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Paper Towel vs. Sponge

Written by: Dixie Schmatz

Article Overview: We know we want to reduce and reuse and, if possible, we would like to use less paper. That puts us squarely in the middle of the paper towel vs. sponge debate.

Paper Towel vs. Sponge

Almost every business has some type of a break-room for employees. Paper towels are one standard element of most break-rooms. They dry hands, wipe spills, cover food, clean tables and do lots of other things. Every one is used to them and they are practical.

There are some sponge facts to consider, however.

o A sponge can take the place of as many as 17 rolls of paper towels reducing the use of paper and your amount of trash.

o You can get sponges made from natural materials that are biodegradable.

Aha – but what about the germ factor? A sponge does need disinfecting. Some easy ways to do that are:
o Just let it dry.
o Boil it
o Soak them in water with a splash of bleach or hydrogen peroxide
o Pop them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

A sponge may not replace all uses for your paper towels, but they have a place in a well-organized break-room and can help reduce some of your paper waste.

Note: Don’t be tempted to combine a sponge with antibacterial or antimicrobial cleaners. Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that these cleaners provide no additional protection beyond plain soap and they often include a pesticide that you don’t want to leave on your counters or dishes. (You can read more about this in my article on green cleaning.)

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Article Tags: aha, antibacterial, antimicrobial, bleach, break room, dishes, element, germ, hydrogen peroxide, microwave, natural materials, paper towels, pesticide, plain soap, sponge, sponges, trash, university of michigan



Related Forum Posts
Proper Planning required - Paper business has its own importance. But it has to be done in the right way. You have to plan in a proper way. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. You have to check your priority.
Recycling Papers - Paper business sounds good. But I think, recycled papers are better since we need to preserve nature and trees are going to be scarce if we just continuously cut them.
Best Pen - maybe - Fly Paper! interesting... I thought it would work on any surface - that would have been best. Imagine yourself in a cafe and you pull out the best writing surface available - a napkin. You're writing your ideas in ink but it's also captured on your pen! i could have only wished...
Re: How to be green? - Hi Evan It’s a great topic especially when it comes to going green and saving our planet. We all have a role to play and we are happy about the fact that we are into it. We have recently made our workplace greener and in the process the following changes have been implemented – 1. We provide paper invoices only if customers ask for them. Otherwise, all our invoicing is done electronically (a PDF via e-mail). 2. We have replaced the Paper Cups at our Cafeteria with Mugs for not only our in-house requirements but also for our clients. 3. We have also made it a Company policy to use only eco-friendly electronic appliances and that includes bulbs, air conditioners. 4. We are in the process of putting it into the Policy that the Employees will have to take to other transportation media – other than their personal vehicles – on at least a day per week to office. Hope we are on the right track. Regards,
Re: How to be green? - [quote="negotiations":73vujkfd]Hi Evan It’s a great topic especially when it comes to going green and saving our planet. We all have a role to play and we are happy about the fact that we are into it. We have recently made our workplace greener and in the process the following changes have been implemented – 1. We provide paper invoices only if customers ask for them. Otherwise, all our invoicing is done electronically (a PDF via e-mail). 2. We have replaced the Paper Cups at our Cafeteria with Mugs for not only our in-house requirements but also for our clients. 3. We have also made it a Company policy to use only eco-friendly electronic appliances and that includes bulbs, air conditioners. 4. We are in the process of putting it into the Policy that the Employees will have to take to other transportation media – other than their personal vehicles – on at least a day per week to office. Hope we are on the right track. Regards,[/quote:73vujkfd] That is a good start! We also have filled our kitchen with glasses and mugs, and also changed all the bulbs in our office to energy efficient ones. Some people are even going to the extent of putting out solar panel plates outside their window to power computers and other such devices. There's a lot you can do but it all depends on how much money you are willing to put into it.


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