Making the switch from paper towels to napkins

[calledtobehome]

I'm finally going to make the switch! Need suggestions on how many napkins for a family of 4 and where shoud I buy the from?

[Dobela]

I just bought many from thrift stores for about 25cents each. Most were new, like new or barely used-no stains or anything. I wash towels about every 2 days so I went with enough napkins to last 2 full days until I could wash them with towels. We are a family of 4 so I think I have 2-3 dozen. I do only have 2 complete sets that have 4 matching though. I have discovered that I like patterns best because the small stains hide better :)

[Brilliant]

We use cloth napkins almost exclusively. I don't have very many - Amy Dacyczyn, the Tightwad lady, points out that you don't need a new one for every meal. So unless we ate something really messy, we use them all day.

 

It's on my list of things to do today to go through my stash of cotton fabric and hem some more. I am trying to switch to using cloth instead of paper towels for things like covering dishes in the microwave, wrapping muffins in the m/w, etc.

[Soror]

I just slowly collected what I could find at Goodwill and Yardsales for cheap, I probably have 2 dozen or so.

[Amy in NH]

Each of our family members has three napkins in their own pattern. We reuse the napkins for one or two days before throwing them in the wash, and store them in a basket between uses. The patterns enable us to sort the napkins from the basket to the right person.

 

We have a couple of extra sets of 3 for guests.

[calledtobehome]

Thanks I like the idea of letting the kids have their own pattern. I'm thinking 2 doz to start us off with. Where do you purchase them other than the thrift store? Maybe I'll check places like Kohls, Bed Bath & Beyond, and JCPenny.

[Soror]

I often see them on clearance, right now is a good time to check for holiday ones on clearance.

[Amy in NH]

I purchased quality broadcloth in 8 patterns (4 green & 4 blue so they all match my dining set), and finished the edges myself.

 

You should be able to find them at Pfaltzgraff, Williams-Sonoma, Pier-One, Crate & Barrel, etc.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Amy in NH

[justasque]

Each of our family members has three napkins in their own pattern. We reuse the napkins for one or two days before throwing them in the wash, and store them in a basket between uses. The patterns enable us to sort the napkins from the basket to the right person.

 

 

Oh I am liking this idea! Why didn't I think of it before?!! We color code everything else around here...

I have in the past gotten everyone their own unique napkin ring, so as to put the napkins in the basket identified by the ring, but we didn't keep up with it. Now I wash after one use, which is not a huge deal as we have quite a few napkins.

 

We have a ton of cloth napkins. At one point I got some fabric and made a bunch on my serger, using the rolled edge setting. They have lasted us 20+ years at this point. We've also bought white napkins, bandannas, and/or handkerchiefs from Dharma Trading and scrunch-dyed a set in many colors. (This would make a lovely gift!) Colored bandannas would do the trick if you want something inexpensive.

 

For kitchen dishcloths, I've cut up old towels and serged the edges. (Actually I mark the cut lines on the towel and let the serger cut and overlock in one step.) Again, these have lasted for *years*.

[Tammyla]

Anywhere, be sure to check out the clearance sections and end of season sales.

 

I have a small basket just for kitchen towels and napkins. I wash them once a week alone and never fold. I have a big/deep drawer and just plop them into it.

 

Thanks I like the idea of letting the kids have their own pattern. I'm thinking 2 doz to start us off with. Where do you purchase them other than the thrift store? Maybe I'll check places like Kohls, Bed Bath & Beyond, and JCPenny.

[Dobela]

I have seen napkins everywhere including one of our local grocery stores. If a place sells placemats they will sell napkins. I went with the thrift store variety though after discovering that a single napkin in other stores started at $1 and went up. I wanted to build a starter collection faster and cheaper on a budget that way. In the future I will most likely make more of my own from cotton or poly blend fabric I have at home.

[Punchie]

For those of you who make your napkins - what kind of fabric did you use? just plain old 100% cotton?

[Sevilla]

I bought two packages of IKEA's white square washcloth rags (in the baby/children's section - they have colored tags in the corner) and keep them in the kitchen drawer. I use them as I would paper towels both to clean counters/table and for wiping children's faces at meals (usually wet it down for that). They have lasted several years for us and we haven't bought paper towels in ages. I use 4-8 cloths a day depending on how messy the kitchen/children get (or how often I decide to clean up their messes...).

 

I keep a large tupperware container on the counter where I put the dirty rags and bring it downstairs to wash with the regular clothes a few times a week.

