Turns out I'm doing something right. Sometimes this experiment  seems to only shine a spotlight on what I do wrong. But I've got the upper hand on tea towel use.

Kitchen Apron. According to The Green Book -- the bestselling guide to greening the oven mitt planet -- we are a paper towel-loving nation: "A decrease in U.S. household consumption of just three rolls per year would save 120,000 tons of waste and $4.1 million in landfill dumping fees." The guide suggests buying the kind of paper towel rolls that come with smaller size sheets. That is a terrific suggestion.

But I have one that's even better: You can replace most of your paper towel usage with tea towels and cloth napkins. Bar keep towels are also great for kitchen clean-up.

Now, do not get me wrong: I always have a roll of paper towels on my kitchen counter. That's really the only option for, say, wiping out the pan frying bacon,  or cleaning the bottom of the kitchen trash can after a bag leaks. But for run-of-the-mill kitchen and dining stuff, I use tea towels and cloth napkins. It's really not a hassle at all, and I ultimately save money. Read about how after the jump.