Last Updated on November 15, 2023

Making the switch to reusable paper towels has saved me a lot of money. Let’s do the math: A 12-pack of paper towels typically costs ~$24.99. If I buy one every month and make it last, that still turns out to be $300 I would’ve saved at the end of the year if I switched to reusables. 

On top of the economic savings, paperless towels and other paper towel alternatives are much kinder to the environment. Did you know it takes 12 trees and 20,000 gallons of water to make one ton of paper towels? Making the switch to cloth paper towels is an excellent first step for any household looking to reduce their waste. So with that in mind, I’m sharing the 10 best reusable paper towel companies I’ve found so far.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links; for more information please see my disclosure policy.

paper towel alternative

In the U.S., we currently use more than 13 billion pounds of paper towels each year, and most just end up in a landfill. Imagine the change we could make if we could reduce even just half of that by switching to washable cloth paper towels?

Though they are paper, paper towels cannot be recycled, because they’re soiled paper. You can compost them, but switching to a paper towel alternative will be more economical.   

I’ve done the research and found 10 of the best reusable paper towels that will make ditching single-use paper towels a breeze and keep those billions of pounds of paper out of the landfills.

do reusable paper towels really work? 

Yes, reusable paper towels really work. In many ways, they work better than single-use ones because they’re more durable. However, not all reusable paper towels are made equal.  

I recommend looking for reusable paper towels that have a wide weave as they don’t push water around, but instead absorb it. Bar rags do a great job of this, and you can store them in a tiny basket so it’s convenient for you.   

Before paper towels were invented in the early 1900s, everyone would use rags or cloths to clean up messes or wipe their hands. However, when paper towels made their debut, rags were deemed unsanitary through clever marketing tactics.  

It took a long time for paper towels to become a permanent fixture in the home. Disposability was still a new concept at odds with the frugality of the World War II years. But eventually, we gave in to the hype, and it rerouted human behavior and norms. 

The problem is that you cannot reuse paper towels. Reusable cloth towels can be reused indefinitely, or at least until they’re worn down, and will clean messes just as well (if not better) than disposable paper towels.  

In other words, reusable paper towels are nothing new. You can even make your own if you’re good at sewing and have some scrap fabric (like an old soft shirt you can upcycle).  

RELATED: Zero Waste Cloth Paper Towel Tips

long lasting cloth paper towels

The amount of times you can use reusable paper towels will vary, based on what they’re made from. However, for a frame of reference, I’ve had my reusable paper towels for several years now (about 4, I’d say).  

If you keep them in decent shape, have a proper place to store them, and make sure to wash them properly, they will last you several years.  

Swedish dishcloths, which are compostable at the end of their life, can be reused up to 200 times (aka the equivalent of 15 paper towel rolls).  

Switching to washable paper towels will help not only reduce waste but also save you time and money. 

the best materials for reusable paper towels

The best material for reusable paper towels is one made from biodegradable, compostable materials. Ideally, at the end of its life, it should be able to break down in a compost heap.  

Here are some sustainable materials reusable paper towels can be made from: 

• Organic cotton 
• Hemp 
• Linen 
• Cellulose blend made from wood pulp (often found in Swedish Dish Towels) 
• Responsibly sourced bamboo fabric 

Be mindful that other materials do exist on the market as well. I try to avoid microfiber cloths as much as possible because they shed microplastics in our waterways when they’re washed. To learn more, check out my post The Problem With Microplastics.   

However, reusable cloth towels made from upcycled materials or recycled microfiber are a better option than using virgin materials.  

Virgin materials must be extracted from the earth in an unsustainable manner, and it takes a lot of energy to convert raw materials into actual products (like crude oil to plastic). 

Be mindful that many brands may use a compostable material in their cloth towels, but sew with a polyester thread. This makes it harder to compost at the end of its life (you’d have to remove the threaded parts). So look for brands using cotton thread, if possible. 

are paperless towels machine washable? 

Yes, reusable paper towels are machine washable if they’re made from cloth. If it gets really soiled, just give it a quick rinse first, wring it out (like you would a sponge), then add it to your laundry heap.  

Make sure to never use fabric softener on your reusable cloth dish towels though, as this can cause them to become less absorbent over time. 

For Swedish dishcloths, treat them like a sponge as well, then when you want to deep clean them, add them to the top rack of a dishwasher. Hang them out to air dry — I typically put mine on my drying rack with my dishes. 

Many Swedish dishcloths can also be sterilized using a microwave. Just microwave when damp on high for one minute. 

the 10 best reusable paper towels:

I’ve rounded up a list of reusable paper towels that get the Going Zero Waste seal of approval. All these brands make sustainable paper towels you can reuse much longer than their disposable counterparts.

These paper towel alternatives are made from sustainable materials, be it upcycled content or compostable fabric. Many of the brands listed here offer plastic-free packaging and participate in numerous sustainable initiatives that give back (like being a B corporation or 1% For the Planet member).

I’ve gone ahead and highlighted some of my favorite features of each brand, but it isn’t an exhaustive list. Be sure to check out their websites for more information.

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faqs

what can you use reusable paper towels for?

You can use cloth paper towels and other paper towel alternatives for pretty much anything you would use disposable paper towels for. This means you can use them to dry your hands, wipe down windows and counters, and clean up spills, plus other types of cleaning like dusting. Then simply rinse, wash, and do it all again — all without adding any trash to the landfill!

is a paper towel alternative expensive?

It may feel expensive at first to invest in these paperless alternatives. However, paper products cost an all-time high right now, which makes some of these suggestions pretty comparable to the top brands of disposable paper towels like Viva and Bounty. And, it doesn’t take long for these alternatives to pay for themselves and actually save you money farther down the road!

how much waste can ditching disposable towels save?

It’s almost immeasurable. In the US alone, more than 3,000 tons of paper towels are discarded daily. Globally, paper towels account for 254 million tons of trash each year. Imagine the emissions, greenhouse gases, and water that could be saved if everyone switched to a more sustainable alternative to disposable paper towels!

So, which of these reusable paper towels would you try? Let me know in the comments.