Bamboo Paper Towels: Why You Should Use (& Love) Them

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.

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You don’t have to be like Monica Geller from Friends to appreciate the joys of a clean home. Polished floors, sparkling countertops, and a shower free of mildew are some of life’s simple pleasures, though the process of going from dust and grime to sleek and shine can be quite laborious.

We'll admit to occasionally relying on paper towels to soak up an accidental spill or remove a pesky smudge, but in an effort to be more environment-friendly, it’s time to kick those quicker-picker-uppers to the curb and opt for a more sustainable (and potentially more effective!) solution.

Enter: bamboo paper towels. They feel and work just as well as their strictly paper counterparts, but can be washed and reused multiple times before being disposed of. Here are a few things you may not know about the bamboo paper towel and a few of our favorite brands to get you acquainted.

1. They can be more durable

There are quite a few YouTube videos that put bamboo towels to the ultimate absorbency test and bamboo seems to come out on top every single time. This means fewer streaks left behind and less effort in scrubbing out those hard-to-clean substances like mold and mildew. Bamboo’s lightweight, strong, and flexible fibers can essentially enrobe dirt, dust, and liquids before lifting them from the surfaces they’re clinging to.

2. They’re machine washable

When your bamboo paper towel starts to resemble a dish rag that has sopped up nearly a dozen unidentifiable messes, it’s time for a cleaning. Simply toss it into the washing machine and dryer with the rest of a clothing load and you’ll have an almost-like-new sheet to put back under the kitchen sink for future use.

3. They’re 100 percent natural and biodegradable

Surprise! Bamboo is a plant. And though additions like cornstarch and sugarcane are sometimes added to make bamboo paper towels softer, they’re still completely biodegradable. That said, it is important to keep in mind that biodegradable is not always synonymous with recyclable. Composting a bamboo paper towel is the best way to dispose of it. This added step may require extra effort, but most major cities now have composting drop-off sites where you can bring them, along with the food scraps, tea bags, and coffee grinds you typically trash.

4. Bamboo is very eco-friendly

Unlike most of us after the age of 16, bamboo continues to grow. In fact, it’s the fastest-growing plant on Earth according to the Guinness Book of World Records. So, when you cut down a bamboo tree, it’s more sustainable than the softwood trees like pine and spruce which are used to create traditional paper towels. This is why we have seen a drastic pivot to bamboo-based goods like clothing and bedding in recent years.

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Our Top Bamboo Paper Towel Picks

Looking to add bamboo towels to your cleaning arsenal? Check out these three options that we and thousands of customers love. Sure, they’re a pricier investment in the short term, but you’ll save money over time since they’re reusable.

1. Cloud Paper Bamboo Paper Towels

If you love stockpiling your cleaning supplies so that your pantry looks more like a mini Costco store, you’re in luck with Cloud Paper. The brand offers a 40-roll bundle that could likely last you for literal years. Beyond its mass quantities, Cloud Paper is the only bamboo paper towel brand to be both FSC-certified and use a totally chlorine-free (TCF) whitening process.

2. Betterway Bamboo Paper Towels

These paper towels effectively and efficiently clean and wipe up whatever you need, and they’re also adorably packaged in a pastel-colored paper that can double as gift wrap. The company is based in the United States and your purchase supports a small business, so that’s another thing to feel good about.

3. Bamboora Washable and Reusable Bamboo Towels

These towels, in particular, are pros at picking up dirty pet litter. If you’re a #catmom and are tired of standard paper towels falling apart, Bamboora’s got you covered with a quick-dry alternative that is made to keep your kitty’s bathroom quarters more hygienic.

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Have you tried any of these environmentally friendly alternatives? Let us know below!