After making reusable paper towels for seven years, we've learned that the fabric matters.
When you're making something that's going to be used every day for wiping up spills, cleaning counters, drying hands and dealing with all the random messes that happen around the house, you want a fabric that actually works.
For our reusable paper towels, we use 100% cotton flannel. And here are a few reasons why we love it.
It stays on the roll
One of the things we wanted from the beginning was a roll of reusable towels that didn't need snaps, buttons or anything else to hold them together. Because that's way too complicated!
Flannel naturally sticks to itself, which means you can roll the towels onto a paper towel holder and pull one off when you need it. No snaps. No buttons. No extra hardware.
This is also one of the questions we get asked most often: How do they stay on the roll?The answer is simply the fabric.
It gets more absorbent with washing
When cotton flannel is brand new, it still has that new fabric feel. But as you wash it, the fibres fluff up, and the fabric becomes more absorbent. So don't be surprised if you find your reusable paper towels working even better after you've washed them a few times.
This is one reason we recommend giving them a little time to get broken in. They're not necessarily going to feel exactly the same on day one as they will after they've been through the wash.
It's soft
We could have used microfibre, but it just wasn't what we wanted for our reusable paper towels. Microfibre is a synthetic fabric, and we wanted something that felt good in your hands.
Cotton flannel is soft and comfortable while still being absorbent. It's also not overly thick, which makes it practical for everyday use. Whether you're wiping up a spilled drink, cleaning a sticky face or drying your hands, we like that our towels feel more like a soft cloth than a traditional cleaning rag.
It grabs spills instead of pushing them around
There's something very satisfying about wiping up a spill and actually picking it up. Our cotton flannel tends to grab onto spills rather than pushing the mess around the counter.
And that's really what we were looking for: a simple, useful fabric that could handle everyday life.
Six years of use...and counting
One customer recently told us:
“I've been using the same ones since 2020, using only regular paper towel when my cat is sick and it almost takes me a year to go through a roll. It's absolutely life changing.”
Six years of use. Almost a year to go through a roll of regular paper towel.
And honestly, that's exactly what we hoped these would do when we started making them: make it easier to use less disposable paper towel without making everyday life more complicated.
If you're ready to give cotton flannel reusable paper towels a try, you can find them in our shop.
Changing lives, one reusable paper towel at a time...because we can't all be doctors. 😉