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Unregistered 07-02-2014 07:31 AM

Reducing Paper Towel Waste
 
Do any of you have any solutions to reduce the amount of paper towels the kids waste?
The are expensive and they just waste so many of them. The state doesn't allow hand towels so paper is a must. I have a commercial dispenser and the paper tri fold towels that go in it are just so expensive. Ideas anyone?

Unregistered 07-02-2014 08:44 AM

In my state the wording is "single use towels" so i use washcloths.
I keep a row available by the sink. I have a picture chart on the side of the mirror showing proper use. I keep a dishpan in the tub to discard the used ones, and toss them in the wash when I do a load.

if your wording is similar, maybe that would work.

jenboo 07-02-2014 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Do any of you have any solutions to reduce the amount of paper towels the kids waste?
The are expensive and they just waste so many of them. The state doesn't allow hand towels so paper is a must. I have a commercial dispenser and the paper tri fold towels that go in it are just so expensive. Ideas anyone?

Does it specifically say paper?? Our regulations say single use. I purchased the cheap packs of white wash clothes at walmart. I have a bin on the counter with the clean ones and a trash can on the floor for the used ones. Then I was them once a week.

If you absolutely have to use paper, I would teach them "one and done". Every time they go to dry their hands, say one and done! and help them to get one paper towel only.

Play Care 07-02-2014 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by Unregistered:
In my state the wording is "single use towels" so i use washcloths.
I keep a row available by the sink. I have a picture chart on the side of the mirror showing proper use. I keep a dishpan in the tub to discard the used ones, and toss them in the wash when I do a load.

if your wording is similar, maybe that would work.

I changed to this and love it! The papertowels were an expensive mess. And of course there were the times they somehow wound up being flushed, etc.

MissAnn 07-02-2014 09:19 AM

I may switch to the washcloth idea.....but this is what I do now. I don't keep the towels in the bathroom. They have to come out to get one. It makes the line of kids go faster too. They just have to make sure to shake the water off. I say......wash a little, rinse a little, shake a little....come get a little towel.

One girl was taking 5!!!!! 5!!!!!! No way!

coolconfidentme 07-02-2014 09:21 AM

Our water & sewer bill is to much to wash *one & done* cloth towel. I also think about my day is long enough, I don't want to spend extra time doing laundry either.

I use the Aldi's brand with the *pic a size* paper towel.

jenboo 07-02-2014 09:27 AM

Originally Posted by coolconfidentme:
Our water & sewer bill is to much to wash *one & done* cloth towel. I also think about my day is long enough, I don't want to spend extra time doing laundry either.

I use the Aldi's brand with the *pic a size* paper towel.

I only wash the towels once a week in the same load as other laundry that I would be doing anyway. I'm already wading that load anyway. For me, it saves a lot of money. I couldn't imagine buying so many paper towels.
ETA: I wash them during daycare hours so no added time

Naptime yet? 07-02-2014 09:44 AM

In MD, licensing specifically says "paper towels", but that's for use after toileting.
I like the idea of using washcloths to wipe hands/faces after eating, plus I think the kids will do a better job cleaning themselves since they're sturdier. Now to find some black ones to hide the stains...

renodeb 07-02-2014 09:45 AM

Where I live it specifically says paper towels. I have heard of providers that cut the roll in half. Other than that just watch the useage. Start teaching them one and done and they will catch on. For me I couldnt imagine washing all those towels!

SignMeUp 07-02-2014 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Naptime yet?:
In MD, licensing specifically says "paper towels", but that's for use after toileting.
I like the idea of using washcloths to wipe hands/faces after eating, plus I think the kids will do a better job cleaning themselves since they're sturdier. Now to find some black ones to hide the stains...

And dark blue, dark green, dark red. I find bundles at Target for cheap every so often. I bought white "cotton" ones there too, but was disappointed in those. I have never had white cotton that didn't bleach clean ... till now.

Originally Posted by :
For me I couldnt imagine washing all those towels!
Today 08:44 AM

Washcloths don't take much space though. If I am doing a load of my own darks, I toss them in, or else they go in with kids bedding. Rarely do I do a full load of washcloths, and I have never done more than one full load in a week.

Happily_wed 07-02-2014 10:23 AM

The cheap dark colored wash cloths work great as napkins at meal times too!

rebekki78 07-02-2014 10:53 AM

What a couple of great ideas here, will be trying a few and see how it goes! I think I passed that rule in the book, and I still don't see hand drying rules, just hand washing rules. I have a towel hanging where they can wipe hands off. I figured...well, their hands are clean after they wash them so it shouldn't matter! But I might want to re think that.

Childminder 07-02-2014 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by :
What a couple of great ideas here, will be trying a few and see how it goes! I think I passed that rule in the book, and I still don't see hand drying rules, just hand washing rules. I have a towel hanging where they can wipe hands off. I figured...well, their hands are clean after they wash them so it shouldn't matter! But I might want to re think that.

This is from MI.gov Tech Manual R 400.1924 page 121 :
• Have a clean, disposable paper or single-use cloth towel available.

coolconfidentme 07-02-2014 11:15 AM

Could you install a hand dryer? What's the rule on that?

