Now, I don't usually buy napkins. I have a few sets for my dining room table. But, they are fancy ones, that match the dining room tablecloths. And we only use them when we have company over for dinner. I never really thought about using cloth napkins on a regular basis. We usually use paper towels.
Then I read something on the internet a few weeks ago, that got me thinking. It mentioned that cloth napkins are a better choice, and an alternative to paper napkins (or in our case, paper towels). I hadn't really thought about that before, but apparently, it's the eco-friendly thing to do. Think about it. No trees had to die to make a cloth napkin. And you don't throw them in the garbage when they are done. You wash and reuse them. The website I was reading said that the woman had collected a pile of napkins over the years, picking them up here and there when they were on sale. And, she just threw the used ones on top of her laundry loads each week. It took nothing to throw a dozen napkins on top of her normal wash load. (I wish I could remember what website I was on when I read this....I will definitely share that information if I can find it again). And, to top it all off, using cloth napkins actually feels somewhat more decadent than using paper napkins, but it really is more eco-friendly.
Now, we usually use paper towels. I even buy the select-a-size paper towels so that we only use 1/2 of a normal paper towel for each meal. I thought I was being eco-friendly. How mistaken was I? This website reminded me that I'm just not going far enough. So, when I saw these little guys on sale, I decided I was going to take the plunge. Now, I will probably keep the paper towels on hand for certain things. Sometimes a paper towel just works better for cleaning up some smelly messy spills. And 4 napkins just aren't going to be enough for us for a week, so, I'll keep looking for more bargains, until I can get a stash built up. So, I can't see getting rid of my select-a-size towels for good. But, hopefully, we will start to use less of them.
2 comments:
Good for you - another small way of saving the planet!
Cloth napkins can be used more than once if you haven't wiped up some gravy spills! But how to identify who used the napkin yesterday - you could use your beautiful stichery to monogram them, - or use napkin rings.
How were napkin rings invented? I once read that Queen Victoria, in an effort to cut expenses decided the household could use the napkins more than once meal, but how to identify who used it last - and napkin rings were invented, eventually evolving into lovely ornate silver monogrammed rings, you might find now in an antique shop, or part of an old set of silver tableware.
What a great idea! I never thought of monogramming the napkins before, or using napkin rings. We just have the napkins by our usual chair at the kitchen table. And, yes, we are using them for a few meals, before pulling out a new one.
Thanks for stopping by!
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