Frugal Friday | Paying Homage to the Simple Flour Sack Towel

This week, instead of highlighting five small acts of frugality, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite frugal kitchen tools - the cotton flour sack towel.

These towels are nothing fancy, plain white, medium weave, 100% cotton, and lint free. They are not very expensive, a pack of 12 will run you about $10 - $15 online or in a club store such as Sam's. If you are looking to reduce your paper towel usage in the kitchen, these are a great investment.

So what's so special about a simple, cheap cotton towel? Their versatility! I use these towels for just about any kitchen job I can think of, except for exceptionally messy or greasy situations.

Folded and Waiting for Hot Jars of Pickles

1| Drying Dishes & Wiping Counters

Super absorbent, these towels work great for drying dishes and counter tops. Many of our dishes are hand wash only, so we spread one of these towels out on the counter to pile clean wet dishes on. The thin fabric dries quickly and does not retain water, helping the dishes dry quicker.

2 | Filtering and Draining

I use these towels to squeeze out the excess water in shredded zucchini and other vegetables. I've also used them to strain chicken stock a time or two! The weave is just loose enough to allow excess water through.

3| Canning & Pickling

If you've ever made jam or pickles, you know the process can be full of stain-causing hot food. Having a bunch of these towels on hand helps me to clean up messed quickly and protect my hot jars, without caring if I stain the towel or not.

4| Reducing Paper Towel Waste

I grew up in a household where using paper towels to clean up every little spill was common place. Never a fan of the waste, I set out to find a alternative for my own kitchen. Using these towels, the two of us go through one roll of paper towels every 3-4 months, using paper towels for only the messiest jobs, like draining bacon or cleaning up after the cats.

I keep the towels folded in a small fabric bin under the kitchen counter where they are easy to grab as needed. On the top shelf you can see the bundle of reusable produce bags hanging out as well.

Always Handy!

5| Easy to Use, Easy to Wash

Once a towel is sufficiently dirty, it goes in the wash with the rest of our household laundry. Every few months I will also bleach all the towels to ensure they are staying clean and fit for kitchen use. Remarkably they do not hold onto many stains, and hold up well to being washed frequently.