I Stopped Buying Paper Towels 10 Years Ago, Thanks to This European Find (I’ve Saved So Much Money)
Roll of paper towels on the kitchen counter
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Roll of paper towels on the kitchen counter
Credit: Sarah Crowley
When I moved to the U.S. from Europe, one of the things that amazed me most was the amount of choice at the grocery store. Twelve kinds of peanut butter. A cereal aisle that felt longer than my childhood street. And a paper towel section so packed with brands and ply counts that I often stood there longer than I care to admit.
For years, I leaned in. I bought the thick ones, the cheap ones, the pretty ones with patterns (why are there patterns, anyway?). It felt like paper towels were always in my cart. Then, my Swedish family came to visit, and they were baffled by my paper towel habit. Every spill and tiny mess meant paper towel after paper towel, straight into the trash. That Christmas, my aunt sent me a care package filled with cookies, ornaments, and one unexpected item: a Swedish dishcloth. It wasn’t unfamiliar — it was the kind I’d grown up using in Sweden but hadn’t thought about in years.
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colorful Wettex Swedish Dishcloths on counter
Credit: Alexia Dellner
What Are Swedish Dishcloths?
Swedish dishcloths are square cloths made from a blend of cotton and cellulose, a fiber that comes from trees. They’re soft and flexible straight out of the package, kind of spongy but lighter and less bulky. After washing and drying, they firm up slightly but stay bendy enough to squeeze into tight spots (like drying the inside of a glass).
They’re designed to handle everyday kitchen messes, like spills, splashes, crumbs, and counter wipe-downs — basically all the things paper towels can do. The difference? You don’t throw them away when you’re done. Instead, you just toss them in the washing machine or the dishwasher, and they hold up for months, up to a year. (You can also boil them to disinfect, but this seems like a lot more work to me.)
Wettex Swedish Dishcloth cleaning up a spill
Credit: Alexia Dellner
Today, there are tons and tons of Swedish dishcloth brands out there to choose from — including some that are shockingly pretty — but the one I return to again and again is Wettex, the exact same one I grew up with in Sweden.
What’s So Great About Wettex Swedish Dishcloths?
First of all, they’re amazing at cleaning up spills. Swedish dishcloths can absorb up to 15 times their weight in liquid, which is basically magic. I tested this out by spilling the same amount of water on my kitchen counter side by side, then using a paper towel and a dishcloth to clean it up — the paper towel soaked through immediately, while the dishcloth handled it without breaking a sweat. Pretty cool, right?
Wettex Swedish Dishcloth vs paper towel absorbency test
Credit: Alexia Dellner
They’re also a more sustainable option since you can reuse them again and again. How long kind of depends on what you’re using them for, but with regular sanitizing, I’ve been able to keep a dishcloth for several months. You’ll want to replace it when it smells funky or looks worn out, and at that point, they’re biodegradable and compostable! Speaking of smells, I like dishcloths more than sponges since they dry so quickly, meaning there’s no lingering odors to deal with.
They’re also a budget-friendly pick with most brands claiming that a single dishcloth can replace at least 15 rolls of paper towels. I’m no math whizz, but 15 rolls of paper towels costs a whole lot more than just 98 cents per Wettex Swedish dishcloth!
Wettex Swedish Dishcloth hanging over kitchen sink faucet to dry
Credit: Alexia Dellner
How to Use (and Wash) Swedish Dishcloths
I use my Swedish dishcloths for everything: wiping counters, drying dishes, mopping up spills, cleaning the table after dinner. When I’m done, I rinse with warm water, wring them out, and hang them over the faucet to dry.
When it’s time to wash them (usually after a couple of days in my house), they go in the washing machine on a normal setting or on the top rack of the dishwasher. That’s it. So, yeah — paper towels are no longer the default in my house. And honestly? I don’t miss them one bit.