cloth virtues

Anyone who knows me, knows this post has been coming - the tree hugger post. (I'm sure there will be more.)

As I stared at the large pile of washcloths near my laundry chute yesterday - (the three youngest children took the initiative and cleaned up a breakfast mess, yeah!) - I couldn't help but be thankful that we don't use paper towels much. In fact I haven't bought a roll of paper towels in over two years. The kids had obviously used way more cloths than the mess had warranted, but who cares. It isn't costing me money to replace, it isn't cutting down trees (along with the fuel used to transport the lumber, run the machines that process the wood into paper products and ship to my local store - you get the picture - I'm a bit of an environmental freak), and they cleaned up the mess without coming to get me. So all is good.

Not only have I not bought paper towels in over two years, I am using some of the same napkins I started with -- in the spring of 2003. Yes, you read that right, 2003. Six years for some of my napkins! I did recently have to repair a handful of napkins - they were starting to fray around the edges. A couple seconds with my serger and they are good as new. Actually better than new because they are broke in and soft - though a little smaller after the meeting with Sergie.

I wonder if the people I have given napkins to are still using theirs, or if they ever really did. I would love to think that I am helping Mother Earth, even just a little bit, by encouraging others to reuse rather than buying and tossing paper. Now I know what I am giving a friend with a birthday coming up. ;-)