It's the little things

[d_day]

another eco-tip

One of the simplest things I have done to help the environment is to use cloth napkins.  I bought a bunch very cheaply while working at Crate & Barrel and then got more as wedding gifts however, if you can sew at all, they may be the easiest sewing project ever.  Plus, your guest always feel special when they see fabric napkins.  I

Comments

[falcongirl]

We use paper napkins and paper towels, but we use only recycled paper and it all - except toilet paper and kleenex - goes in the recycling bin. 7th Gen has been a godsend, as has Green Forest - more expensive than regular paper, but that's because they're smaller companies than, say, Charmin.

The best recycled toilet paper I've found - which my mother uses because her septic system is scary and old - is literally called ShitBeGone. http://www.shitbegone.com/.

[d_day]

I recently started buying 7th gen again. I had when I was single, then I stopped for a while due to cost... but now I'm back. I may need to try shitbegone... partially because it's hillarious. Also because the prices seem very reasonable. Thanks!

[gian212]

Good idea with the cloth napkins. I try and make it a habit of drying my hands with a dish towel instead of reaching for paper towels. A better idea would be not to buy them... that eliminates that problem all together!

[d_day]

Paper Towels! My own "dirty" little addiciton!
I do use a towel for my hands but I have a hard time remembering to use a sponge or a mop on spills. I'm getting better at it, but I still reach for the quicker picker up way to often. I guess I just have a thing for the Brawny man.

[gian212]

I'm the same way!! I use them a lot especially when I'm decorating cakes or whatnot, just because it's convenient.

[transparencies]

i really need to invest in some cloth napkins and more kitchen towels. i also need to sort through my clothes again sometime soon. i know i've got some old, stained t-shirts that i never wear. i could very easily cut them up and use them for cleaning spills and such.

one thing i've started doing a lot of is thinking carefully about things before i throw them away. i finished up a container of baking cocoa the other day and turned it into a caddy to hold our dish sponge in the kitchen (stabbed drain holes in the bottom, duct taped it to the wall behind the sink and painted it to match the tile). so now i don't have to buy one, have one less thing to toss in the trash and each dish sponge will last longer because it won't be sitting around in a puddle between uses. yay!

[d_day]

If I see any cloth napkins in my travels (yard sales, ect) I'm going to start just buying them and giving them to friends as needed.

nice! That is a REALLY good tip about thinking about things before you throw them out.

[girlygothic]

Iknow I use too many paper towels and napkins. So I'm going to try to follow through on this great idea and see if I can shift to using cloth.

Thinking about it, I'm going to avoid white napkins. Colored ones will be more fun, and over time will show stains a lot less.

Another idea... Years ago I made myself a bunch of dust cloths out of diaper flannel. They've all become horribly stained over time, but they still work just fine. They suck up the dust and don't scratch the way a paper towel can. I even use them on my Swiffer.

[d_day]

When I mentioned sewing I totally thought of you! I agree on the colored napkins. My favorites actually have a funky, large paisley-ish pattern on them. I don't think you'd be able to see a stain on them with a microscope!

ooh! Diaper Flannel! Great idea. Cheap, durable and absorbant!

[erinann]

yeah!! I do the old coke bottles full of water - in the fridge trick!

we where having a problem with moisture in the fridge - turns out it wasnt running efficently because a fridge should be 80% full all the time. I got that trick from the manual.

granted we should go one step further and actually use the fridge instead of takeout...

[d_day]

Hopefully I'll be doing a post about eating organic and local... I need to get a bit better at it first though! Finding time, energy and motivation to cook can be a challenge.