[Nicole M]

I'm embarrassed to say how many cloth napkins I have. Kazillions. I've been collecting them for 25 years, from thrift stores, Cost Plus World Market, TJ Maxx, Target, Ikea.... I finally tossed a few of the most ragged ones.

 

My color-coding is by season. I have fall & winter colored napkins, some special ones for Advent & Christmas, and spring and summer colored ones. Instead of color coding for each person, we each have our own special napkin ring. Napkins go into a basket near the table between meals.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

I purchased a 24 pack from Sams Club online and they wash up well.

 

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=134009&pid=CSE_Froogle&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=193530

 

K

[blakereese]

It is very easy to make the switch ( at least I think it is ). I really don't like paper towels, and it feels so luxurious to use cloth. At least to me. I only have maybe 20 or so cloth napkins. They are all holiday prints that I got on clearance years ago after Christmas. Now is a good time to look, soon everything will be 75%-90% off. Also TJ Maxx, Marshall's, other places like that, will have cheap ones. Get a bunch of microfiber towels to clean with (great for mirrors or to use on the swiffer). You can get cheap ones at Target, Costco, etc. Costco (or other warehouse type of stores too, I'm sure) has a huge set of white kitchen towels that are great to have all over the house for cleaning, or anything really. And it is nice to have white, you can bleach them when needed.

 

I just keep one or two spare rolls of paper towels for things that I absolutely have to have them for...but they usually last for months. Back in the day we would go through a roll a day...I think my DH misses those days...:lol::lol:

 

Last time my MIL was here she was going crazy without paper towels, she refused to use cloth napkins. :confused: She actually offered to go out and buy us paper towels. :lol: Totally cracked me up. She is definitely a disposable lady...usually everything paper, every day. Not everyone can switch to cloth, only the strong survive! :lol::lol:

[mykdsmomy]

This thread is perfect timing for me. I have a drawer full of dish cloths that I use for everything. We use them for napkins/washing dishes/drying/cleaning/etc. I was planning on going to the store tonight and getting a big thing of paper towels because 1. we are currently house training our puppy and well.......she has accidents :ack2: I hate using the cloth for cleaning up dog pee because it just skeeves me out.

 

I also have been wondering how much I'm actually saving money/environmental wise when I seem to have a load of towels/rags a day to wash/dry?

 

However, in the end, it does seem more frugal than spending a ton on paper towels every week??

[Brilliant]

For those of you who make your napkins - what kind of fabric did you use? just plain old 100% cotton?

 

Yes, the cute cotton quilting-type fabrics work really well. (they do wrinkle - I only iron the Christmas ones).

[Nicole M]

Last time my MIL was here she was going crazy without paper towels, she refused to use cloth napkins. :confused: She actually offered to go out and buy us paper towels. :lol: Totally cracked me up. She is definitely a disposable lady...usually everything paper, every day. Not everyone can switch to cloth, only the strong survive! :lol::lol:

 

I buy paper towels before my mom comes to town, just to ease her mind.

 

Also, forgot to mention that the "barmop" size towels from Costco are a good size for cleaning. I buy a new batch of a dozen every ten years or so.

 

mykdsmomy, I throw the napkins and towels in with other laundry. We wash napkins maybe twice or three times a week, and dirty fewer cleaning towels each week than we should. I don't think I'm actually increasing the amount of laundry I would be doing if I used paper towels, honestly.

[meena]

We have the kiddos use small cloth towels. Ours are barmops but washcloth size would work just as well. As the children get less messy, we'll have them transition to using the cloth napkins that match our tablecloth. Right now each child usually uses one towel a day. My BIL works for a linen service and gets these towels for free and passes them on to us, so we have an abnormally large supply. If I had to buy a new supply, I would probably get 8 towels for napkin use and at least 8 for cleaning.

[Amy in NH]

Cotton Broadcloth goes through the washer and dryer with the rest of the laundry and comes out wrinkle free.

 

We also keep cloth wipes in the kitchen to use for wipe ups, and only go through a couple of rolls of paper towels per year, mostly for window washing and cleaning up vomit/p00p accidents. Leftover baby diapers work well for pee accidents, and old "cleaning closet" bath towels for large spills.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Amy in NH

[justasque]

For those of you who make your napkins - what kind of fabric did you use? just plain old 100% cotton?

