Have you seen the latest commercial for Bounty paper towels? A little girl reaches for a washcloth to clean up a spill, and her mother grabs it from her, appalled that she would want to use a dirty old dish rag. Bounty’s new campaign claims it is “time to ditch that germy dishcloth.”
I have seen this commercial quite a few times because we use Hulu for our tv watching and they tend to replay commercials. And every time I see it, I grit my teeth.
Bounty is obviously trying to rebound from the recent movement to waste less and reuse more. Just about every green blog and website encourages its readers to skip the disposable paper towels and instead choose reusable dish cloths or cloth napkins.
We put that into practice in our home. I bought an 8-pack of paper towels over a year ago and I still have 5 rolls left. And really the only time they are used is when my mom or my mother-in-law come to visit. We use cloth napkins with our meals. We use washcloths or dishcloths to clean dishes, countertops, bathroom sinks and even toilets.
Is it “dirty” to use reusable cloths for cleaning? I guess that depends on how you use them. If you leave the same washcloth sitting in your sink for weeks or months, that would be pretty gross. I use a new dishcloth for every job. I use one cloth for my toilet and a different one for the sink when I clean the bathroom.
Some people argue that washing reusable cloths uses more resources than paper towels. I haven’t found that I have to do any more wash than I did before I switched to cloth. I just toss them in the washing machine with my towels, and they take up very little space.
Of course Bounty wants you to believe that you are infecting your home and your family with germs when you use cloth. They want you to waste your money on paper towels instead of choosing the option that’s better for the earth and for your wallet. Don’t be a victim of commercial persuasion! Choose cloth!
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