In keeping with the spirit of the Ditch the Disposables Challenge, I have to tell you about one of my new favorite eco-friendly paper towel replacements – the SKOY cloth. SKOY cloths are reusable, very absorbent, bright and fun, machine washable and microwavable, and at the end of their life, biodegradable. They are non-toxic, chlorine-free and made using water-based colors and inks. According to SKOYcloth.com, “Using one SKOY cloth is the equivalent to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home.”
I’ve been giving the SKOY cloths a try for the past several weeks and they really are great. I’ve mostly been using them in the kitchen or for cleaning up faces and grubby little hands, but they also work well in the bathroom both to clean the room and to clean body parts. :)
Another great feature of the SKOY cloth is that because it dries quickly, it’s not a breeding ground for bacteria. I don’t know how many times I’ve picked up a sponge out of the kitchen sink only to have it leave my hand wreaking from God knows what. If you toss your wet SKOY in the microwave for a minute or two, you will keep it germ-free. It can also go safely through your dishwasher or your washer and dryer (or outside to dry on a clothesline – hint, hint).
After many, many uses (perhaps even up to a year or more), when your SKOY has finished it’s cleaning life cycle, it can be composted, though it will also break down in a landfill.
In addition to cloth towels or microfiber cloths, SKOY cloths are another great way to kick the paper towel habit once and for all.
Win It!
Thanks to SKOY, I’m giving away SIX 4-packs of SKOY cloths. All you need to do for a chance to win is first sign up (if you haven’t already) for my Ditch the Disposables Challenge. Then leave a comment on this post and make sure you include a valid email address or a blog URL so I have a way to contact you. Deadline to enter is Tuesday, Sept. 23. The six winners will be chosen using Random.org on Sept. 24 and notified via email. Good luck!
If anyone else makes or sells reusable products that are in line with the Ditch the Disposables Challenge and you’d like me to review them and do a giveaway, shoot me an email : crunchydomesticgoddess AT gmail DOT com. :)
Stumble it!
Crissy says:
Count me in!
September 11th, 2008 at 3:24 am
Katie says:
Man, these would be useful since I am giving up paper towels and napkins! My fingers are crossed!
September 11th, 2008 at 3:24 am
Jenny says:
It sounds better than the cut up old t-shirts we’ve been using!
September 11th, 2008 at 3:53 am
Elizabeth M. says:
These look like a wonderful (and pretty) green option. Thanks for the chance to win. I’ve signed up for your challenge.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:57 am
Jenny says:
Those look cool! There’s a paper towel commercial that just cracks me up. The kid spills a soda and he and his dad start betting on whether it’s a “two-sheeter” or a “three-sheeter.” Then the mom comes in and says “nope! One sheet!” They point out how the paper towel keeps working until the job is done (the mom rinses it out and comes back) and then she victoriously flips it into the trash. How on earth is that different from a TOWEL, except you put it in the laundry when you’re done instead? Weird.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:01 am
Anna at Hank and WIllie says:
Oy! I hope I win a package of SKOY!
Thanks Amy! :)
September 11th, 2008 at 6:17 am
annie says:
I hope I win!
September 11th, 2008 at 6:18 am
mimipz5wjj says:
Oh, I was just wondering if there was anything to replace papertowels!
Thanks for the info Amy. I’ll look into those.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:23 am
Renee says:
Wow this is so cool! I Love the idea of these cloth!!!
September 11th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Krista says:
I wonder if the aesthetic appeal would even convince my kids to use them regularly?
September 11th, 2008 at 6:55 am
another Krista says:
these are very exciting… i’ve been looking for something to replace my papertowels AND my stinky dishcloths that i use for wiping up messes.
September 11th, 2008 at 6:56 am
Lisa says:
Those look awesome! Please enter me :)
September 11th, 2008 at 7:38 am
roadtripreading says:
We use something similar. One of the things I really like about these is the multiple color options. I leave two in the kitchen. The pink one only gets used for high bacteria items like cleaning up meat juices. One of the last things I still used paper towels for.
September 11th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Berry says:
I would LOVE to win these cloths. Part of my challenge is to give up paper towels, which is going well. There are still times when I want to reach for the paper towels, and these cloths would come in handy for that, such as when the dog comes in and leaves wet footprints on the floor, and spills that would stain one of my towels.
