Alternatives to Paper Napkins

There are green alternatives to paper napkins that reduce waste and can save you money over time. This is a guide about alternatives to paper napkins.

Solutions: Alternatives to Paper Napkins

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Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

Our family of four includes two children who can get very messy during mealtime. Instead of having them use cheap one-ply napkins that fall apart the minute you try to wipe your hands with them, I decided to use cloth napkins.

The napkins can usually be purchased for $0.50 to a $1.00 each depending on where you buy them. I once purchased a clearance priced set of 4 from Target for a $1.00. I made sure to purchase enough for when we have family over.

You can also make your own from old cotton t-shirts but keep in mind the type of fabric you use will determine the amount of absorbency. I would strongly recommend you refrain from decorating the homemade napkins with glitter or puff paint as that might defeat their purpose.

By linex_4 from San Antonio, TX

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Use Micro-Fiber for Napkins

Instead of using paper napkins or short lived cloth napkins, I bought a stack of 8" x 8" micro-fiber cloths in the mid 90's. They can absorb 8 oz (1 glass) of water, each.

Yes, amazing stuff! They also work fine for getting spaghetti sauce out of carpets. The only problem with that is that you wind up with a spot that is a lot cleaner than the rest of the carpet.

I use them not only for napkins but also for face-cloth, pre-towel drop absorber, (yes, one of them catches all the drops and wetness on me after a shower, and the big towel is just for invigorating the skin), dish rag, for cleaning chrome and porcellain, and so on.

As long as you keep them out of the dryer and dry them on a line, they seem to last forever. Micro-fiber is not the cheapest per square inch, but sure seems to be the most cost-effective.

Have FUN!

DearWebby

Source: http://webby.com/humor/blog

By DearWebby from Black Diamond, AB

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Use Fingertip Towels Instead of Paper Napkins

Purchase terry cloth finger tip towels in different colors to use as every day napkins. I did this when our kids still lived at home and am still using them. At first I sewed different appliques on each so that each time they were used we knew which one belonged to whom. They got reused until soiled and then washed. They were kept in a decorative basket on the table or nearby. When we had family as house guests, we decorated and labeled clothespins and clipped them onto each one's napkin. I've saved quite a bit over the years on napkins. Sometimes I was fortunate enough to find them on clearance and often found colors to match dishes or placemats.
They can be packed along with picnic supplies too.

Source: Years ago I learned of this idea from a friend of my mother.

By Shelly from Spring Hill, KS

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Questions

Here are questions related to Alternatives to Paper Napkins.

Alternative to Paper Napkins

I usually buy paper towels to use as napkins, but could I do without buying them and use something I have in the home instead?

By Alice from Ireland

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Most Recent Answer

By Alice162 08/19/2010

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, I have a lot of ideas now!

With best wishes,
Alice

No-Sew Cloth Napkins

I'm trying not to buy paper napkins and want to replace them with cloth ones. Even at Wal-Mart, they were more than I wanted to pay. I'm not a sewer, so I need a creative alternative. Thanks in advance.

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Most Recent Answer

By hopeful 08/18/2011

I do the same as lieast. (her post is above.) I buy one color for my husband and another color washcloth for me, then we can use it 2 or 3 times before tossing it into the wash. I stack them in a little basket in the corner of my counter in the kitchen so we can each grab our own if I forget to put them out on the table with meals.

RE: No-Sew Cloth Napkins

Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

Save money and our planet. Use fingertip towels, bandanas, or cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. Use them a day or two or even just the meals for one day then toss them into the laundry basket. Keep plenty on hand. Keep a few sets of new ones for use when you have guests.

By Hope from Charleston, SC

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

Hum, doesn't having to wash these cloth napkins cost money and uses water. I like to recycle and be frugal but this is one area that I guess I just can't make myself go along with. I buy big packages of paper napkins, yes it makes trash but at least the paper is biodegradable. I have so much laundry to do as it is and just can't see how adding more work and spending the money on the water and soap is any better than using cheap paper napkins. Maybe someone can explain that to me :-) (04/20/2007)

By Debbie52

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

I never make a special load of laundry just for napkins! If you use wash cloths, for instance, you can buy them in the jumbo packages so you'll have enough for several meals. Then, whenever you wash your clothes, just toss them in with the rest. By the way, when the cloths are no longer nice enough to use for napkins they become cloths/rags for cleaning. I also wash my cleaning cloths. I really get my money's worth from them! (04/21/2007)

By hsorbits

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

The amount of extra water and soap you would use to wash cloth napkins will be hardly noticeable if at all. I just toss mine in with clothes or whatever else I might be washing. You waste more resources with paper napkins than you can imagine. Those little paper napkins have to go through a lot of processing and packaging before you buy them and that wastes more water and energy than you could washing cloth napkins, and that doesn't even get into the chemicals involved to process paper napkins.

