Our kitchens product an alarming amount of waste. Put aside the basic food waste for just a moment. Think about all the plastic, the packaging, the single-use items … they really add up!! And, if you’ve ever been in my home, you know the bain of my existence is paper towels. My husband uses them like they’re going out of style, and it just kills me. Seeing that pristine, white paper wadded up, (often left on the counter for me to throw away – eyeroll), and destined for the garbage makes this eco gal cringe. Which is why I am so happy to tell you about Skoy today!!
Skoy is my new favorite alternative to paper towels. The Skoy is a household cleaning cloth that outlasts 15 rolls of paper towels – did you hear that girls – fifteen rolls of paper towels. The thing that makes it really cool is that it has an absorption factor of 15x its own weight, which means its better than any other cloth on the market for cleaning up wet and messy spills. Totally green as its 100% biodegradable (shove it in your compost bin when you’re done,) and can be reused dozens and dozens of times. You can wash it in the dishwasher or toss it in with a load of laundry. To disinfect it, you can put it in the microwave for a minute (but it must be wet). This is a fun and easy way to make a difference.
And don’t miss the other items in their collection! I love the Skoy Scrubs – This little beauty really packs a punch. It’s gritty so your kitchen items really feel the clean, but they’re gentle enough for non-stick pans, ceramic stovetops and glass.
If you’re looking to make greener cleaning swaps, check out my Spring Cleaning Guide, which is of course great for any time of year, but features some of my favorite products, swaps and DIYs!
I have been meaning to post but I have been lazy. Shamwow is this orange material that works better than paper towels. It cleans stains out of the carpet like a pro! You just put it in the washing machine when to wash it but refrain from the dryer because it shrinks and it becomes little shammy. It is a great alternative to paper towels.
I ordered these while we are transitioning from using paper towels. So far, so great. They really work and I was skeptical about their durability, but they hold up well to just about the toughest scrubbing. Job well done and great find! (Hubby wishes they were a little bigger, but for using 15 less rolls of towels, it’s a small price to pay.)
Just FYI… Shamwows are synthetic and will live in our landfills forever…
Actually, I was looking at these fantastic microfibre cloths from a company called “Norwex” and they work even better! They have silver in them which kills the bacteria so you’re not spreading around the bacteria. Very inexpensive and all you need to do is wet it and go. No waste, no breathing in stinky chemicals and saves money!!
I am using some new sponges made by Twist that are eco-friendly and biodegradable(and look cool too) to reduce my paper towel usage. Also, a great microfiber cloth that I only use water to clean with. It has eliminated my need for chemical sprays and cleaners. This great website: http://www.bluepod.com has both these products and some great green ideas.