Before you say it, I’ll say it first: No, there’s no way I am going toilet paper-less like No Impact Man. And I’m not going to get my husband to give up his Bounty paper towels, either. (I actually have to buy two sets of towels because my husband refuses to use my Seventh Generation or Marcal Small Steps paper towels.) But there’s plenty I can do here in the house to reduce the amount of paper products that go into the garbage. For example, I have a stainless steel kitchen. Cleaning it requires special cleansers — I use Method’s Steel for Real spray — and, in the past, lots of paper towels. But starting this month, however, I have made the switch over to a washable microfiber cloth. It sits under the counter on top of the spray. It isn’t the Method Stainless Steel microfiber cloth, which I didn’t know existed until I had to provide the last link, but it works pretty well. I also have a microfiber cloth for my wood as well as another for general cleaning. Seems to be doing the job.

Another change: Making sure there are plenty of hand towels lying around the kitchen. Wash cloths, too. The baby is constantly dirty, and it’s nice to be able to use a wash cloth on her face rather than grabbing a paper towel. Likewise, I’m teaching my big girl to reach for the hand towel instead of the paper towel when her hands are dirty or need drying.

The bathroom is a little tougher. Aside from buying recycled toilet paper, there’s not much I can do. Sure, I can try and use fewer squares, which I am doing but short of installing a bidet, how can I cut down on toilet tissue use? Yes, I am asking. Feel free to post any suggestions. I considered using a squirt bottle and air drying, but who has time for that? (And I’m sorry for giving you that visual.) This is definitely a tough one, but I’m hoping doing little things like avoiding using toilet paper for picking up hair out of the shower drain or using cloth instead of paper to wipe toothpaste off the counter will add up.

The final paper-related (well, it’s actually wood pulp fluff) product reduction…this is a huge one: We’ve got Little Girl day potty trained! Undies all day. Diapers for naps — which she often keeps dry so I reuse –  and at night. Talk about saving the environment! And for those who wonder how I did it: I just took the diapers away and stuck with it. You have to expect accidents. You have to tote your potty with you everywhere you go. But once the kid gets the idea, you’re home free.

So all in all my February changes are pretty good, I think. Wait until you see my March changes. I hope I have the guts to go through with them and post about them. I seem to have no shame and no Internet filter, so I’m thinking I will.

What changes have you made lately to green your house and life? I love reading about what other people do. Inspires me and the other folks who read this blog!