Paper Towels - Revisited

A couple months ago, I posted about making paper towels out of old t-shirts. This seemed like a pretty solid idea at the time because the stretchy material make it really easy to fit them around a paper towel holder, and the thickness of the material was ideal for different messes.

What I didn't realise is that the stretchy material would also lead the rags to curl around the edges after the first wash. After they had curly edges, the rags were about half the size that they used to be, and no longer came even close to fitting around the cardboard tube. And sorry people, but I'm not going to iron rags... it's just not going to happen.





So for my second attempt at rags on a cardboard tube, I tried some standard bar mops. You can buy these kinds of bulk rags at places like Zellers or grocery stores; these particular ones came from Zellers, but I have also seen them at Co-op. Incidentally they make great dish-clothes, which is what I got them for the first time.
The nice thing about these particular rags is that they're quite large. They're thin enough that you can fit ten of them on a cardboard tube, and long enough that they wrap around so they don't fall off. They are also wider than your standard paper towel. This is a good thing, because the hit the edges of the wooden rack, helping them to stay on. It's a thing of beauty!

I haven't washed any of them yet, but I doubt I will have the same issue with the edges. I will report back on how these ones work out.
 
Have you tried rag paper towels yet? What kind do you use?

Comments

  1. I found your blog via www.thezerowastehome.com
    I use rags instead of paper towels: old t-shirts, pijama blouses etc.
    But I don't try to make them look like something they are not. I simply fold and place them at the front of a drawer - handy. They may as well sit in a basket etc.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, that makes sense. The only reason I was trying to fit them around the paper-towel holder was because I liked it and it was already attached to my cupboard. I have set up cloths to replace paper-towels at work and there we just keep them in a basket on the counter.

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  2. Its really fantastic idea to use the old products as towels.
    Thanks for sharing.

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