and rags are located and what the purpose is for each. I might do one extra load of laundry a week, but it’s totally worth it.
Since this has been a common practice at our house for quite a while now, I want to share with you how I made the switch from using paper goods to having a totally paperless kitchen.
Step 1: Make a plan
Knowing your family’s needs in regards to kitchen linens is the first step.
We use washcloths/rags for small spills and for wiping down the counters and table.
Kitchen towels – wiping larger messes, drying hands and dishes.
Cloth napkins – obviously we use these for napkins.
Step 2: Get everyone on board!
My husband is pretty laid back, so it didn’t take much convincing to get him on board with going paperless. He likes the idea of saving money (or at least not increasing the food budget), so I found this step to be much easier than I was expecting. The kids took some time to retrain their minds to go to the cabinet for a towel rather than the paper towel holder, but we got there fairly quickly.
Step 3: Take the transition one item at a time
I started with eliminating paper towels since that was the item I saw us flying through like there was no tomorrow. When that last roll ran out, I simply didn’t replace it. I put the paper towel holder under the kitchen sink and just started redirecting everyone to the drawer with towels and washcloths.
I did the same thing with napkins and paper plates. When I was able to buy a set of cloth napkins, I added it to my small collection of napkins we received as wedding gifts. At first, I only used cloth napkins at dinner for two reasons:
- to let everyone get used to using them
- because I didn’t have enough cloth to use them exclusively all day every day.
As I was able to build my collection, I weeded out paper napkins altogether.
Paper plates were probably the harder one for me to transition away from because I had to wrap my mind around doing dishes every meal of every day. This required more of me personally than any other change we made. If I don’t stay on top of the dishes, we won’t have anything to eat on. I definitely kept a few paper plates stashed in the back of the pantry just in case I blew it on washing dishes.
Step 4: Make sure you have enough before kissing paper goodbye
I prefer to do my laundry one day a week if I can help it. That said, I do not wish to run a load of kitchen towels and napkins midway through the week because we ran out. When I finish the laundry, I don’t want to think about the laundry again for a week. Can I get an amen?!
So, make sure you have enough napkins to get your family through the week and then some (to cover guests). We typically use a napkin for a whole day before getting a new one, unless we are eating something particularly messy. Cloth napkins are much larger than paper napkins and can be refolded inside out to extend each use.
If that grosses you out, then make sure you have enough napkins to change out at every meal. And definitely plan on doing a whole load of napkins every week.
Step 5: Buy napkins and towels you like
If you like the way your kitchen linens look, you’ll be more excited – and more likely – to use them. Find napkins and towels you like and that go with your colors and decor, but don’t feel pressure to make them all coordinate. Everyone in my family has a favorite napkin design they hope to get when napkins are passed around the table. Makes it more fun for everyone.
I have bought hand towels here and there to replace the ones that have seen their better days, but I have not had to replace any napkins. They hold up really well. I have found good quality napkins at Pier 1, World Market, Target, and I have even made a set myself. My favorites, though, are from Pier 1.
Step 6: Organize your kitchen linens
Napkins should go with napkins. Towels with towels. Washcloths with washcloths. That’s obvious. But don’t put your cleaning rags in the same location as your kitchen towels. That’s confusing to everyone except maybe you. Whatever system you choose for organizing your cloth, make sure everyone in your family can understand it too.
Step 7: Make it convenient
Don’t make using cloth more difficult than using paper goods. If you keep your paper towels on the counter by the sink, consider replacing it with a basket of kitchen towels and washcloths for convenient access. Or if your paper towels are inside a cabinet door, use a basket like THIS to replace it.
Likewise, our napkins are stacked in a basket right beside the breakfast table. They are out of sight enough that attention is not drawn to them, but they are so easy to get to that our kids typically pass them out.
So give yourself some grace when you start the transition. Take it one thing at a time. Don’t feel pressured to go out and buy a bunch of linens all at once. Gradually work your way into it and make sure it’s going to work for your family.
Spills still happen on occasion at our house, but the clean up process costs much less. I’m still glad I took the plunge to go paperless, because it’s not as daunting as it sounds. Your people will adapt and you will save some money!
Believe me, these seven steps will make the transition from paper goods to cloth so easy you’ll wonder why you hadn’t already gone for it!
Is your kitchen paperless? How long have you had a paperless kitchen? If you still use paper goods, what would it take for you to make the switch?
I love saving money. One question. What do you kids pack in their lunches? Do you let them take a cloth napkin each day?
Hey, Amy! I typically have a stash of leftover paper napkins from birthdays and parties. I either use those or my kids grab a napkin in the cafeteria at school. Great question!