 

Plain 100% cotton. I've used wooly nylon for the edges when I had it, but regular thread works just fine too. If you choose a solid, it will be the same front and back. If you choose a print, it won't stain, though I've had little to no problems with staining on the cotton. I cut my daily napkins a bit smaller than the ones you buy in the store. More handkerchief-size than formal napkin size. They work just the same - you just don't need a huge napkin for a normal meal - and it saves on the fabric.

 

I've done washcloths and dishcloths out of old cotton towels. I just cut around any overly-worn areas. I really like using nice thick terrycloth rather than a wimpy paper towel.

 

I hang used cloths over the oven handle to dry, and then move them to a cute bag hanging in my basement stairwell. From there, they go down to the laundry room to be washed.

[Puma Mom]

Oh I am liking this idea! Why didn't I think of it before?!! We color code everything else around here...

I have in the past gotten everyone their own unique napkin ring, so as to put the napkins in the basket identified by the ring, but we didn't keep up with it.

I embroidered initials for each of us on our napkins. I have three sets of initialed napkins and a half dozen or so without for guests.

[Nicole M]

I embroidered initials for each of us on our napkins. I have three sets of initialed napkins and a half dozen or so without for guests.

 

Oh! This reminds me. I embroidered some gingham cloth napkins with my sons' names on them in the corner (they have short names), using Celtic alphabet patterns generated on this website:

 

http://www.allcrafts.net/fjs.htm?url=www.celticxstitch.ie/cgi-bin/stitches.cgi

 

You type in the word that you want to embroider, and the website generates a cross stitch pattern, which is very easy to embroider on the checked fabric.

[Baseball mom]

We have a ton of the cloth napkins. Bought on clearance rack, yard sales and thrift stores. Clean ones are kept folded in a basket in the dining room.

 

Actually I like using different color/patterns for each of us durning a meal since we use them for more than one meal if they aren't dirty. We leave them at our place on the table after a meal.

 

I keep holey socks for cleaning up yucky stuff. After they are washed they get tossed in a gift bag in the cabinet (gift bag was handy that day and works). I use the sock and toss if it is something really yucky. If not to yucky it gets washed again and tossed back in the bag. Old t-shirts cut up get put in the bag too.

[Dobela]

At youth group tonight another mom shared how she makes napkins from clearanced table cloths. She can get a huge table cloth (the largest available) for under $10, often in the $5-$7 range, and then makes napkins from it. Since it is made from the same stain resistant fabric as the matching napkins she has never had any problem.

[justasque]

At youth group tonight another mom shared how she makes napkins from clearanced table cloths. She can get a huge table cloth (the largest available) for under $10, often in the $5-$7 range, and then makes napkins from it. Since it is made from the same stain resistant fabric as the matching napkins she has never had any problem.

 

Brilliant! You can get some very nice fabrics after holidays and such.

 

I embroidered initials for each of us on our napkins. I have three sets of initialed napkins and a half dozen or so without for guests.

 

What a great idea! I did embroider initials on my son's towels when he went to college. They were fairly nondescript and I didn't want to lose them. I could do napkins on the machine, perhaps with a bar or simple shape of different colored thread for each person (rather than trying to do letters on my ancient Singer).

 

When I first got my (bottom-of-the-line) serger I made a bunch of washcloths from some towels, to use as baby wipes when I was home. I figured I saved enough to pay for the serger just from making those wipes (instead of buying disposables). That was 20+ years ago, and the washcloths are still in use, though getting a bit threadbare.

[Punchie]

Thank you! I have TONS of quilting fabric sitting around (my personal addiction). I don't have a serger, so I'll have to wait until I see MIL again and use hers.

 

I do use a single layer of birdseye for unpapertowels. It's great for the microwave.

[secular_mom]

At youth group tonight another mom shared how she makes napkins from clearanced table cloths. She can get a huge table cloth (the largest available) for under $10, often in the $5-$7 range, and then makes napkins from it. Since it is made from the same stain resistant fabric as the matching napkins she has never had any problem.

Ooooh, that is a great idea. I'll hafta check out the clearanced table cloths in the Christmas sections now- I noticed lots of them were mainly just red.

[mykdsmomy]

I'm not sure if this is regional or not but my Target store tonight had 6 packs of terry wash cloths for $1.48. We use those as napkins sometimes too.

[Peela]

Lol, in Australia apparently we are either heathens or we dont spill much food, because we don't use anything most of the time. They come out(whether paper of cotton) on special ocasions and parties only. I think its a cultural thing.

[GinaPagnato]

Really!? So, when you're eating a meal and need to wipe your mouth or fingers, what do you use?