Linen and Towels - The Perfect Green Solution

Or... Use What You've Got

by Elizabeth Howard

In offering green tips, I work generally on the principle that other people, like me, are imperfect and not immune to temptation.

As for me, I have a problem with the lure of lush bath towels and crisp new sheets.

By way of confession, at right I have posted a photo of my linen closet. Note that it is perfectly well stocked (though not perfectly folded) with towels, hand towels and face cloths. The sheets--indicating various stages of taste, husband's bachelorhood, duvet shades and mattress sizes-- are nonetheless, intact and well-stocked.

So, what's the tip? For most of us, by now it should be obvious, though I will be the first to admit, actually living this tip isn't easy.

It's worth repeating though, and I will because REUSE is my favorite R: Use what you've got!

Die, Old Habit!

Stopping ourselves from making purchases, for the sake adorning or updating our homes (or ourselves, not to mention those bothersome children and pets, OY!) isn't easy. I mean to tell you, it is downright a pain in the donkey.

So here's something to puzzle yourself with when you are, like me, wandering around Crackville (aka Target), goggling at the pretty-pretty, matchy-matchy blue margarita glasses and serving platters.

"How many towels does it take to screw in a compact fluorescent light bulb?"

Existential? Sure. But then, it's all a personal matter of how you face the crisis: just push your Target trolley through it.