Paper Towel Addiction

Hello. My name is Rachael and I'm a paper towel addict.

My addiction started when I got my first apartment and had to actually start cleaning up after myself. I never thought about how I was affecting the environment, not to mention my pocket book, by using them.

Then after I got married and had real bills and expenses, I began to realize what a huge budget-killer paper towels are. I've never been the most environmentally responsible person, but I was becoming more aware of that too.

Now that Isaac is here and eating baby food and making big, fat messes, I have been using more paper towels than ever! And it needs to stop!

First of all, the cost really adds up. I mean, sure, if you use washcloths and towels instead, you have to factor in the cost of the water/soap used to wash them, but that's minimal. Hand towels and washcloths are so small that you can throw them in with any old load of laundry and it won't make a difference at all.

Then there's the environmental factor. Did you know that paper towels produce 3000 tons of landfill waste each day? That's a lot. And I mean a lot.

This is not to say that I am going to cut paper towels out of my life completely. I'm just trying to be less dependent on them. I've started by trying to be more conscious of it when I reach for a paper towel. Do I need a paper towel right now? Or will a washcloth do the trick? I have washclothes, so why don't I use them? And I've noticed that using a washcloth to clean Isaac up after a messy lunch is much more effective than a paper towel.

So think about it. Do you have a paper towel addiction? Admitting you have a problem is the first step...