(Yes, I accidentally published this on a Monday. Oh well. Consider it an early gift.)
It's a kind of joke between me and A. He (and Cubby) always reaches for paper towels first, while I stand anxiously by, suggesting he should get a cloth instead.
Milk spills, water spills, sticky spots on the floor, mud . . . STEP AWAY FROM THE PAPER TOWELS.
However.
One chore cloth I really do NOT want to be washing and re-using is the toilet-cleaning cloth. I don't have enough of them to wash them as a separate load, and I just don't want to throw them in with my other laundry.
Some people use things like Chlorox wipes to clean toilets. I won't use those for several reasons.
A) Bleach is a no-go for me. The MiL used to have Chlorox wipes at Blackrock. I used one once to quickly wipe the toilet seat when Cubby was little, and the very next time he sat down on that toilet seat, he developed a slight rash where he had come into contact with the seat.
B) Pay money for something I'm going to throw away after a single use? That comes in a plastic container that I will also have to throw away? No.
And . . .
C) Those things are way too small to cover my hand so that it doesn't come in contact with the toilet all the time.
Good thing I have all these people in my house who destroy clothing with great regularity.
I am constantly having to discard cotton t-shirts because of holes. But before those t-shirts go to their final resting place, they get cut up into rags with which I (and now the older boys) clean the toilet.
Look how cheerful these are! These are the ones I keep in the kids' bathroom for the boys to use.
These are free, I can cut them whatever size I want (usually around 6 inches square, although I don't measure or anything), and they're thin enough to get into those tight places something like a sponge can't easily reach.
And then, when I'm done with them, I have no guilt about just throwing them away. Because I was going to throw them away anyway.
I also use socks with holes in them to dust and wash walls or doors. I throw those away, too. It makes me slightly less irritated about the sheer quantity of socks I have to discard all the time. Now it's not just another holey sock to be tossed; it's free cleaning material!
(But seriously. HOW do they manage to get holes in their socks so quickly? It's incredible.)
So the next time you have an item of cotton clothing that's destined for the dump, consider cutting it up for your very own disposable cleaning cloths. And then feel the sweet freedom of tossing without guilt.
5 comments:
It's midnight here in Switzerlans, still a Tuesday tip! Good idea with the tshirts toilet rags. I tie a knot in the middle of holey socks and they become dog toys/chews. The knot helps differentiate between dog-socks and human-socks they might have stolen from the laundry basket
A Tuesday gift on Monday. Yeah.
I found the husbands lack of regular toenail clipping was a hole causer in his socks.
He has the toughest toenails on earth. :)
Good tip. I use old clothes for stuff like that all the time and for oil changes and paint clean up. Wonderful .
No one asked, but for toilets, I use a brush for the inside with a little bleach or cleanser or vinegar, whatever- it’s the scrubbing that does it. At least once a day even with water keeps yucky stuff away. For the outside (seat, lid, base), I spray a little vinegar, Lysol or whatever spray, and wipe with either a rag or a little TP. We have a septic tank, so best not to use too many chemicals. Paper towels, napkins, even rags can go in the compost, unless saturated with chemicals or gross stuff. There’s a limit! Living with men and boys is a different story. I know this- lol.
Faithful holey clothes user.
Linda
I hear you! I do keep paper towels in the house, but I reach for a cloth first - most of the time. Nothing fancy, of course - just old towels or worn out tee shirts. And I'm not a homesteader; just a city dweller with environmental sensibilities.
Post a Comment