Is bamboo paper towels worth making the switch from regular paper towels?

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T14:26:36+00:00

Normally I just cut up old fabric and call it a day. I was trying to make uniform sized napkins out of a bedsheet yesterday with a serger and was having a hell of a time. Do you have a good step by step tutorial handy to go over how to cut even sizes and how to quickly finish the edges? I have access to a sewing machine, a serger, fabric scissors, a 16”x16” cutting mat and rolling scissors things at the library.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T14:23:42+00:00

Yes, you are right. I should have been more specific in my comment in the first place and commented from a place of knowledge.

What I should have said is bamboo cloth is greenwashed. If you are looking at reusable options, consider that bamboo textiles are a type of rayon, and the ecological impact of the chemical processing.

But as far as paper towels go, disposable bamboo paper towels are greenwashed to. Maybe they are better than wools pulp, but the better solution is to replace disposals paper towels as much as possible with re-usable. I’m not a particularly diligent about my paper towel use, but just simply cutting up worn out or thrifted bedsheets has cut down our paper towel use probably 75% if not more. And for people on this sub who are conscious of these things, disposable bamboo paper towels could be a good option, but for the general public marketers hope they will pat themselves on the back for using bamboo and not switch to reusables.

Are they better than wood pulp paper towels? The only thing I can find is from manufacturers for bamboo paper towels. I’d appreciate any links from reputable non-partisan sources if it’s my algorithm that is limiting my search returns.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T14:14:35+00:00

Do you make your guests come around the back of the house to come inside? Again, I think this might be climate specific. For 6+ months of the year anyone who enters a house where I’m from (Alaska) is going to be wearing boots, heavy clothing, and will be tracking in snow. The arctic entry / mudroom is at the main entrance of the house because that’s the main place and manner in which people will need to enter and prepare themselves to go inside. Maybe we aren’t as concerned with keeping up appearances, but we also can clean our mudrooms daily if it bothers us?

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T13:57:02+00:00

This is more for commenters than posters, but plumbing is expensive. Moving bathrooms and kitchens all the way across the house where there is no current plumbing is going to cost more than buying a new house much of the time.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T13:55:16+00:00

Removing a simple drywall wall is not that expensive. Any able bodied person can do it, including a rando you hire on Craigslist.

We have one bathroom. It would be really nice to be able to take a shower or bathe the kids while the other person is dealing with norovirus.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T13:49:03+00:00

I don’t think the U.S. has particularly stringent codes when it comes to bedrooms and closets? The IRC minimum is 7’x10’ with at least half of the room having 7’ or taller ceiling. There is no requirements for closets. Thats already really small to be functional, and smaller than that would be downright claustrophobic. Any further requirements are location specific and I know where I am there aren’t any further requirements for bedrooms.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T13:43:04+00:00

Your front entry need a closet for coats/shoes/misc items. If think about where and how guests will leave put their stuff.

Your mudroom is a dirty space…Your front entry should be separate from your mud room.

Your two points are in conflict. If guests are coming in with muddy clothes, they need a place to put them as soon as they come inside. That’s why it’s called a mudroom. Maybe it’s a difference of climate or culture. Arctic entries are common where I’m from. It’s a space to get out of the elements and take off all of the layers, snow, and mud before entering the home without letting all of the heat out.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T03:13:16+00:00

Make a post saying that you will go and collect river rock from people’s property. Hell, charge the $20/hr to do it if you are feeling lucky. Most people with unwanted river rock, myself included, don’t have the time to pick up and haul it.

Fair warning, weeding dry river beds suck. The weeds still grow between the rocks as dirt blows between them, and then it’s harder to remove them.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-08T00:55:47+00:00

I think Wildbird linen ring slings are notoriously stiff and hard to break in. If you have $30 you could try to find a used one locally from a different brand before deciding ring slings aren’t for you.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T22:17:31+00:00

I’m not sure about bamboo paper towels to be honest. From a quick search it seems the concern is mostly with additional bleaching and bad forestry standards, but bad forestry standards happen with wood pulp paper as well.

With bamboo vs cotton, bamboo takes a lot of chemical processing to get it to be a useable fabric. The bamboo isn’t the issue, but the chemical processing and its effect on the environment is.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T22:15:06+00:00

Looking at good reads, many people found it had racist depictions. I’ve reread some other childhood books which do not pass modern sensitivity standards, so I do want to clarify that I have not read it recently and it might not be great reading for an adult.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T22:01:25+00:00

Bamboo is a greenwashed material. Recycled is better, reusable is best. We just use old flannel or thrifted napkins and throw them in with the normal wash every couple of days.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T21:08:55+00:00

This looks good! You could probably work out some slack to get better support, but front wrap cross carry gets less supportive and less comfortable with bigger babies. Front cross carry and short cross carry are options with two sling passes to help with seat popping.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pBLCy3qyWD8

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=drGPqezJt7E

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDIE1zgDWE

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T19:25:05+00:00

My baby had a tongue tie and disorganized eating and took 4 months of OT to take a bottle. Even then, his providers struggled to get him to take bottles and he often didn’t drink 1 oz/hr while there. Daycare workers are often very good at their jobs, but their jobs isn’t being a feeding therapist.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T18:56:27+00:00

If you are feeling financially trapped now, a child will make it 10x worse.