September 11th, 2008 at 7:46 am
Stephanie Terrell says:
Well, those look super cool. Thanks for the heads up!
September 11th, 2008 at 7:54 am
rixa says:
Ooh, add me in!
September 11th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Meryl says:
Very cool! Count me in!
September 11th, 2008 at 8:17 am
ColleenM says:
Add me to the list! These are a great idea. Thanks for the chance to win them.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:25 am
InTheFastLane says:
Those look awesome! I am going to buy some right now and hope I can win a few more.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Ginny says:
I joined the challenge, great prize to help this out!
September 11th, 2008 at 8:51 am
Heather says:
Ooh! I’d like a chance!
September 11th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Jennifer Nguyen says:
Those would me nice… Better than my dollar ones that tear after cleaning up 1 mess!!!
Thanks for a chance!
September 11th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Candiandsons says:
Oooo, I like this idea. I’m disgusted with the amount of paper towels my family goes through.
September 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
Wendy says:
These would be great – we’ve already cut back on paper napkins and stopped using paper plates. Would love these as an alternative to paper towels. Thanks for the chance!
September 11th, 2008 at 9:44 am
PsychMamma says:
Count me in! I already signed up for the challenge, and these look fantastic!
Thanks for a great review and giveaway!
September 11th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Pam says:
Those look awesome, I’d love to try them. Thank you for offering them, please enter me. I did enter the challenge, too.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:01 am
phyllis says:
ooh ooh i want these!!!! did you see i posted yesterday about the challenge and about my cloth napkin adventures? hope i win:-)
September 11th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Lori in Denver says:
I’m entering. I’d love to give these a try.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Rivster says:
This will really get the challenge off to a good start in our house. My husband is TERRIBLE when it comes to paper towel abuse.
BTW, how do I get the button for my blog??
September 11th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Stephanie says:
These sound great! Please count me in!
September 11th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Doll Clothes Gal says:
These look cool – thanks for the tip. Please enter me.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Monique says:
Yes! I want towels!
September 11th, 2008 at 11:37 am
MaryLea says:
I love your site so much I left you a gift on my blog site. I love these towels, I got rid of my papertowels and have been using my old burp clothes and dish towels.
September 11th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Karen says:
Those SKOY cloths look great! Paper towels are the one thing that I struggle with the most as far as switching over to reusable things. I hate how wet sponges/dishcloths feel/smell and really like how these are supposed to dry quickly. I’d love to win a pack!
September 11th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Kellie says:
Cool, I’d love to try them out!
September 11th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Abbie says:
I use microfiber cloths, but I’d love to try these, too! Please enter me :)
September 11th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Jessie says:
I hate using papertowels — SKOY sounds like a great alternative.
September 11th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Condo Blues says:
I purged papertowel from my house last December (for the challenge I’m trying to ditch tissues.) I used cut up t-shirts and towels for cleaning everywhere but the kitchen. In the kitchen I still use cellouse sponges. I run them through the dishwasher to extend their life and cut them up and put them in my potted plants to make self watering soil at the end of their life cycle. But since all of my potted plants are now pretty set in the self watering situation, I really want to get away from using sponges. These wipes might be the answer.
September 11th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Linsey Knerl says:
What a cool product! I would love to try these, as we ditched paper towels for the challenge.
September 11th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Lauren says:
I would love those! I mentioned in my comment signing up for the challenge, that I occasionally rationalize paper towel use for particularly skeezy stuff.
This sounds so much better!
September 11th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
chelle says:
OOo paper towels are my challenge (gasp I have to hang my head in SHAME I cleaned the bathroom and used not one TWO paper towels … I am evil)
September 11th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
HeatherY says:
They sound awesome! I’m actually going to look into them. Lately, we seem to go through way too many rolls of paper towels. It’s not like they are cheap so why not invest in something reusable.
September 11th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Katie says:
I love the idea of these SKOY cloths! I hope I win, because I’ve been wanting to make the switch from paper towels to something reusable.
September 11th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Justine says:
I’ve never seen these before, they would be great!
