No More Sales On Paper Towels and Toilet Paper?

[launderess]

Maybe it is just me, but noticed other day am seeing few to no sales on paper products locally. Before covid-19 madness broke out both supermarkets and stores like Rite-Aid would have paper towels, toilet and facial tissues, paper napkins, etc.. from some brand on sale weekly. Now nothing for weeks on end.

Thankfully have some rain checks stashed away from when stores were chronically short but still were running sales.

 

[rp2813]

I can't even find a decent selection of facial tissue on the shelves anymore.  What's up with that?  From what I've heard and read, a runny nose isn't even a COVID symptom.  Then again, I guess the runs isn't either, so go figure.

 

[combo52]

I Have Not Bought Paper Towels In 30 + Years

If then, there is no reason that anyone into washing machines needs paper towels, If you don't have enough cloth towels go to some place like Target or Ikea and buy 30-50 wash clothes and you will be set for the next ten years or more.

 

I do not buy paper napkins or facial tissue or plastic trash bags or even vacuum bags either again it is cheaper to use reusable cloth and both central vacs do not use bags, I just dump the dirt out in the woods to fertilize the trees.

 

Don't worry I do buy toilet tissue, LOL and it is recycled into mulch here in the city and in the country home it becomes fertilizer for the trees in the yard from the septic system.

 

John L.

 

[launderess]

I'm sorry?

Not only own several washing machines, but various ironers, presses, and cold mangles. Have likely washed and ironed more table linens than you've seen in your entire life. I don't however use cloth napkins to clean up messes, spills, scrub the sinks, bathrooms, kitchen counters.

For dusting and some other cleaning jobs have microfiber cloths, and yes those are washed (in huge tubs by hand, then spun out in spin dryer), but there are limits. Am not the sort of person to go around making busywork for myself. [this post was last edited: 8/5/2020-00:10]

 

[rp2813]

I'm not worthy of canonization, I guess

I won't even entertain the idea of using -- and re-using -- a handkerchief.  I'm mindful about my footprint, but have my limits.  I also don't have a wooded dumping ground handy.

 

[ea56]

We’ve been married for 39 years and have used cloth napkins for dinner every night for dinner.  But David is addicted to paper towels and insists on having them for the cleaning, and since he does most of the cleaning its his call.  I use paper towels for draining the occasional fried food, like bacon about once a month. I’ll also pull off a 1/2 sheet for the random cleaning of a mess spill that I don’t want to soil the dish cloth with.

 

But back when paper grocery bags were used by all the stores I saved them and used them for draining fried foods.  My grandparents would have never bought paper towels for cleaning.  They had bushels of cleaning rags that were used of all cleaning, washed and hung on the clothesline to dry.  We use old tee shirts for washing and drying the car, and wash and dry them.

 

But I like having a box of Kleenex out in the bathrooms.  It’s a luxury that I allow myself, I say luxury, because when I was growing up thats what my Mom considered them to be.

 

Eddie

 

[mattl]

Kroger's has had Charmin on sale from time to time.  I'm well stocked at the moment so I passed.

 

From the time I was a little kid we always had paper towels in the kitchen, and I continue to do so today.  Unlike Eddie I HATE 1/2 sheet stuff, not allowed in the house.  In addition to the baths I keep a box of Puffs Ultra in the kitchen, both to grab for my nose and to clean up minor spills and messes, I guess it's my version of 1/2 sheet paper towels.  For a time I replaced my cloth dish rags with the Blue shop type paper towels. was OK but just not absorbent enough.  I always use the heavy all cotton waffle weave dish rags but they are hard to find.  I have gotten some from Ritz at Amazon, but the shrink a bit more than I'd like.  Every grocery store used to stock them now none to be had locally. I find micro fibre stuff to be annoying, only use it when I'm paining.  Use the yellow Ritz flannel cloths for dusting.

 

[Ultramatic]

Don't usually bother with sales.

 

 

Before the pandemic hit, I was well stocked with paper products. Toilet paper, personal wipes, paper towels, tissue and napkins I usually buy in bulk at BJ's or Costco. And I can forget about it for a few months. Because I'm always well stocked, I didn't go through the horrors of finding no paper products, although I certainly documented it. By the time I was running low, BJ's had almost everything back in stock and online delivery had begun to stabilize. So the brands are all Berkley & Jensen or Members Mark. BTW, BJ's has Clorox disinfecting wipes again.

 

Flash: MSNBC just announced that Clorox disinfecting wipes will continue to be in short supply until at least 2021.

[this post was last edited: 8/5/2020-05:40]

 

[perc-o-prince]

Paper towels on sale

We were down to our last roll so I had them on my list last week. Price Chopper had Bounty $3 off the large pack. I noted in their recent ads there have been sales on Scott TP/PT and others.

Chuck

 

[ea56]

Re: Reply#6

Matt, Walmart online has several choices of cotton dishcloths.  I use dishcloths for washing the dishes and my favorites are the cotton ones that have nylon netting on the reverse side which make cleaning stuck on food easy, even the broiler pan.  

 

I like dishcloths for wiping down the counter tops and stove after I finish doing the dishes, hot soapy water and a good dishcloth clean these surfaces very well, and make it easy to keep everything in the kitchen clean as a whistle all the time.

 

Eddie

 

[mattl]

I have a couple of those combo dish cloths, Kitchen Aide brand of all things, not overly fond of them, I always get the wrong side when I'm wiping up something.  Old habits I guess.

