Real towels or paper towels? (recycle, reusable, pollution, stoves)

[SBeasley]

I used to buy paper towels but now I use real towels for cleaning. I like the way certain fabrics do better on glass, some do better for dusting and some do better in the bathroom. They are reusable but are they truly environmentally friendly? I'm not buying paper so less trees are being cut down for my cleaning habit, but I have to use water and soap to clean them. Buy the time you wash them unless you wait and build up a large load your using a lot of electric. Does anyone have an opinion on this?

[backfist]

Paper towels are very convenient. But at the end of the day, we don't recycle them. We toss them away as biodegradable (hopefully) trash.

It's probably more efficient to use cloth towels.

[Coolhand68]

Also, if you don't clean the cloth towels regularly, they hold germs and bacteria that can be harmful.

[bobmulk]

Yeah, my opinion is why in God's name is this being discussed?

[BetweenYouMeAndTheLampost]

Originally Posted by bobmulk

Yeah, my opinion is why in God's name is this being discussed?

I agree. I've been green since 1974 and the trick is to not strain your brain to much about it or feel guilty either because what we do is a pin drop compared to mass pollution by big companies who also get reduced energy rates for using more power while we peasants "save a watt."

However, I am glad that we are FINALLY on the road to making change and we will have to grin and bear threads like this because folks are just learning and this is how they learn. When I was a kid we just threw candy wrappers on the sidewalk.

[vette-dude]

Originally Posted by bobmulk

Yeah, my opinion is why in God's name is this being discussed?

That's what I was thinking reading this, I was just on the politics thread, some very deep conversation then I see this, hum... but since I'm here I use paper towel's, use and dispose of, "germ free"..

[SCGranny]

No matter what route you choose - unless you live in a sod hut without electricity or running water - you are impacting the environment. (Even then, composting toilets, wood-burning stoves, and transporting well or spring water can impact the environment.) An extra load of towels in the washer uses soap, water, and electricity. Paper towels shred DURING use, they start to biodegrade immediately! But the energy used to make and transport them is still an issue. So is the energy used to make cloth towels, though! You simply can't win once the eco-dogs start barking. Do what feels right and what you are most comfortable with. When the eco-hysterias all move to the woods, dress in leaves, and eat only what they grow themselves, I'll believe that they believe what they say. Until then, see it for what it is - a power play, the ability to tell people what to do and how to do it, and endless yammering jusitification for their own existence.

[doysl]

Just stop clean your house. For that you need stop litter around yourself. In this case you wouldn't need neither real towels nor paper towels. It will save some trees and other resources, which are indispensable for making ones

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Originally Posted by bobmulk

Yeah, my opinion is why in God's name is this being discussed?

Please tell me the "great Debate" forum isn't down to this level now?

Quick! Somebody start a thread on abortion or something!!!

[jkmewright]

I haven't had paper towels in YEARS. Mainly because I am cheap but now it's kinda the thing to do so there ya go lol For kitchen messes I do use a dedicated towel which I rinse and hang outside in the sun so it doesn't get funky before I do my other towels. For dusting/floor waxing/windows I keep a dedicated towel with the cleansing product under the sink. I am not sure what the fuss is about germs but I don't use the same cloth to clean the toilet that I would in the kitchen sink. Geesh. Everyone knows you use an old toothbrush in the bathroom We also use cloth napkins or just lick our fingers, depending on the meal. I figure I can use a cloth towel for a couple of years intead of just one use so that makes me feel good about my choice.