My mother always used old cotton clothes to make cleaning cloths, and now that I have my own home, I do too. I also use a dishcloth, sponges, and a real mop & bucket to clean instead of all that disposable stuff (although I tried some of it in college). I don’t use paper napkins, but we do use paper towels (but have a kitchen towel as well).

I’ve been a loyal practitioner of frugal living for a very long time, and I always try to abide by the three “R”s (reduce, reuse, recycle). I always use reusable hemp bags for all my shopping, whether it be for food or clothes, and I rarely use paper towel, opting for rags and dish towels instead. I even wash and save containers from everything I buy, like yogurt and jam. So this challenge, for me, is more about encouraging my roommates to also think reusable. So far they’ve been very cooperative, and I really have high hopes for us to collectively reduse our ammont of waste as an entire household.

I always use washcloths for dishes. I give the kids some washcloths and they “ice skate” to wash my floors. It’s great because they are actually helping and having fun all at the time.

When I buy kool-aid pouches for my daughter I turn them into purses or wallets. I sell them or give them as gifts. We also use old socks as rags for cleaning around the house or for wipping of hands and cleaning spills in the garage. I resuse old holy shirts to make pillow cases, blankets, ect. and if they are really bad we use these as rags also. If my daughters clothes are nice when she outgrows them I sell them in a garage sale or turn them in for credit at a second hand store.

Just signed up but I already do many of these things!! We use cloth diapers and cloth swiffer pads. We use washable sponges and napkins. I will have to think of other ways to continue!!

My family has already been doing this but I am going to see what my family and I can some up with tonight. I already use cloths for dusting and stuff & I never bought the swiffer products.

Got rid of my Windex and paper towels for cleaning the windows. I used 2 micro cloths. First I wiped the window with a damp one, then I dried it with a dry one. No streaks! I couldn’t believe it. Even did my car windows. Then I just popped the rags in the washer. It saves money and the environment. Best of all, the mirrors in my bathroom shine like never before!

I use cloth napkins and love it! It makes me feel so fancy and formal…. and washing them is no problem…

WE live in the country, and do not have trash pickup, so we take our own to the town dump 25 miles down the road. Since we try to minimize these trips to the dump, I have always used cloth for dusting and cleaning, washing dishes, etc. I’ve never purchased Swiffer or any of the disposable products. Do folks not use worn out cotton clothes for rags any more? I find I have a consistent supply of fabric for cleaning. If it gets too grungy, it just gets tossed. Hubby uses cloth rags in his woodworking shop for gluing, applying tung oil etc.

Have used cloth napkins for years, never use sponges in the kitchen or bath, will try to find another way to help our planet.

Going to dig out the old dish clothes and use them for washing and wiping up in the kitchen, just like mom used to do. Start each day with a fresh one.

Daughter is studying in New Zealand this semester, a very eco-conscious country. Says they just don’t use paper napkins, so hubby and jumped on board and are using bandana scarves for everyday napkins. They are big and soft, and launder easily. I have a whole range of colors bought over the years, so it’s nice they are getting some use.

It is amazing how expensive paper towels and paper napkins are. Growing up, we used kitchen/dish towels and cloth dinner napkins. Returning to the use of those re-usable products will save money and trees. I am onboard!

I have been using cloth diapers, but we went on vacation and I slacked a bit, so now it’s back to business again!

I was a single mom rasing 3 boy and we reused everthing until it disintergrated! My kids are extremely resourceful today because of it.

I have always been conservative when it comes to throwing things away. We have saved thousands of dollars over the years in addition to helping to save our environment. This is a very easy challenge for me.

Not much of room for adding to nondisposables in our households. Even 4 kids worth of cloth diapers under our belt so paper towels don’t really enter into the equation. I do catch my teenagers sipping disposable swifter cloths and pop up cleaning wipes in to the grocery cart though…so there is our challenge. No more windex wipes ‘for the car mom’ or cleaning wipes for the kitchen stove and only the washable swifter covers.

I guess I am old fashioned. I have never used disposable household items. I buy dish cloths and rags, change them daily, and at the end of the week they go in the washer with a little bleach and soap, and we start all over again.

ditto, i’ve also been doing this for quite a while.