Cloth-eez Paper Towel Alternative - Natural Unbleached
- In stock, ready to ship
Two-layer birdseye washable, reusable paper towel alternative cloth made out of organic organic unbleached cotton. Pack of 12. Also great for drying hands.
Size: 13" x 13" before washing, about 12" x 12.5" inches after shrinkage.
Also available in a white regular cotton.
Two layers of birdseye fabric sewn together with a center seam. Two layers means more cotton, more absorbency and they are easy to grab, grip and use without edges curling. They are much nicer to use than one-layer versions, and more absorbent, too! I love the "hand" (the feel) of the two layers. It feels right for the job.
Pictures shown after washing. Birdseye fabric has little "birds" woven into the fabric. This is much smoother than terry fabric. Birdseye has a nice amount of "grippiness" to get stuff off with a balance of being smooth enough for softness. Two layers gives you the right level of thickness for absorbency, plus two layers of fabric helps them stay flatter. It gives them enough thickness so that it is easy to grab one. Single layer look-alikes curl up, stick together and are more difficult to handle. Having two layers of fabric makes them much better and easier to use. Paper towels can't compare to two layers of birdseye cotton. Simple, yet so effective.
They can also be used as preemie diapers or layered as newborn cotton diapers.
We added a small seam across the wipe to help them keep their shape, yet cotton shrinkage will vary a bit of course. Like all unbleached cotton, wash several times in a regular size load of laundry, perhaps through 5-8 cycles, on hot with detergent before using. This prep washing is needed to wash off the natural cotton oils present in unbleached cotton. It needs to be washed off before the full absorbency of the cotton is reached.
Preparation: Please wash several times in hot water before first use. The prep washes are needed to remove the natural cotton oils present in unbleached cotton. Absorbency will improve with more washing as the natural oils wash out over several cycles.
Use: Use for absorbency as needed to dry hands and wipe up various wetness in the kitchen. Do not use with raw meat (keep food safety procedures in mind) and do not use for bacon grease or similar fats or oils that should not go down the sink. If you can't put it down the drain (meat fats for example), it should also not go into the washing machine either. Those greases are not suitable for municipal or septic disposal in any case. Do not use with full strength cleaning chemicals, even natural ones. Rinse out diluted cleaning chemicals promptly. Don't store the soiled cotton with cleaning products still on the cotton. They are not plastic made from petroleum. These 100% cotton made from cotton plants.
Care: Machine wash hot. Add oxygen bleach as necessary. Occasional bleach is ok if needed but over time, bleaching will take a toll on the fibers of course so minimize the need for bleaching by storing them after use before washing in a manner that prevents mold. If you use bag style storage, keep the bag open at the top to allow air circulation and wash often. We recommend an open wire or plastic bin as preferred over bag storage when possible. Hang wet towels over the edge to dry and then push those into the basket when the next ones are placed over the edge. A laundry drying hanger with clips is great if your space allows for that. If the cloths dry out before they go into the laundry bin or bag, you can go a lot longer between wash days.
Can you roll these vertically onto a core like paper towels? You can, but it is easier, faster and more practical to skip that step. But if that works for, you do that. We always say to do what works for you! Sometimes that setup is a good way to introduce the family to cloth for familiarity, but once they get use to cloth and love it, you may find that you skip that step. Set things up in a way that works for your unique space and needs.
A storage idea:
You don't have to roll them but this is pretty. A simple stack on the counter or in a drawer works fine.
Go to Cloth-eez Paper Towel Alternative - white cotton version.
Comparison of various kinds and sizes of these and the baby wipes version. They are the same fabric (choose white or unbleached natural) and construction (two layers with center seam), but different sizes. Shown new in this picture, before normal cotton shrinkage.
Content: Content: made out of organic cotton, but the final product is not certified. It is certified to OKEO-TEX Standard 100 and the certificate number is 20.HPK.35238. 100% cotton, exclusive of trim. Trim is polyester or nylon for strength. Made in Pakistan.
