Wherein Gary and Elaine go green.

“Elaine was proud of making the switch to cloth towels, and to further prove her distaste for wasteful paper she drove to the store, bought some, and crumpled it up triumphantly.”

Source: West Elm

Also check out: Catalogue Living: The World of the People Living In Your Catalogues

Writer Molly Erdman is the creator of Catalog Living, a witty foray to the world of shelter catalogs as told through the fictional lives of characters Gary and Elaine. Each month, Erdman shares with us Gary and Elaine’s take on their sustainable lifestyles. Be sure to check out Catalog Living and Erdman’s book, Decorating Takes (Wicker) Balls.

The post Catalogue Living Presents…The Tea Towel appeared first on EcoSalon.

When The Eco Luxe Life sent me SKOY Cloth as part of my quarterly packet of goodies, I was initially skeptical. Really? A paper towel that’s meant to be reused? Is that sanitary? Or perhaps slightly insane?

But then I tested it out and discovered that for most cleaning needs, it works just as well as – if not better than – a regular paper towel. It’s sturdy enough for repeated use and it came out squeaky clean when I ran it through the dishwasher – not a trace of dirt or residue! But if you don’t have a dishwasher (or choose not to use it), you can also throw it in the clothes washer or microwave it for 1-2 minutes while damp.

I use my SKOY Cloth for cleaning up light messes around my apartment, since the company’s website discourages using it with chlorine (I assume other harsh cleaning products are a no-go). Seeing how it’s reduced my paper towel usage also inspired me to add a few old t-shirts to my rotation as rags so I can reduce my paper towel consumption even further. Unfortunately, my old t-shirts aren’t quite as absorbent.

According to the SKOY Cloth website, Europeans have been using a similar product for years. In fact, SKOY draws its name from Skoj, which is a Swedish word meaning “just for fun.” That attitude shines through in the whimsical colors and patterns of their product, too.

Since paper towels account for 3,000 tons of landfill waste every single day, it would have an incredible environmental impact if more of us reduced our dependence on disposable paper products.

The post Reusable Paper Towels: Smart Design or Ick Factor? appeared first on EcoSalon.