Beyond Babedom

We're (way) over 40. Deal with it.

Throwing in the Towel

I don’t know what it was like in your house, growing up, but in the Lo Sapio household, you did not use paper towels unless it was absolutely necessary. (I can’t tell you how hard it is to avoid suggesting to my house guests that they should use the hand towel, hanging from the cabinet door). Funny, huh? Well, old habits die hard. Yes, I use a paper cup more than once. . . okay, I admit it; I use the same paper cup for several mornings in a row when I brush my teeth. Hey, it’s my germs! I’m allowed to “double dip.”

But I know your secret. I’m not the only one who does this. You do, too. Okay; maybe not with the paper cup but I’ll bet you double dip at least one of these things:

  1. The paper napkin you set out that wasn’t really used
  2. The tissue that’s still got a few dry spots
  3. Used plastic wrap  or aluminum foil

If you said no to all of these double dips, than either you’re lying, or you came from a family that was. . . and I hesitate to say this. . . wasteful. Yes,  wasteful.

Getting back to the rest of us: it’s fun to see when other people double dip – and they try to hide it. For example, two weeks ago, I was in someone’s house and went to grab a paper cup to use. She quickly grabbed it back and mumbled some lame reason why I should use something else. She put it back, behind the dish rack, and I saw her use it later on to take her pills. Aha! Double dipper!

Should you really be ashamed of reusing stuff that is still perfectly good and usable? Shouldn’t you celebrate your thriftiness and environmental sensitiveness?

And, when you come to my house, shouldn’t you think twice before wasting a paper towel?

This entry was posted on Friday, May 6th, 2011 at 8:28 PM and is filed under Just Fun. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  1. Terri says:

    My issue is with the towels since I have to wash them! You just took a shower and dried yourself off. Your clean, all you did was wipe away some moisture from your body. You can use that towel again tomorrow! Double dip–yes!!

  2. Inathe says:

    There is nothing wrong with reusing a towel or a cup, but I have issues with people who flush the toilet every other time. I had a roommate once who did that and one day I finally asked her if she realize that she forgot. She replied, her mother said it was a waste of water to flush every time. I promptly pointed out to her that her mother was cheap and human waste is one big germ. She quickly learned to flush the toilet each time.

  3. Kevin says:

    Guilty, guilty guilty!! I laughed out loud so hard my sides hurt! I reuse my bath towel after all I did just take a shower!

  4. Jan says:

    I know what you mean Lucille. With seven children in the Jackson household, we did not waste anything, and I am still the same way to this day……….

  5. Anita says:

    That’s a good one, Lucille. In our house also. we were taught to be VERY frugal and NOT waste a single thing. What a sad thing that we have so much to dispose of at the expense of our trees and environment. OH…the plastics and waste. EVERY thing is disposable, but no one thinks about where all this stuff gets dumped!!! RECYCLE!

  6. Laura says:

    I cut napkins in half…my kids make fun of me big time. I also use the dryer sheets more than once. Things cost too much money these days and you have to conserve!

  7. Mary F says:

    Years ago at a FedEx regional party I took a ration of s**t for this. I never use a bath towel more than once. Everyone, I mean everyone, jumped all over me about it, but I stood my ground; to this day I still only use a towel once.

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