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Paper Towel Tally Sheet – Reduce Paper Towel Usage

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In a recent post I gave tips for how to reduce your usage of paper towels. I’ve begun to think about this topic more since I am definitely a person who overuses them. I’ve learned that many people get by just fine in their kitchens without paper towels, ever. They use real towels and other items to get the job done.

So I got an idea for how to regulate my paper towel use and encourage myself to think twice before tearing off a sheet. It’s called “The Paper Towel Tally.” It’s a PDF printout that you can post on your kitchen cabinet or another place near your roll of paper towel. Every time you tear off a sheet, you have to mark a line under the reason. Check it out below (and download the PDF version here).

Paper Towel Tally by LovingOurHome.com

Just keep a pen near the paper and draw a “scratch mark” under each reason each time you take a sheet (you know, like |||| is five marks). At the end of the month do a tally and find out what you’re using most of your paper towels on. Then you can find a different solution, like the ones I recommended in this post.

Feel free to share this Paper Towel Tally sheet with other people who need it. Hope it helps you to reduce your usage of paper towels over time!

Posted by Jasmine

How to Save Money on Paper Towels

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Confession: I am a habitual hand washer. Yes, I admit it. I wash my hands at least 15-20 times per day—especially when I’m cooking or cleaning the kitchen. And because of this, I use a whole lot of paper towels. I could go through a whole roll of towels in a day if I spend enough time in the kitchen. This can become a very expensive habit being that a multi-pack of paper towels at BJs or Costco costs well over $20.

So I decided it was time to figure out how to save money on paper towels. Here is a simple 9-point plan to reduce your usage of paper towels.

  1. Place a large hand towel near your sink to dry your hands.

This should be a towel that’s bigger than a standard hand towel and extra fluffy, so invest in a good one. Hang it from a towel rack over your sink so that you have easy access. Throw the towel in the laundry every week or so.

 

  1. Place another absorbent small towel in a convenient place that’s only for drying dishes.

Dedicate this towel just to drying your dishes—no hand drying or wiping the counter tops with it. Hang it on your stove or dishwasher. Keep a pile of clean, dry ones handy.

 

  1. Reserve a few large old towels to do big clean ups.

For those big messes, keep an old or tattered large towel or two under your sink. Wipe up the mess and throw the towel in the laundry pile (preferably with similar dirty cloths that come into contact with the floor or your pets).

 

  1. Purchase only rolls of paper towels that have half-perforated sheets.

When you’re shopping for paper towels, choose select-a-size rolls that allow you to take a half a sheet instead of a whole one. You may find that in most cases, a half of a sheet is more than enough.

 

  1. Place a basket next to your paper towel holder for sheets that can be used again.

There are some instances where you might use a sheet of paper towel for a quick, clean job, and it can be used again for wiping something down. Put a small basket near your roll of paper towels to hold these re-usable sheets.

 

  1. Get a bottle of hand sanitizer to use whenever you feel the urge to wash your hands.

When you’re cooking, cleaning up, and handling raw meats, use the hand sanitizer to quickly disinfect your hands. Shake them out a little and let them hand dry instead of using a sheet of paper towel.

 

  1. Keep a $1 box of tissues in your kitchen for sneezing.

When you need to blow your nose or sneeze, a sheet of paper towel really isn’t necessary. Just go to the dollar store and get a $1 box of tissue for those moments.

 

  1. Use paper bags to drain excess oil out of fried foods.

Instead of using a bunch of paper towels to sop up excess oil from fried foods, use leftover paper bags. You might not want to put your food directly on the bag, so just lay one or two paper towels on top of the paper bag as a buffer and then put the food on top. (Reducing or eliminating fried foods from your family’s diet is also a great idea!)

 

  1. Use disinfectant wipes to clean off your countertops and surfaces.

Chances are, you use disinfectant wipes (like the Lysol brand) a lot less often than you reach for paper towels. Use one wipe each day to disinfect your countertops in the morning before you start cooking—that way, you can feel more confident that your surfaces are clean throughout the day. Resist the urge to use a paper towel or another disinfecting wipe unless you accidentally spill meat juice on your counter top.

