Despite a profound love of shopping, I’ve never amassed a large collection of cleaning products or tools. I am, however, a sucker for saving money (aren’t we all in this economy?) and a lover of lower-waste home alternatives, especially with the threat of tariffs potentially raising prices on household essentials.
Knowing this, my sister recommended a paper towel proxy that’s also adored by HuffPost readers: reusable Swedish dishcloths. Coming in a bunch of colors and patterns in packs of 10, they’re machine-washable, reusable wipes made from cellulose (vegetable fibers) and cotton that truly never get stinky. And right now, depending on the color, they happen to be up to 23% off when you hit the coupon. (Lime green will give you the best deal, but I’m partial to the pop-art look of the big red flower ones.)
These cheerful towels are *wildly* absorbent — significantly more than paper towels or traditional dishcloths. Cleanup requiring multiple paper towels is easily mopped up with just a single reusable Swedish dishcloth.
I was skeptical at first, thinking these rags would be the same as regular dish towels or sponges (the latter of which grosses me out). But the more I’ve used them, it’s become clear that these are not your everyday dishcloths.
Yes, you can throw them in the washing machine, but I have found they can also be cleaned in the dishwasher immediately after use. They’re not crazy expensive (especially on sale) and come in 10-packs that last a long time, like a single pack will last my family of three up to a year. They’re just convenient: easy to store, easy to use and easy to maintain. And truly, even after a lot of use, they don’t get smelly and gross like sponges can.
Incorporating them into my home has been, dare I say, a delight. And with all the money I’m saving not buying expensive paper towels, I’m fully converted.
I adore that they’re so multifunctional. Wet or dry, there’s no room in the house that they can’t clean — kitchens, bathrooms, windows and mirrors, banisters and more.
The cellulose and cotton blend with imprinted ridges makes them soft and gentle for hands and surfaces, but gritty enough to really scrub and scour a particularly grimy spot.
I primarily use them to wipe down counters and kitchen appliances, but they’re also great for drying dishes and are safe to use on a variety of surfaces, from marble and tile to stainless steel and wood surfaces.
At most I go through one cloth a month. (Real cleaning fanatics might go through two). That means that I’ve used ten compostable dishcloths in the same amount of time I would have used approximately 24 paper towel rolls. And when the cloths have run their course, simply add them to the compost bin.
There’s nothing better than items that reduce waste and save your money without requiring a big lifestyle adjustment. Keep reading to check out other people’s glowing reviews and pick up a pack for yourself.
Want to hear more? Check out some of these 5-star reviews of the reusable Swedish cloths.
“Ok, what I like the best about these is they DONT stink at all! I grew up using wash cloths to wipe down our counters and they would always get a funny smell. Since using these, I now wipe down my counters with a dishcloth that never smells bad, absorbs well and lasts a long time. My brother bought me my first batch and I liked them so much I bought myself a second batch! I wash them and let them air dry. They don’t stay flat after the first wash and when they dry out they do get kinda stiff but it’s not bad and in my opinion it’s worth it. Also, they soften up as soon as you run water over them. You get enough of them that you don’t have to rewash the same ones over and over and that’s nice. I repurposed my old batch and I now use them as rags for cleaning my bathrooms. They still absorb just as well and clean just as well. AND they still don’t stink! Incredible… I’m hooked! (They will shrink a little after the first wash but I wouldn’t let a little shrinkage cause you to change your mind on these, they are worth it). If you use endless amounts of Clorox wipes or other cleaning wipes to wipe down your counters, you may want to give these a try. I use Method to clean my kitchen. Just spray and wipe, saves a ton of money!” — April
“I use this product various ways. To wipe up spills. To do dishes. To clean stove. It’s so much better than paper towels and can be used again and again, saving trees and money.” — Wendy Writer
“Save money on using this instead of paper towels, Sturdy and absorbent” —
John L
“Excellent! Love these! Much better than all-cotton dishcloths because they are VERY absorbent, yet easy to wring out completely (and I mean completely!) after use; when using them to wash dishes, things like jar garlic “seeds”, tomato “seeds,” etc., are easily rinsed out, unlike all-cotton cloths; and because you can wring them out completely, they work really well to dry the sink after washing dishes, clean counters off, etc. And as advertised, they don’t stink! Today I threw several of them in the washing machine and hung them up to air dry, but discovered too late that I’d put one in the dryer. It shrank by at least an inch all around. My husband said, “Maybe if you run water on it, it will get big again!” He was joking, but it DID return to its normal size when I ran water over it! So, they can be put in the dryer if you want! VERY happy with this purchase, and highly recommend these.” — JTD”BEST cleaning cloth/sponge/rag EVER! I’ve been on the hunt for kitchen cleaning rags and tried MANY. This may seem pricey but it’s a great value because it’s so easy to clean at the sink (or sterile with boiling water), unlike cloths, you don’t need a large supply to always have a clean cloth. It’s sturdy like a sponge and absorbs TONS of water and it squeezes almost dry, then dries in no time, even when it’s pouring rain. It’s flexible like a cloth when wet/damp and can clean any surface or tight spot. Great for wiping shower/bathroom fixtures dry. Because it’s so easy to clean with soap and water in the sink or boil to sterilize, there’s no need for a dozen to have a clean sponge/cloth all the time, or to do dirty rag laundry regularly. Great product!!” — Gilbert Agaran
The Real Deal: We use deal trackers and commerce experience to sift through “fake” hike-and-drop deals and other deceptive sales tactics. Products will usually be rated at least 4 stars with a minimum 15% discount. (And when there’s an exception, we’ll tell you why.)
