One way I save money is by using cloth instead of paper towels. I started with shop cloths, but over time I’ve repurposed everything from old t-shirts, towels, and washcloths. These cloths clean and dust around my house, and sometimes even double as napkins since fancy isn’t really my thing most of the time.
Despite heavy use, my cloths are still going strong years later. Some of the originals were getting ragged so I thought about discarding them, but then I realized that by simply serging the edges I could give them a second life. They’re a bit smaller now since I trimmed away the frayed parts but I don’t mind. A few minutes of work saved what many would have tossed in the garbage. I plan to keep using them, serging the edges again whenever they fray until they’re finally too small to be practical.
It’s easy to throw things away; we’re conditioned to discard worn items and replace them with new. After all, that’s what keeps corporations in business. But we can choose a different path by finding ways to save the items we might otherwise discard. It’s good for your wallet, and it’s good for the planet.
What have you saved that would have otherwise been thrown away? Share your stories in the comments below—I’d love to hear them!
7 responses to “Do You Repair Your Stuff?”
Well, since i am a dutchie, it was normal to repurpose things rather than replace. If a shirt had a spot on it you could wear it backwards under a cardigan… since a stain was only visual and had no meaning as long as the shirt was freshly laundered. I recall a funny experience from my childhood…. My mom replaced the inner soles of my shoes with old vinyl flooring which she cut to the shape of my foot. I remember how slippery those inner soles were and my feet slid around inside my shoes. I miss those…. being inventive was just a part of who we are…
That is brilliant, Carla! I remember my dad using cardboard to line the soles of his boots years ago. I remember him having to replace it because it would become damp so I suspect your mom had the right idea! Thanks for sharing!
Rubber gloves. Being right handed, that’s the one that always gets a hole. I’ll make rubber bands out of the cuff part. When I get 2 left hand gloves, I’ll turn one inside out and now I have another pair of gloves.
You are such a brilliant renegade, Chris! It would have never occurred to me to turn a glove inside out to use it on the opposite hand. And reusing the cuff as a rubber band? Beautiful! You totally rock!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Rubber bands out of the cuff part!!! Fabulous idea thanks!
I don’t have a serger sewing machine. Would the cost of one be justified by the few items I could repair? I use microfiber cloths for many things and they don’t fray so it would likely be just face cloths.
Hi Linda,
If you aren’t sure you would use one enough to justify the expense, I recommend that you avoid the purchase. I’ve killed one of those “tiny” sergers in the past so I knew that I’d use the daylights out of one before I purchased. The standard sergers do a lot more than my “tiny” one could do so I simply expanded my ability to work with fabric with the purchase.
If you don’t see yourself sewing very much, skip the purchase without regret. It’s a wonderful tool but is hard to justify for an occasional sewing project. I just happen to be a heavy sewer 🤣