I even buy my cloth napkins at the thrift store which saves more money and is recycling at the same time. (04/27/2007)

By Jessica from Jersey

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

Seems like a no-brainer to me! I'm going to wash towels, sheets, dishtowels etc. anyway, so I throw the cloth napkins in with them. It doesn't use more water or detergent unless you do a separate load just for napkins. As for the extra time, it's negligible. I wonder if anyone has done a detailed cost/benefit analysis of this? (07/27/2007)

By TerriLee

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

That's a great idea, I've been doing that for several months...you'd think it would have occurred to me sooner. Hee hee. Also you can use old shirts and sheets to cut up and make your own cloth napkins.

By the way, be careful with red napkins. Mom got some from a garage sale and when they got washed, we had pink clothing... (09/20/2008)

By Hyena Cub

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

To Debbie52: Each person can have his or her own designated cloth napkin. Kids can pick the one they like or make a special napkin ring. The napkin gets used at each meal until you can't stand it anymore or until the end of each week. So, for a family of 5: 5 napkins. Then you wash them with any load of laundry you will already be doing anyway. 5 napkins are very little - you won't be needing extra water or soap.

The problem with the paper napkins (and, believe me, I totally understand their convenience) is all the water and energy used to produce them plus they sit around in the plastic trash bag in the landfill unable to biodegrade.

Well, those are my thoughts. I hope they gave you some of the explanation you were looking for. (10/17/2008)

By Deliah

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

I have been using cloth napkins but don't have enough to always use them. So my new project is making my own. I am loving using outgrown clothes. I am delighted that my son grew out of a few of his dress shirts! :) It's such a challenge to try to figure how you can get the most napkins out of the clothes. I have quite a few now and will continue to make more cause I love it. If you have little ones they might go through one a meal. So you need to have more if you have little ones. They love picking their napkin out. I also made some little lunch box sized one for my son and he uses them every day at school. Those can usually be used about twice.

There is always room for 7 or 8 cloth napkins in my wash. I'm always usually scrounging for something to fill up my load anyway. I'm not using any extra water or energy than I would have already. Also it's teaching your kids to upcycle. (11/18/2008)

By Mary K

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

What I do for cleaning is similar. I do the dishes, rinse the rag, clean the counters and then toss in the wash(happens to be right there so we toss stuff in as we go and when it's full we start it. (01/12/2009)

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

Hubby and I use the white terrycloth "shop towels" for all sorts of things around the house, including as napkins for casual dining and kitchen hand towels. They're a little too rough in texture to use for bathing, but they work well for almost everything else. Not as cheap as using scrap fabric, but cheaper than washcloths or other types of towels. (02/12/2009)

By ChloeA

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

I have used them for years cloth napkins they are great . I buy them at yard sales, flea markets etc I pay 5 to 10 cents for each of them I try to buy cotton and colored ones. I have so many I can go a month or longer between washes. Like the idea about wash cloths. Just to add instead of paper plates,cups and plastic silverware . I have extra plates, glasses and silverware to use in stead of throw away items . (02/12/2009)

By 1stborn

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

I've been going through and getting rid of things no longer needed in the house (outgrown clothes, toys, etc) and came upon a pile of baby blankets. I had a huge stack, so I saved several (and I mean several) for larger cleanups, and cut up several more into squares to be used as napkins, smaller cleanups, whatever. I have a 'rag bag' hanging on the pantry door so the kids can grab one as needed. Been a while since I've purchased napkins for the home!

Penni, Hillsborough, NC (07/20/2009)

By ppotter

RE: Use Cloth Napkins Instead Of Paper

If a person has to pay to do their laundry, like in an apartment complex or a laundromat, it doesn't hardly pay to use cloth napkins. The apartment complex I live in it costs $4.00 a load to wash and dry. I don't even dry everything all the way. (07/20/2009)

By redhatterb