The last time I bought paper towels was October 2022. I bought 12 rolls, and almost three years later I still have seven full rolls on hand. And it’s not because I’ve stopped cooking, spilling, and making messes. I make messes every day.

The way I finally broke the cycle of buying paper towels in bulk every two months was by spending $26 on a pack of 12 reusable “unpaper” towels.

Zero Waste Store Reusable Paper Towels

These 10 x 10 inch “paper towels” from Zero Waste Store are made of a cotton flannel blend. They’re machine washable and get more absorbent as you wash them.

When you first get them, you’ll notice they don’t absorb nearly as quickly as a paper towel. But I think that slower absorbency is what makes them easier to reuse.

You could technically wring out a paper towel right after it absorbs its mess and then reuse it, but my inclination was always just to tear off another paper towel and keep throwing them down to absorb the mess.

I keep my unpaper towels folded in a little plastic bin next to the sink. I reach for them for countertop spills, stovetop cleanup, and general messes.

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Caring for the Unpaper Towels

I use and reuse the unpaper towels around the kitchen until they’re too grody to keep using. I don’t toss them in with the rest of the daily laundry though—there’s just something about it that seems gross.

Instead, I keep a small plastic bin next to the washing machine (in my small apartment, that’s about 15 steps away from the kitchen) where I put used unpaper towels, dishcloths, and microfiber cloths. I run them through the washer and dryer with my husband’s exercise clothes.

$26 Once vs. $26 Over and Over Again

The cost of my 12 unpaper towels is the same as the cost of 12 rolls of my preferred brand of paper towels. Did it feel a little weird to spend $26 on 12 small pieces of fabric? Sure. But it was so worth it to get over that mental hurdle and stop spending $26 on paper towels every three months.

It’s not just the switch that’s sustainable and ecofriendly, it’s also the product itself. Zero Waste Store’s unpaper towels are certified organic, plastic free, OEKO-TEX certified (e.g., they’re free of harmful substances), and ship carbon neutral.

Plus, when they’ve finally reached the end of their life, they’re compostable and biodegradable, meaning that even if I don’t put them in my parents’ compost bin, they’ll still break down in a landfill in a completely harmless way.

Why Do I Still Even Have Paper Towels?

Two months passed in the time between when I last bought paper towels and when I got the unpaper towels, so I suspect I used the five missing rolls from my 12-roll order during that time period.

I can’t think of a single reason I’d reach for a paper towel rather than my reusable unpaper towels. All that’s left to do is move the just-in-case roll of paper towels away from the kitchen sink. At this point, it’s gathering dust.