How would you like to make your roll of paper towels last longer? I actually keep mine in our laundry room (around the corner from my kitchen), so I’ll rely on them less and thus use fewer. But I know this is a little extreme.

So is there an easier way to extend the life of a roll? Jillee, of www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com, says there is. Jillee reminds us, “A paper towel habit can take a toll on the wallet and the environment, which is why we ought to consider using these tips to make every roll last longer.”

First of all, while we all know it’s smarter to rely mainly on reusable options, there are times when using paper towels is even smarter. For instance, when cleaning up after someone who’s sick and possibly contagious. Paper towels are also handy for soaking up liquids that could contain harmful bacteria, like the juice from a package of raw chicken.

But, as Jillee points out, we don’t have to choose between more sustainable reusable cleaning cloths and disposable paper towels. There’s a way to use both responsibly, and it’s simply a matter of using paper towels strategically. Here’s her strategy:

STORE THEM OUT OF SIGHT. Up in a cupboard instead of out on the counter could cause you to use fewer. (Hah! My idea of tucking them away in the laundry room maybe isn’t so extreme after all?)

DELIBERATELY SWAP PAPER TOWELS FOR REUSABLES. Jillee suggests keeping some microfiber cloths nicely folded in a small basket and set that where you’d ordinarily place the paper option. With them handy, you’ll be more likely to use them instead of running for the paper towels.

USE CLOTH NAPKINS. How’d she know we use paper towels for our napkins?

OR SAVE YOUR TAKEOUT NAPKINS (if you’re not inclined to use cloth napkins). OK, how’d she know we do this, too?

DO THE “SHAKE AND FOLD”. According to environmental waste experts, using the “shake and fold” method (shaking the excess water off of your hands before drying), makes it truly possible to only need one paper towel for hand wiping. Just fold one paper towel in half and wipe.

DRAIN OIL, DON’T ABSORB IT. If you typically use paper towels to absorb excess oil when cooking bacon or frying chicken, try tilting your pan when finished, to let the grease and oil flow into a puddle that you can easily drain into the trash. And if grease is allowed to set up, it can easily be removed with one paper towel instead of several. In fact, this is one of the main things I do with our saved takeout napkins.

USE BUTTER WRAPPERS FOR GREASING BAKEWARE. They’ll do just as thorough a job of prepping your bakeware as a paper towel will. And those little smidges of clinging butter contribute some lovely flavor, too. Jille suggest: “The next time you unwrap a stick of butter, place the wrapper in a ziplock bag in your freezer. That way, you’ll always have a few on hand to use for greasing baking pans.”

ABSORB LIQUID WITH BAKING SODA. If you normally use paper towels to wipe up oily messes, try using baking soda instead. Sprinkle baking soda over the spill, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe both the oil and baking soda up with a wet cloth.

Finally, USE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED. Lots of jobs only need a small piece of paper towel, so why waste a full-sized sheet? If just a couple of inches of paper towel for a particular task will work fine, then that’s all you rip off. Try this for a couple of weeks, and you’ll amazed at how much S T R E T C H you can give your paper towel roll!

    Alice Osborne
    Weekly Newsletter Contributor since 2006
    Email the author! alice@dvo.com