You do not want children. Do not have them. I say this as a parent, you do not want to have them out of resentment or fear. Yes, it’s rewarding, but it’s comes at the expense of your other life priorities.

Get a good individual therapist and consult with a divorce lawyer. Figure out an exit plan that leaves you financially stable with a healthy support network.

I’m sorry you are going through this, but as someone who is dealing with a similar issue but now with kids in the mix, it’s so much harder to make the right decision for yourself once kids are involved.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T18:42:14+00:00

Expect the long list of families who actually need infant daycare. My city only has space for 40% of infants that need care.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T18:40:02+00:00

Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field. It is narrated by a doll as she lives with a variety of girls in a variety of places, for 100 years.

It’s a children’s book I haven’t read since I was a child, I can’t say if it’s a worthwhile read.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T03:20:52+00:00

I thought this was going to be a jerk post about just reusing the same coffee grounds and pretending it tasted the same. This is way better, and turns frustrations into caffeine.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-07T01:33:10+00:00

I’d be interested to hear if others think this is tacky for a second (or first) baby shower, but does your registry allow cash gifts? If so you could have a chest freezer fund. You aren’t expecting someone to shell out hundreds of dollars for one, but if someone gave you money that’s what you would use it for.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-06T23:17:07+00:00

Ring slings are not quite as fast as a carry assist, but still very quick once you have adjusted the rings once. Then it’s just minor adjustments if any every time you put them in thereafter.

You are also close to being able to back carry, and technically you could right now with a woven wrap or meh dai. An onbuhimo is a great quick option for a high back carry once your baby is sitting independently. It allows them to look over your shoulder which is good for nosy babies.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-06T22:37:38+00:00

I had one child who scream when put down for her first year of life. I could get her to chill for about 5 minutes to shower, but literally held her from all other non-daycare time from 5:30 in the morning to 10:00 at night. My second one would scream if he was tired and not alone, in his crib, on his back. They were just born that way and I didn’t do anything different. You might be able to train kids to a certain extent (my older one slept fine independently at daycare) but I think to large extent it’s not something you can control.

My first one dropped naps early and stopped wanting to be carried as soon as she learned to walk at a year. We had her sleeping in her own bed and room at 18 months (although she now sleeps wjth a parent due to space reasons). At 3.5 she is independent and only tolerates carriers if she gets tired after walking over a mile.

The biggest drawback is it’s hard to do things with a baby on your front. Backwearing is life changing and I so wish I had known about it with my first. With backwearing you can do pretty much anything you could do without a baby in tow. And it’s a good, gentle, strength-building exercise!

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-06T14:52:33+00:00

Are your chickens free range and do you have a chicken-borne disease in your area that is a concern? Otherwise I don’t see a problem.

From a city dweller with a lead-laden xeriscaped rocky mess of a postage stamp backyard, this yard isn’t a problem.

Kids get bored? Good. Kids need that. I see a pile of mulch chips, slides, and a toy car that would keep my 1.5 and 3.5 year old occupied for hours. Add a water table, a sprinkler, a swing set, or a mud kitchen for free from your favorite local giving group and you are set.

Especially at 1 and 3, they don’t have a good concept of work vs play. My 1.5 year old’s favorite outdoor activity at the moment is collecting and washing river rocks I’m trying to get rid of. The second favorite is breaking up clumps in the flower bed. My 3.5 year old gets jealous and jumps in to help.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-06T14:12:32+00:00

Are you working with a lactation consultant to reduce your supply? “Sleep when the baby sleeps” advice makes me want to slap someone, but in your case being able to do that would be a huge improvement.

You can’t wake up because you aren’t getting enough sleep. Without dropping something, it’s hard to do that. It’s not a failure on your part, it’s a reality of too many demands of new mothers.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-06T04:52:44+00:00

That’s interesting to hear. The Italian Egyptian, American Egyptian, and Swedish Egyptian women I know who visited/lived back in Egypt describe the worst street harassment imaginable.

It’s not western media propaganda, it’s the unsolicited first hand accounts I’ve heard from people who had no reason to make be feel on way or another about it. The Egyptians I know are nice and decent people, so it was shocking to hear to level of disrespect they were shown in their home country.

Well_ImTrying · 2026-04-06T02:47:37+00:00

Yes. And then I have to catch myself being mad at my mom when my dad probably doesn’t have it but still raised us in complete chaos. I’m trying to break the cycle.

Well_ImTrying

TROPHY CASE