Been trying to save money and slowly ditching on regular paper towels, but every reusable paper towels I tried gets that weird funky smell. UGH!!
So, I rinse, air dry, sometimes toss them in a dryer, but after a few days they still smell weird!
Are there any differences if the materials are cellulose, microfiber or cotton? I definitely need something that dries faster, doesn't Gove me that funky odor and of course, absorbs really well.
Looking to get ideas as I really want to do this long term and make the switch for good!
Looking for a best reusable paper towel that doesn't get that gross smell?
byu/CleanFreakGeek inFrugal
Posted by CleanFreakGeek
11 Comments
What my sister did was to buy a 50 pack of white 12″ x 12″ towels at amazon (about $0.50/each) and wrap those up in a single layer around an empty paper towel tube. About 20 will fit on a tube, and she keeps full tubes in her pantry. The towels will “stick” to themselves, so they won’t fall off the tube, even when the tube is vertical. She keeps a small trash can under her sink, and when that gets full, she just washes it with the other towels.
I bought a 52 pack of shop rags from Costco. They are cotton and white. I don’t roll them into a paper towel like roll but I use them for everything. I keep a small bucket with water and Oxiclean in my laundry room and soak them in there until I have enough for a load.
Try washing with some vinegar.
Any fabric can only be used X number of times before it needs to be laundered. You might be able to stretch that time by rotating a few towels, and letting them dry completely. Rinsing well in warm water after use will help too.
You need to wash them in the washing machine with soap, not just rinse them
Just buy old tea towels from thrift stores, use them for a single project (washing/drying veggies, counter wipe down, a spill, whatever), throw them in washer and dryer with the rest of your laundry, and viola! We don’t need to spend money on specifically-made products. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Walmart has white cotton dishtowels that you can wash and bleach.
I have some from Esembly I really like. I have to soak in oxi-clean from time to time to get stains out, but they hold up really well and don’t stink with just regular laundry washing.
Cut up old cotton T-shirts. Use, throw in the laundry hamper, wash and dry, put in drawer or basket, use again.
Guys I”ve tried this and I just can’t get the same results with reusable towels. The tea cloths don’t get my countertops clean enough and they don’t get the streaks off my mirrors. I’ve been able to use the white cotton cloths as reusable washcloths and dusting rags but not for kitchen cleanup. I still need my paper towels. It’s a sanitary thing too- I want to clean mildew out of the edge of the sink and then just contain the gook and dispose of it. Is there any reusable cloth that actually cleans the counters to a smooth shine and leaves streak free mirrors?
Are you washing them? Head to the laundry sub and read the post about laundry spa days. I think it’s been pinned.