SORRY, BUT YOU’RE PROBABLY USING TOO MANY PAPER TOWELS.

If you spill something on the kitchen floor, if you are doling out napkins for a dinner party or if you need to clean your bathroom countertop, how many paper towels should you use? If you said anything more than “zero,” there is a very good chance that you are using too many paper towels. (There’s no need to be defensive. Most of us are using too many paper towels.) On average, 45.3 million Americans use eight or more rolls of paper towels every month. But the single-use product is easy to swap out.

» If you’re looking for something between a rag and a paper towel: Reusable bamboo towels are machine washable (up to 100 times) and made from easily replenishable bamboo fibers, so they don’t contribute to deforestation. They have the paper towel “feel” without being paper towels.

» If you’re looking for something to clean windows and grease: Repurpose your newspaper.

» If you’re looking for something to clean electronics: Try a microfiber cloth.

» If no one can pry paper towels from your cold, dead hands: Consider unbleached paper towels made from 100 percent composted materials. Look for brands that are Process Chlorine Free or Totally Chlorine Free. And don’t forget to compost them!

» For everything else, use a washable rag.

IMPOSSIBLE BACON BLEU VEG

2431 J St., second floor; (916) 448-8768; vegsacramento.com