Greening Your Cleaning - Reusable Wipes

My heart always breaks a little when I finish cleaning and look at all the things I've thrown away: Swiffer cloths, antibacterial wipes, paper towels... But finally, my prayers have been answered!  I was shopping around uncommongoods.com and found these reusable, biodegradable cleaning cloths:

http://www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?itemId=17702
EDIT: While UncommonGoods has stopped selling Skoy Cloths, you can still buy them here.

The quick-drying towels can be microwaved to kill bacteria at high temperatures, like you might send a sponge through the dishwasher to reuse it.  Check out all the raving reviews on the website, too:

"I bought these based on all of the positive reviews. The reviewers are right! I have had them for a few weeks and absolutely love them. They are very durable and easy to clean. I have used them for everything from dusting, wiping the kitchen counter and wiping down the stove. They are great!"

" Great cloths! I have loved using these for all the little cleaning jobs around the house. Great for mopping up big spills or just cleaning off the kitchen table. I have one in each bathroom for quick cleanups when unexpected guests arrive. They are in great shape and have already been used a bunch. Seems like they will be very long-lasting. Great value!!"


If these particular towels aren't your thing, I would still strongly suggest using cleaning cloths and spray cleaners instead of disposable wipes.  You'll cut down on all the paper waste, have better control of how much cleaner you use, and expose your absorbent skin to less-concentrated chemicals.  Any mismatched sock or dishtowel will do as a cleaning cloth, and they can be sent through your laundry along with any other towels or heavily-used fabrics you might have.  To make sure they're disinfected and clean, wash cleaning cloths with hot water.  You could even clean them the ol' fashion way in a pot of boiling-hot water (with or without soap).

"Green cleaning" is easy to do and good for your body, home, and planet.  I'll definitely be posting more "green cleaning" tips in Locally Long Island for you.