I don't have washer/dryer at my DC..., I do live onsite. The city water/sewer is costly! I use paper plates too cuz running the dish washer is expensive. Sad but true.

Play Care 07-02-2014 11:23 AM

For me the wash cloths make sense as I already wash two loads of laundry each day (I follow the FLY Lady system - a load a day keeps the CHAOS away:lol: ) and as someone else pointed out, they are small enough that it doesn't add to my loads. I'm also on a well. For me the bigger hazard was papertowels being flushed down the toilet and clogging my septic:eek:

rebekki78 07-02-2014 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Childminder:
This is from MI.gov Tech Manual R 400.1924 page 121 :
• Have a clean, disposable paper or single-use cloth towel available.

Can you link me to the tech manual? I am just looking at the "Licensing Rules for Family and Group Homes".

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dh...4_212611_7.pdf

Thank you! I want to do it right :)

daycare 07-02-2014 12:43 PM

I invested $200.00 in white hand cloths off of amazon. We use them like paper towels. Take one use it put it in the dirty basket.

I wash daily and bleach them. Would not do it any differently.

I have 12-14 kids daily.

daycare 07-02-2014 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by Play Care:
For me the wash cloths make sense as I already wash two loads of laundry each day (I follow the FLY Lady system - a load a day keeps the CHAOS away:lol: ) and as someone else pointed out, they are small enough that it doesn't add to my loads. I'm also on a well. For me the bigger hazard was papertowels being flushed down the toilet and clogging my septic:eek:

I had the paper towel go down the toilet and cost me about $800 to fix. So the $200 investment was more than worth it to me.

AmyKidsCo 07-02-2014 01:17 PM

I use washcloths too - a couple packs of the really cheap Walmart ones. I have to wash them every other day or so, but I'm doing at least 3 loads of laundry to keep up anyway so I toss them in with clothes if there aren't enough for a whole load.

Childminder 07-02-2014 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by :
Can you link me to the tech manual? I am just looking at the "Licensing Rules for Family and Group Homes".

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dh...4_212611_7.pdf

Thank you! I want to do it right

http://mi.gov/documents/dhs/Home_TA_410282_7.pdf

Christina72684 07-07-2014 05:26 AM

We use the select-a-size paper towels and then cut them in half so they're a square. Most kids are good about taking just one square, but I'll look in the trash every now and then and see a clump of 3-4. But since we're only using 1/2 a piece at a time it's not too bad. I wanted to try the washcloth idea but I hate doing laundry, especially since my washing machine is upstairs.

Second Home 07-07-2014 06:04 AM

I must use paper towels , no cloth allowed . I place 1 on the sink counter for the child to use if they need more then they need to ask .
That way they do not take a huge bunch to wipe their hands or flush.

I have a large stack of paper towels on a shelf all ready to go and in case my licensing specialist shows up .

I also use baby wipes for hands and face clean up after lunch/snack .

AnythingsPossible 07-07-2014 01:46 PM

How many washcloths do you make available per day? I am thinking with my group we would need 50 to 75 wash rags, if not more. That's a lot of rags! If you were to have enough for multiple days, I can't even fathom where I would store them all!

SignMeUp 07-07-2014 01:50 PM

No idea how many I actually have. But I buy in packs of a dozen and I have lots of packs :lol: At least six different colors, and I am sure I have two packs of some colors (um, dark blue! :lol:)
I always make sure there are at least as many laid out by the sink as I have children. Whenever I'm in the bathroom, I put out a few more, as needed. I'm there a lot anyway for handwashing, helping toddlers potty, etc.
The rest: I have one shelf devoted to washcloths in the over-toilet storage. The rest are either stacked on the end of the folding table in my laundry, or in transition (in the "dirty" basket, in the laundry, etc.)

daycare 07-07-2014 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Second Home:
I must use paper towels , no cloth allowed . I place 1 on the sink counter for the child to use if they need more then they need to ask .
That way they do not take a huge bunch to wipe their hands or flush.

I have a large stack of paper towels on a shelf all ready to go and in case my licensing specialist shows up .

I also use baby wipes for hands and face clean up after lunch/snack .

why cant you just do the same exact thing with a clot towel as you do the paper towels?

Country Kids 07-07-2014 02:20 PM

I help the kiddos wash their hands and then I grab one or two paper towels for them to wipe their hands.

I buy the folded ones at Costco.

rebekki78 07-10-2014 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by Childminder:
http://mi.gov/documents/dhs/Home_TA_410282_7.pdf

Thanks a bunch!

Second Home 07-10-2014 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by daycare:
why cant you just do the same exact thing with a clot towel as you do the paper towels?

State regs require us to use paper towels .

Papa 07-10-2014 02:32 PM

Each child in our daycare has a cloth towel with a loop sewn on hung on a hook by their name in the bathroom. They get washed daily if there is illness going around. Otherwise they get changed out according to how much they get used or if I'm doing laundry anyway at least twice a week. we also have a metal basket hung on the kitchen wall that holds lots of washcloths. we use those for wiping hands, faces or spills. I hardly buy paper towels anymore. Nasty clean ups get paper towels!


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