Brainstorms > Helpful HintsFebruary 22, 2008

Tips for saving money on paper towels from the ThriftyFun community.

Use Cloth

Substitute Washcloths For Paper Towels And Napkins

An even better money saver is to buy washcloths or dishcloths and use them as napkins. You can get them cheap at dollar-type stores or Wal-Mart/K-Mart/Target. When they are dirty, toss in the washing machine. That's what we do.

By Ann

Reusable Bar Towels Are Better Than Paper Towels

I went even cheaper. I stopped buying paper towels all together! I bought a stack of white bar towels at WalMart and we use them for everything from drying our hands, to scrubbing the sink, to wiping up spills. Of course, after they have been used on the floor, they go into the wash.

By Katie A.

Recycle Old Clothes

I have found that cutting up an old cotton tee shirt, sheet or a flannel sheet has worked great at making cheap napkins. I keep them folded in a little basket on the kitchen table so we just pull one out when we need it. Now if I have company at the table I break out the good napkins. When I have bought paper towels, on sale with a coupon, I take my serrated knife and cut the roll in half and that give me twice the towels for one price. Of course, you have watch yourself and not just use more from the halved roll.

By cookiepom

Kitchen Towels

I keep a tea towel hanging near the sink. It would never occur to me to dry my hands with a paper towel. My grandmother and my mother never had paper towels. They always had 2 towels hanging over their sinks: one terry cloth for drying hands and one lint-free for drying dishes. Use the dish cloth for wiping up spills and for wiping counters after doing the dishes. No need for expensive cleansers either; just use your soapy dishwater. Before you go to bed each night, put the kitchen linens in the laundry and replace with fresh, clean ones.

By Kathy Y.

Dish Rags From The Dollar Store

I realized one day that I used a lot of paper towels for little things. This not only used up money but also produced a lot of trash. At the dollar store, I bought a 15-count package of dishrags for little money. I keep them in a drawer and use them instead of paper towels for little spills and other things. In my laundry room, I have a bucket that the dirty ones go in so I can wash them all at once.

By Leigh Ann

Don't Buy Rags, Make Them

Why buy any rag? You must be super human not to stain your clothes. Cut old clothes up in nice size squares and put in a pretty basket.

By Kathie

Chefs Don't Use Paper Towels

I have been doing that with towels my whole life. My mother and grandparents never had paper towels in the home. People always look for them when they come to my home. Also as a chef, it is too costly to have them at work.

By Lou

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Use Less

Make Your Own Toilet Paper Dispenser For Small Spills

Save a empty cube tissue box, carefully open one side without making any tears. Pull out the center cardboard tube in a one-ply roll of toilet paper. This is done by just firmly pressing one end of the cardboard and pull the paper away from the tube. Repeat this on the other end. Now carefully pull out the cardboard tube. Insert the toilet paper in the tissue box. Either tape up or glue the side of the tissue box to contain the toilet paper. You can also make a slit on one side of the flap and insert the other flap, like a sealable cereal box. When you do this, the same box can be reused without having to re-tape and re-glue each time. Pull the toilet paper from the center of the roll. It is very easy to do. This is good for those small spills or to wipe foods from plates before putting in the dishwasher.

By "Mike"

Toilet Paper Dispenser For Kleenex

I do the exact same thing as Mike has suggested with the toilet tissue and the cube shaped box. I keep one on my desk and use it instead of Kleenex tissues. It really lasts a really long time.

By Harlean from Arkansas

Paper Bags for Bacon

I cut brown paper bags down into plate size squares. Cut down the sides and then the bottom and split the large size into 2 to do a good job of this. Then when I have a pile of them from 3 or 4 bags, I set them in an upright napkin holder near the stove. Place 3 or 4 of these underneath only ONE paper towel to put bacon on, or other fried foods!

I like the tip about saving the paper towels that only wet from drying cleaned hands. I magnet a wet towel sometimes to the refrigerator to reuse when it dries. Also, instead of buying the towels that are sectioned into smaller ones, I cut some in 1/4ths and have a napkin holder on the wall for the smaller spills. Old phone books are handy in the same regard.

My son wastes a lot of towels if I don't watch him! He'll spin off 3 or 4 and not even think about it! OW! If you smash the tube a little, it won't spin so fast! Same with the TP! A friend of mine told me this. She gets TERRIBLE colds or congestion, so uses a paper towel instead. It won't tear so bad as tissues!

By Melody_yesterday

Smaller Paper Towels

My husband was using paper towels galore! Usually, it was just to wipe up a few drops of water on the counter, or to wipe his hands. To slow down this waste of money, I moved the paper towel holder to another location, and tore some into quarters. I placed the quartered paper towels where he is used to reaching for a whole paper towel. It works great, and my DH can still grab something quick to clean up.

By Zballoongirl

Tear In Half

Tear one paper towel in half so two people can use only one.

By BrookesMommy

Cut Roll In Half

Cut your paper towel roll in half before using them. You will get twice as many this way!

By Crystal

Use A Serrated Knife For Cutting The Whole Roll

I just tested cutting one in half. A serrated bread knife works but an electric knife works much better. IKEA also has a paper towel and wrap holder that has a serrated edge that will cut your paper towels in half.

• http://www.ikea.com

By Susan from ThriftyFun

Newspaper For Cleaning Windows

I used to clean a car dealer's office. He had me use newspaper to clean door and window glass. I thought at first he was too tight to buy paper towels but actually they do a great job. They stay drier, hold up longer and leave no lint. The Swiffer mitts you buy are great for getting up spills, and other odd jobs for which you might use a paper towel. Just toss them in the washer with other rags (from old sweatsuits, undershirts, etc) dry and reuse. Money Saved!

By Sharon, KY

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Pay Less

Use Paper Napkins Instead

My kids used way too many paper towels for small spills, so I began buying napkins. They are "single serving" so my boys don't use half a roll. And paper napkins are cheaper than paper towels. I can buy a 200 napkin pack for a dollar at the dollar store. Paper towels cost 50-75 cents for a 40 sheet roll.

By Lisa

Let Slightly Wet Towels Dry and Reuse

If you have used the towel only to dry your freshly washed hands, you can lay it out on the counter or dish rack to dry. When it has dried, you then have a nearly 100% clean towel for another use. We do this all the time.

Paper More Sanitary Than Cloth

I was buying bulk Bounty "select-a-size" at Sam's. They are already perforated to 1/2 size. Discovered them at Aldi with an off brand name. I do re-use the water spill and quick hand wipe ones, but I do paper instead of cloth due to the germ factor. A damp cloth, even hung to dry can harbor many germs. Being a bartender, the health department won't let you "polish" clean glasses for that very reason and it is no savings to WASH the cloth after each use. Sometimes you have to weigh the pros and cons: trees and trash (that will biodegradable) against water, pollutants from detergent, and energy use.

By Tina

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