September 11th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
GreenBaby says:
I love that these clothes are both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional! We’ve ditched the paper towel habit years ago, but I’m amazed by how quickly we go through rags and dishtowels. It would be nice to have a more attractive alternative. Thanks for introducing me to this product!
September 11th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Miriam says:
Ooooh! These look so cool! Think this will cure dh of his paper towel withdrawls?
September 12th, 2008 at 12:39 am
Leigh Anne H. says:
I love the colors on these. I hate having to throw away paper towels. These would be a great addition to any kitchen.
September 12th, 2008 at 5:23 am
Amanda says:
I’ve heard amazing things about these – would LOVE to win!
September 12th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Lesha says:
I signed up for your challenge. These would be a great help!
Thanks for the chance.
Lesha
September 12th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Ami says:
I’m already signed up for your challenge and these would be a great help. I was just thinking last night how I’m always spilling things or making messes when I’m cooking and could never give up paper towels because I’d be doing laundry constantly to clean cloth towels. The SKOY cloth might be just what I need!
September 12th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Billie says:
Count me in. I wasn’t planning on giving up paper towels but maybe this would help me use less.
September 12th, 2008 at 8:03 am
suzannah says:
ooh, these look great, and i love that they dry quickly
September 12th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Kate says:
I limit my consumption as much as I can, always using cloth bags for shopping, Sigg water bottles instead of disposable, and just try to limit my total consumption. Over the last month, we tore down an old shed (before the VT winter snows took it down) and I laboriously pulled nails out of all the boards, have stacked them up and am slowly finding uses for them. I just made a large box for kindling wood with the wood (and reclaimed nails) and now have plans for everything from a coffee table to frames with the beautiful weathered barn wood we saved.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Tara says:
Those look great! We use cloth napkins (scraps) for paper towels, but those are so much nicer than the fraying, stained things we use here! Enter me!!
September 12th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
'becca says:
sign me up too ~ thanks!
September 12th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Katie says:
Oooh those look lovely! They’d even look more lovely in my kitchen and cleaning supplies!
September 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Krista says:
These would be super handy in the kitchen! I always find myself grabbing a paper towel when the hand towel isn’t “quite” clean enough to dry off the baby’s tray. This could be a dedicated “dry” cloth! Or for wiping up the spills on the floor when I don’t want to use a whole towel and end up using a paper towel… yup, they would be a good replacement in this house!
Still haven’t finished those baby wipes…
September 12th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Fern says:
These look great – I bought a six-pack of reusable Handi Wipes to try to continue cutting down on our paper towel use, but the germ factor squicks me. They really don’t dry very well and they’re not at all attractive.
The Skoys are fabulous. I’m putting them on my Christmas list if I’m not one of the lucky winners. :)
September 13th, 2008 at 5:00 am
Fern says:
These look great – I bought a six-pack of reusable Handi Wipes to try to continue cutting down on our paper towel use, but the germ factor squicks me. They really don’t dry very well and they’re not at all attractive.
The Skoys are fabulous. I’m putting them on my Christmas list if I’m not one of the lucky winners. :)
September 13th, 2008 at 5:00 am
Maria says:
I’m already signed up and would LOVE to give these a whirl!
September 14th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Kirstin says:
I would love to give these a try!
Kirstin
http://tryingtobegreener.wordpress.com
September 14th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Megan says:
Oooohhhh, I hope I win!
September 14th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Brooke says:
These sound exactly like what I am looking for! I would love to try them out.
September 14th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
A Mama's Blog (Heather) says:
These look so cool. I hope I win. :-) Nice giveaway.
September 14th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
jek says:
Oh wow! I just found your blog and have been bouncing all over reading all sorts of goodies! The cloths sound amazing! I’ve been using bandanas.
September 15th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Polly says:
Those look great! We go thru so many sponges…
September 15th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Lora says:
These look great!!! I hope I win:)
September 15th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Robj98168@yahoo.com says:
Cool- sign me up please!
September 15th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Butterfly Mama says:
Ooo, sign me up. I’m reading about and joining the challenge late. If that’s ok :)
Heidi
September 15th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Heather B says:
I just found your site and I’m loving it!!! Sign me up, we need to go without paper towels and this looks like a great alternative!
