When I was growing up, every family had old rags for cleaning up spills on the floor and dishrags wiped off tables and counter tops as well as washed dishes.  Faces got wiped off with the corner of an apron or a trip to the bathroom to use a washcloth.  This worked well most of the time, though I remember our dishrag sometimes smelled pretty sour.

Then came paper towels, one of life's great inventions for anyone who spends time in the kitchen or has kids.  Quick, absorbent, clean and disposable.  Bleached white to look sanitary or decorated to match your decor.

Problem is, paper towels come from...well, paper.  A lot of trees are cut down for this marvelous household necessity.

It's time to rethink this wonderful convenience by using a few less paper towels.  For instance, a lint-free rag works better than paper towels for cleaning windows.  An old towel soaks up spills as efficiently.  And, about those gleaming white paper towels?  Industrial bleaches are used in large volume, which as a negative impact on the environment.

Consider this startling fact:  If every US household purchased one roll of recycled paper towels per year, more than 500,000 trees would be saved annually!  That's a lot of carbon-dioxide absorbing trees turned into a disposable convenience.

A greener solution to bleached paper towels is to purchase recycled paper towels.  Look for PFC (processed-chlorine-free) brands. Save your old towels and pillow cases for household cleaning and spills.  While paper towels certainly have a place in our busy lives, using fewer can make a big difference.  Wearing an apron is optional.

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