 

You may find that there aren’t many good reasons for buying and using paper towels on a regular basis if you take these simple steps to save money on paper towels. Simple solutions!

Posted by Jasmine

Easy Organizing Tips for Your Home

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Organizing your home is essential, not just because you keep it clutter free but also because you can find the things you need easily and you feel better mentally when your surroundings are in order. You may even find ways to repurpose items that you have around your house that have just been collecting dust. Here are a few organizing tips for your home that you can implement this weekend.

For Your Kitchen

The more organized your kitchen, the more inspired you’ll be to create new recipes and pack school lunches like a pro. Start by sorting out your pantry to ensure that nothing has expired or has become unusable. Keep all similar food items in the pantry together — for instance, store all of your baking items in one area and all seasonings for food in another. All canned foods should be placed on separate shelf with the labels facing out. This will make it easier for you to locate exactly what you need for recipes. To declutter your counter space, get a few empty vases to store the large cooking utensils that you frequently use. Keep two or three appliances on the counter and put the rest away in storage until you need them.

For Your Bedroom

You can easily declutter your bedroom closet.  Begin by creating three separate piles — one is for clothes to donate, the other is for clothes to keep at hand, and the third is for storage until next season. Typically, you should donate all clothing items that you have not worn for a full year. Trust, you won’t miss them — just give them away, because you’ll feel so much lighter afterwards, especially with your newfound space. An added bonus is that you will be helping someone who could use the clothes. Purchase an over the door rack so that you can organize your shoes, belts, scarfs and ties. Store seasonal clothes under the bed.

The next place that usually gets a little crazy is the top of your dresser (both the inside and outside). First, assign a certain type of clothing to each drawer (underwear, socks, t-shirts, jeans) and stick to that plan going forward. If you have trinkets on your dresser that you are fond of, adding a small shelving unit for jewelry that will help keep them safer and better organized.  One shelf can be for makeup, another shelf for nail polish and yet another for manicure and pedicure accessories.

For Your Bathroom

Simply purchasing an over the toilet rack will take care of a lot of your organizational problems in the bathroom. An over the toilet rack is a place for your bathroom accessories, extra towels and more. You will enjoy a clutter free sink and shower (except for your most used items, like shampoo and conditioner). Organize your personal products into categories on the shelves — for example, put shampoos, conditioners and body wash on one shelf. Next, put lotions, shea butter and other skin conditioning items on another shelf. And finally, place colognes, body sprays and other scented items on yet another shelf.  Keep things tidy by making sure to replace all items used back to their proper location on the rack.

Maintaining ongoing habits is key to keeping your home organized. So after you dedicate a weekend to doing the initial organization, it’s okay to become particular about keeping things in its proper place.

Posted by Eve

Featured image: Rubbermaid Homefree Series Closet Kit (via Flickr)

Tips for Decorating with Contact Paper

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If you want a new look in your home, try adding subtle pops of color to your home decor. If you don’t want the extra fuss of painting and all that goes with it, have you ever tried contact paper? Contact paper is easy to use and comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns. It’s as easy as peeling off the back and applying it wherever you want. Best of all, it’s not permanent. You can always just peel it off and try something new. Here are some fun and easy tips for decorating with contact paper.

41z1nfxabBL– In the living room, create one “faux wallpaper” accent wall with contact paper. Measure the wall’s length and width to ensure that you purchase enough contact paper.

– For the kitchen, apply contact paper to reface your kitchen cabinets. This is a quick and simple way to make your kitchen look more modern and colorful. Carefully use a box cutter to make straight cuts when removing excess paper.

– Add contact paper to the backsplash behind your sink in the bathroom to make it more appealing and colorful.

– In the bedroom use contact paper to give a pop of color to your night stands. Apply an attractive pattern to the top of each stand. Make sure to remove any dust so that the paper adheres properly.

Have fun decorating with contact paper this weekend!

Posted by Eve