Alternatives to using paper towels?
Answer:
Any cotton rag can be used instead of paper towels. They are washable and reuseable. Sponges are another possibility. They can be disinfected in the microwave or put in a dishwasher . A little bleach will keep them from turning brown or black. Newspapers with a little bit of ammonia and water in a spray bottle will keep your windows sparkling. I've been washing my windows this way for 40 years! A bottle of ammonia will last a lot longer than any commercial window spray cleaner.
go to the store (like walmart or something), go to their home section. there's special cloth towels for that kind of thing
If you use rags and towels, you clean it like normal, and then simply put it in the washing machine with your laundry. They're much easier to clean, cheaper, and better for the trees.
Like you, I was using a lot of paper towels when I wash and dry my animal cages. I've found that MicroFiber towels work better and are reusable. They wash up quick and you can air dry them. I got mine from QVC. They are really affordable.
Hot water and a clean rag will clean up chicken. It worked for my Mother and we never ever got sick. You could also use a commercial cleaner (liquid) or good ole fashioned cleaning. It is an art that women can't get into cause they mostly work out side the homes.
I have a rag bag...When I get so many dirty ones, I was them...in HOT water.
P.S. Ever think of NEVER letting raw chicken touch that counter of yours?
Yep, like the people before me, just wash 'em. If you're worried about their cleanliness after cleaning up something like, raw chicken, you can pre-wash them with soap and hot water in the sink. They need to be replaced eventually, not sure of the exact time, but after they get pretty old and ratty, it's time to buy a new one.
u can use a sponge. then when it gets too dirty, u can zap it in the microwave for about 1 minute. this kills any germs that r on it.
Use white kitchen towels so that you can bleach them. The bleach kills all the bacteria that you wipe up.
Yea you can use rags or washcloths. If you use them for something like raw chicken you should wash them after each use. If you are really concerned then you can write what you use them for in permanent marker right on the rag! For ex: write Chicken on the rag you use to clean up Chicken. It takes a little more work but it helps the environment, just like using cloth diapers for your children!
for chicken, put a small amount of bleach into your water and use a standard dish cloth. I like the big white clothes..they're really handy, hold alot, and are rough enough for the counters. Never clean up chicken, or any other meat with just a cloth and hot water, you will spread germs and bacterium all over the place. Alittle bit of bleach goes a long ways.
*****bleach does not harm the environment as it turns to common salt. I did some research on it.*****
to clean up after raw chicken use a solution of 1 part bleach and 3 parts hot water, this will kill any bacteria, bleach is a great household cleaner and it can also be used in your dish water, 1 capful, to sanitize your dishes. As far as the paper towel dilemma, I use newspaper for cleaning, no lint balls left behind and this is a great way to ReduceReuseRecycle, I wouldn't recommend using them to drip grease from fried foods, use a colander.
Washing them is the key to staying healthy while saving trees. I never use paper towels to clean up chicken because I feel it is not as effective as using a washcloth and water to scrub. Or a sponge, but you need to be careful with sponges too as they can become a breeding place for many germs. My aunt taught me to microwave your sponge for one minute every day to kill the germs. If it does start to smell you can either put it in the dishwasher or your laundry. Both work and can extend your sponges life. Just remember to replace and wash your rags/towels as soon as they start to smell or every few days, whichever comes first.
I see lots of good advice on cleaning cloth wipes. You can also use recycled paper products if you really need to. I also see some people use bleach, bleach is another thing that can harm the environment. Do use hot water and use vinegar instead of bleach. The acid in vinegar will get rid of the germs for you as well as mold. Here is a good article on that.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/164.htm...
You can use a wet rag and natural cleaner for everything that you are using paper towels for, including raw chicken on your counter. It is a lot less wasteful, and it cleans just as well as long as you wash them when they need to be washed.
Cut up old t-shirts and socks!
Get some type of cloth that you can wash over and over again.
For washing windows, use old newspapers. They are the best. I saw an older African American cleaning windows and I asked him if the ink would smudge and he said they haven't used water based ink for years. Any way old newspapers work very well in absorbing wetness and in cleaning windows.
Recycling is the best way to preserve out natural resources and save our planet Sweetie
Well, you have several options.
For normal spills, use cotton washcloths, and wash them with your clothes or in a bleach-water and baking soda mixture, (then air dry them to really reduce your carbon output). Also, you could use a sponge (preferably a natural one), which you rinse out and disinfect with vinegar-water every couple of days.
To avoid making messes in the first place, lay down newspapers if you plan to work with fruit or messy foods, or if you plan to cut up meat and prepare meat, use a glass cutting board that can be rinsed clean, and prepare food on a cookie sheet or ina cake pan that can likewise be rinsed clean.
To clean up, wash your counters down with a mixture of 30% vinegar and 70% water. If you are cleaning off fabrics, use a mixture of water and tea tree oil.
Inexpensive washclothes are great. You can get them at places like Fred's for about $2 per 5-10. Just toss them in the washer to clean. I also pick up inexpensive packs of irregular cut sponges there, too, for $1 to $2 dollars for about 10. I throw these in the dishwasher every couple of days to clean.
To get your washclothes good and clean, and remove the grease from them, do this: toss them all in a big old dishpan or sink and let them soak in Coke for a couple of hours. Then wash w/ a little bleach as usual (w/ extra towels to make a full load). The coke pulls the greasy residue out of them (works on the sponges, too!).
What did they use before there were paper towels?
They used cloth. If you spray hydrogen peroxide on the counter to clean it and wiped it up with a cloth, you would have a clean, germ free surface. Yes you have to was them, but you have to wash cloth dippers too.
Sponges and rags can all be used - and then thrown in the washing machine.
Instead of paper towels:
Newspapers are good for cleaning glass, windows and mirrors. They don't leave lint behind.
I use them to wipe grease out of a frying pan before washing.
I peel potatoes and veggies over them, then roll up & throw all out in the garbage.
Keep a cloth dish towel by the kitchen sink to dry your hands.
Cloth napkins for each person can be reused for a week, then put in the laundry.
I dont eat chicken (i have a heart) but I only use cloth towels. I then put them in the hamper with the rest of my dirty things and wash them with everything else.
for the raw chicken simply buy white cloth towels and simply soak it in a small container or bowl with water and Clorox
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