September 16th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Sasha says:
Wow – these look awesome! I would love to try them – I am currently trying to give up tissues, but would love to cut out paper towels as well!
I just found your site Googling healthy and cheap recipes – I like what I’ve found!
September 16th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Penelope says:
Oooh, I’ve never heard of these before; they sound great!
I’ve signed up for the challenge!
September 16th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
julieg says:
I’m always looking for another way to go green. This is a great idea, I’d love to try them!
September 16th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Jenn says:
I’m in!
September 17th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Sarah says:
Was just searing the web for an alternative to paper towels and came across these. They look great. We just started cloth diapering our baby a month ago and we love it. I can’t wait to replace our paper towels with cloth.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Elizabeth says:
I’m very eager to try these out!
September 17th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
aimeed says:
Okay, I’m in. I never have enough wiper-uppers around here.
September 17th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Kathy says:
I’m in!
September 23rd, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Ruth says:
These look great! We go through so many paper towels here it’s not even funny anymore. I’ve made the switch to green cleaners in an effort to make our house more healthy after reading Green Goes With Everything by Sloan Barnett. Now I’m working at getting rid of the disposables too.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:48 am
The eco-friendly SKOY cloth « DeAnna Cochran’s Blog says:
[...] recycle them after I discarded them. Now what? Well, that’s when I happened across a blog from Crunchy Domestic Goddess where I first read about SKOY Cloths. There was a contest to give away some of these great little [...]
October 11th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
ProDryers says:
see http://www.prodryers.com for more information on hand dryers vs paper towels. Many studies have been done on hand dryers vs. paper towels. However, most studies are outdated in comparison to today’s hand dryer technology. Today’s technology proves that with hand dryers vs. paper towels, the hand dryers are the clear winner in every way. Paper towels cannot be recycled, consume precious resources, and use excessive landfill space. 20,000 gallons of water are polluted to make one ton of paper towels. 17 trees are consumed to make one ton of paper towels. A company named American Dryer makes the following hand dryer that can help lead the way to saving the environment. EXTREMEAIR® Hand Dryer With its patent pending technology, the EXTREMEAIR® is 3X faster – it dries hands completely in 10-15 seconds. This is accomplished with a powerful blast of warm air that quickly breaks up the layer of surface water on a user’s hands for quick removal and evaporation. While all American hand dryers save trees and reduce landfill waste – The EXTREMEAIR® uses up to 80% less energy than conventional hand dryers. The new GXT EXTREMEAIR hand dryer has been GreenSpec® Listed. This is an unbiased list of the most environmentally friendly products published by the editors of Environmental Building News. The EXTREMEAIR met tough GreenSpec standards because it conserves energy and reduces maintenance and waste. The EXTREMEAIR helps facilities qualify for LEED® credits. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The EXTREMEAIR helps facilities qualify for LEED-NC, LEED-EB AND LEED-CI Credits in two categories: EA Credit 1– Optimize Energy Performance EA Prerequisite 2 – Minimum Energy Performance
October 18th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Skoy cloths: they’re plastic-free and save many, many paper towels. | Eco Buying says:
[...] using weren’t particularly absorbent. Then, a few weeks ago, I read about Skoy cloths on the Crunchy Domestic Goddess blog, and thought they sounded like a great [...]
October 23rd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Counting Pennies : Buy Better and Have a Better Life says:
[...] less paper napkins and paper towels in the kitchen and use more cloth ones (they can be washed and [...]
October 29th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Skoy cloths: they're plastic-free and save many, many paper towels. - SustainLane says:
[...] I was using weren’t particularly absorbent. Then, a few weeks ago, I read about Skoy cloths on the Crunchy Domestic Goddess blog, and thought they sounded like a great idea.Skoy cloths are 100% biodegradable, as they’re made [...]
February 13th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Ditch the Disposables Challenge 2009 | Crunchy Domestic Goddess says:
[...] Paper towels to cloth towels or something like Skoy cloths [...]
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
jen says:
Love it!! They look awesome I hope I win.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Eco-friendy Skoy Cloths - a giveaway | Crunchy Domestic Goddess says:
[...] to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home.” To read more about SKOY cloths, check out my SKOY review from last [...]
September 16th, 2009 at 8:46 pm