What? Two posts in a month? Let me start by saying I've never been a big user of paper towels. One roll used to last me a couple years in the kitchen because of my preference for sponges & towels. I did use them to clean up my art area, especially after watercolor or Chinese watercolor. But OMG, the home caregivers went through rolls! I had napkins and real placemats available yet they would use paper towel sheets for everything. It didn't break the bank because I inherited a lifetime supply from my aunt, or it would have been a lifetime supply if not for the caregivers.
Can you believe I only just this year figured out how to use microfiber cloths? I've had them for years because I was at Target with Mom like a decade ago and she wanted a stack of these colorful squares to use as face towels. Shortly after, she found a bundle of terrycloth face towels and ended up using those. So I used the microfiber dry or with a dusting spray or for cleaning mirrors. I thought they were too soft for scrubbing and I didn't like it as a hand towel -- terrycloth still has its place. Fast forward to now, they had very little use and the collection of microfiber cloths doubled because bigger ones came with this or that.
Last year I decluttered my laundry room. Got rid of a bunch of kitchen towels that weren't working for me. For some reason, I couldn't get rid of the microfiber. Then I got a Scrub Daddy. I thought it was expensive but sponges have jumped up in price too. I wanted to see what the hype was about. Okay, I love the scrubber part but I hate the sponge part. It only spreads the water, doesn't actually dry the surface, I still needed a real sponge so I picked up a microfiber & wiped. It was a lightbulb moment. I could have stopped there, but that's not the obsession...
While my brother was visiting, his girlfriend wanted a day trip to Santa Barbara. Bro invited me for breakfast -- in Santa Barbara -- so okay, but I want to go a bit further to Solvang. While we were there, we went into a gift shop and there they were: Swedish dishcloths. Read the packaging to see what makes them special. They were $7 each. Quick check on Amazon, you can get 10 starting at $12, and it goes up from there depending on how cute or fancy the artwork on them. They are basically eco-friendly cloths with very absorbent properties and all kinds of colorful art on them ranging from Scandinavian art to words/sayings & patterns. THAT is the new rabbit hole.
I must admit, I paid a stupid tax of about $3 because while I was waiting for my Amazon delivery, I happened into the 99 Cent Store. I saw a pack of what looked like flat sponges about the same size as Swedish dishcloths, so I bought them. Ugh, they smell like plastic and it doesn't go away with rinsing. They do have the printed artwork on them but definitely not eco-friendly/biodegradable. Absorbency is passable, too smooth for scrubbing. I also found out that microfiber is made of a plastic. But I have them so I'll use them til they die. No use in pre-maturely adding to the landfill.
