How many of you out there like to use disposable sanitizing wipes in your kitchen? I know I did. I used to use a wipe every time I prepared raw meat on my kitchen counter. I wanted to easily make sure that there was no bacteria left that could transfer to other foods I would be working with next. It was and still is a noble effort. However, I was throwing away at least one disposable wipe a night and you might be, too. How wasteful and expensive. But just this week I've found a way to compromise. I have decided to stop using those wipes in my kitchen and replace them with a more affordable and reusable system.
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| This basket under my sink makes these rags quick and handy. |
I am using an antibacterial kitchen cleaner and reusable rags. I have made it as handy and quick as those disposable wipes. Just grab a rag and the spray-on antibacterial kitchen cleaner from under the sink. When you're done sanitizing the kitchen, throw the rag into a specific bin or basket (preferably one that can be run through the dishwasher to be sanitized itself) designated for used rags. When you have time, run the collected rags through the washing machine. Here are some things I use for rags: old t-shirt pieces, old ratty washcloths, holey socks, and pieces of old dishtowels. These make great rags, cost you nothing, and keep you from throwing them into a landfill.
If you are not ready to stop using disposable wipes, at least try to cut down on your paper towel usage. You can use the same system to cut back on paper towels. Instead of reaching for paper towels to clean up spills and handle cleaning tasks, pull a rag from under your sink. When you are finished, you won't be throwing a piece of paper into a landfill, but a rag into your cleaning bin. These rags can be easily thrown in with your load of bath towels without taking up a lot of extra space in you washing machine, so you won't need to worry about wasting water.
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| I keep this small plastic bin next to my garbage can for easy "disposal" of my used rags. |
There are many benefits to these systems. You can achieve the same results, you reduce your waste, and you can save money by not buying expensive disposal sanitizing wipes or paper towels.
