10 Tips To Stop Using Your Paper Towel Supply So Fast

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I wrote in my last post about my bad habit of using paper towels like scratch-paper. It’s like writing a one-word thought, and then crumpling the paper and tossing it!

If you’re reading this article and it’s ten years from when I wrote this (post-COVID), you may be saying to yourself, “Paper towels? Wow- I remember those!” (Hopefully, you post a pic from this article on your Instagram for throwback Thursday— keeping my blog relevant!)

Right now, today, I’m more scared of a lack of paper towels than COVID itself! It’s because I’m not venturing out into the world. My family and I are hunkered down at home. 

 

 

Paper towels are in high demand and low in stock

We’re not out of stock at home, but I’m anxious that it could happen sooner than the stores are restocked— and not even Target, Walmart or everything-Amazon are in supply right now! 

The Mister suggested I slow my roll (no pun intended). 

He’s the one who braves the grocery store jungle, and often returns with a door-dash of groceries on the front porch that he texts my son to grab and take in. (Man, sons are like a bonus!)

He also keeps us stocked with cases of water and paper products all throughout the year via Amazon and the Offer Up app. I’m grateful for The Mister (and his apps, too)! He’s retired and works for himself with a utility van fully stocked with water. He used to have an overflow of paper products in there, too!

Admittedly, it’s me. I’m the over-indulger and the abuser of the paper towels at home. I can’t even blame my teenage son, who you’d think would be the obvious culprit. 

Nope. This one’s on me.

In the event our home supply of Offer Up app paper towels doesn’t outlast the Amazon and Target deficiency, I’ve come up with more primitive– I mean *innovate* ideas for kicking my lousy habit of paper towel use on demand.

The hardest part of adopting new habits was retraining my mindset not to make the auto-pilot reach to tear a sheet from the roll.

 

After only a few days of practice, I was a changed woman! 

In fact, self-quarantine might be just the thing for weaning myself off. Maybe I’ll put the money toward my non-existent emergency fund instead!

 

 

Check out the most current in MacKenzie-Childs paper towel holders HERE.

 

 

10 tips to slow your roll!

I’m pretty high-touch, and I’m also OCD sensitive about my established habits. However, these new ideas were not so hard for this old poodle learning new tricks!

1. I started using “real” towels on a handy towel rack— imagine that! Old fashioned and easy, I’ve placed dish towels on the kitchen cabinet door close to the sink for convenience after washing hands. Over the cabinet towel bars from Amazon makes this an easy fix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have this towel bar HERE.  |  Also towel bar stands, HERE.  |  And dog tail hooks HERE.

 

This idea works for the bathroom, too, with over the door towel hooks.

 Pre-COVID, I used the most paper towels while cooking in the kitchen. I used paper towels for everything, from clean up to hand washing and temporary placemats for food.

 

 

2. Today I’m using dish towels for wiping kitchen counters and surfaces in place of paper towels. And since dish towels are re-useable, I use bleach cleaner when using them to wipe down surfaces.

 

3. I also fill one side of the sink with bleach water when I’m cooking for hand washing in between food prep. And I dry with a dish towel.

 

 

Shop my kitchen:

 

 

Courtly Check colander  |  Courtly Check stockpot  |  Similar red toaster  |  Courtly Check glass cutting board  |  Flower Market glass cutting board  |  Courtly Check rug  |   MacKenzie-Childs tea towel  |  Courtly Check Glass Canisters  |  Amazon commercial paper towel dispenser  | Parchment Check $225 napkin holder  |

All the latest MacKenzie-Childs collections HERE

 

4. I use small plates for holding food instead of using paper towels or napkins.

 

 While I haven’t given up on paper towels completely, I’ve drastically cut down my use to only smaller situations where a reusable cloth won’t do. Like for spills on the floor or after brushing my teeth.

 

5. I tear paper towels in half for these smaller-scale situations.

 

 

 

I’ve spent more on paper towels over the years than I did on this $225 napkin holder!

 

6. We started buying again the original paper towels, aka napkins! I placed the napkins in an old fashion, and very expensive napkin holder. (Long story for another time about why pre-COVID I bought this $225 napkin holder!)

 

 

 

7. Try paper products from another industry. Professional White Rags are an industrial paper product even better than paper towels for cleaning, disinfecting and wiping down surfaces.

 

8. You can also try commercial paper towel dispensers. The Mister added these wall mount dispeners with bulk size paper towel rolls in our laundry room and kitchen by the sink. Clever!

 

9. I also prefer to buy the make-a-size rolls (when they’re in stock).

 

10. For now, I’m also ditching my boujee paper-product preferences. At a fair price, I’ll take what I can get. Even one-ply products are up for grabs!

 

Though, you won’t believe what they’re charging for paper towels HERE! 

 

 

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