 

[frigilux]

I’ve used Sam’s Club’s inexpensive “hotel” white washcloths in the kitchen for years. Don’t actually recall why I switched away from standard kitchen dish cloths. At any rate, they’re thicker than dish cloths and absorb more liquid when wiping counters and tabletops.

Paper products: Our HyVee grocery store still runs sale ads for paper products on a rotating basis. Since switching to “select-a-size” Bounty paper towels, a roll lasts 2-1/2 to 3 months. Didn’t realize a full-size sheet wasn’t necessary for most of my needs. Since the onset of COVID I’ve taken to writing the date on the inside edge of the roll with a marker so I can track how long a roll of toilet paper or paper towels lasts. Doing that has definitely helped me conserve.

While the stores shelves are usually well stocked with paper products, I notice the number of brands—as others have commented—has shrunk. Don’t know if this is intentional on the store’s part or if it’s just the new abnormal. For instance, I always used HyVee’s store brand facial tissues (box of 210). The only brand available the past few months has been Kleenex, which are stronger, but have fewer per box and are more expensive.

 

[appnut]

I have about 30-40 or so patterned or pale colored terrycloth wash cloths I've used since graduating from college that are my napkins for meals. (Mind you I have cloth place mats, table cloths, and napkins for company when needed) I have about 20-25 white cloths I got at target about 10-16 years ago. Those all get combined, when used, in to a load that washed on sanitize with stain treat. I have about 40 kitchen towels used for hand drying, other stuff around the kitchen. They get washed separately. I had to keep impressing upon my partner than when here at my house, I don't use paper towels nearly as much as he does. When things got even tighter for him financially, he invested in more kitchen cloths nd towels that could be rewashed and cut down on his paper towels. And with 3 dogs & 2 cats, that amounted to several rolls of paper towels a month. As my mom used to tell me when I was growing up, I can't wash a paper towel and re-use, but I can a wash a cloth/terry cloth napkin, dish cloth, or towel.

 

[askolover]

I buy the terry cloth workshop/car wash towels at Walmart or Harbor Freight to use for all sorts of messes around the house.  Throw them in the Miele with the other whites and a little clorox  and all is well.  Cheap and useful.

 

[Ultramatic]

 

 

I have noticed a shortage of regular paper napkins of late. I used to find large packages of 800+ and they have vanished. Now it's 250 if anything at all. BJ's and Costco have plenty of the far more expensive "dinner" napkins and party napkins. One thing I have to mention about online shopping apps., the variety offered is far less than what the actual store carries and they tend to steer you towards the more expensive brands. I bet the manufacturers are paying a premium to be featured.

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">I don't use an excess of paper towels, especially since those half-sheet rolls work so well. But I've wiped up, picked up and mopped up things that I'd never use a reusable cloth on and then throw it in the washer...regardless of how much rinsing I did beforehand. Very old geezers like me still use handkerchiefs, not at home where there's Kleenex around, but I find them appropriate if I'm out in public. Blowing your nose on a paper napkin in a restaurant is uncouth. I'm picky about a lot of things, behavior inherited from my mother. For instance, I would never put my dog's food bowl in the dishwasher...more uncouthness. </span>

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[combo52]

Disposable Paper products

For me it is not just the environmental thing, Paper products without exception just do not work as well as cloth, or real dishes etc.

 

You can't scrub floors and countertops with paper, a paper towel will not even pickup a spill of coffee or ketchup from a counter top, it just smears it around, a fresh damp cloth works many times better and faster.

 

It took many years for marketing executives to get Americans to accept inferior performance from paper products, and swifters etc.

 

Paper facial tissue just tears up you nose compared to a nice cloth wash cloth or handkerchief.

 

Remember when they told us as kids that we would all be wearing throwaway paper clothing someday, well we know how that turned out.

 

John L.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I buy Members's Mark

Paper towels and Toilet paper at Sam's Club. I didn't notice the price going up, but there was a scarcity for a while. Luckily I had stocked up around Christmas time last year and had enough reserves to carry through. I did buy another case of TP a month or so ago, just to keep reserves.

In defense of Paper Towels. I too use dish towels and cloths, and rags to do most of my kitchen cleaning, dusting etc. However, there are times disposability is necessary, and the best solution. When the dog pukes, I really don't want to take a towel, then have to wash the towel when it is simpler, easier, and more sanitary to clean it up and toss it.

Another sanitary situation I use Paper. When handling raw meat or other items in the kitchen. It is very easy to cross contaminate if you wipe up chicken juice and then wipe a cutting board for your salad. By cleaning up with the paper product, this allows you to toss the contaminated item and move on. Same with hand washing after handling these items. To avoid cross contamination, I find it better to use the disposable method for food safety.

 

[sudsmaster]

Since I got a bidet toilet seat a few years ago, the TP consumption here has greatly declined. I get the Kirkland brand from Costco, in a 30 roll pack, and that will last at least year or more.

Facial tissue and paper towels are another matter. Also use the Kirkland brand of those (when available). The facial tissue is self-explanatory. The paper towels I use as napkins and for quick cleanups in the kitchen when I don't want to stain a dish or hand towel (they all are white).

Could I cut back on the paper towels and facial tissue? Maybe. When I was a teen and young adult I used handkerchiefs. One a day. Yes, it would get kind of gross eventually. Men's handkerchiefs seem to have fallen out of fashion and got hard to find. I suppose I could make my own, but what a bother. But it's a thought. Could also use more sponges and washcloths in lieu of paper towels. Then it becomes a matter of where to store them for ready use in kitchen and bath.

And so it goes.