365 Ways to Save the Planet

Day 145 – “A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value — you can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapours; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon…” – The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Today is Towel Day! I wasn’t sure what that exactly meant. So, I read up on the holiday that has been celebrated for 19 years. Fans of Douglas Adams (English author, screenwriter, essayist, humorist, satirist and dramatist) created the day to honor the beloved author after his untimely death due to a heart attack at the age of 49.

In his book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (which I have heard of, but have never read), Douglas writes about towels being the most helpful item for an interstellar traveler. So, it made perfect sense to me that I would use today’s post to talk about all the great ways to reuse or repurpose your old towels.

1. The most obvious reuse option is to turn old towels into cleaning rags.
2. You could sew numerous towels together to create a large blanket for outdoor use.
3. Old towels may not be great for drying things, but they are still good for washing things, like the dishes.
4. Turn them into baby bibs.
5. Call or email your local animal shelter and see if they could use towels.
6. Change out your Swiffer pads with pieces from your old towels. Once you’re done cleaning the house, pop them in the washer to be used again. You can’t do that with Swiffer.
7. Turn your old towels into a knee pad. Whether, you make one for each knee or a large one for both knees, having a little extra cushion while gardening or cleaning, is helpful for the knees.
8. Use old towels to cut down the cold draft seeping underneath the doors.
9. Old towels can keep your fragile belongings safe. Whether your moving to a new home or just looking to store a few things away. Towels will help cushion the move.
10. When the life of the towel has come to the end, the Chicago Textile Recycling Center will take it.

So, don’t go anywhere without your towel. Not only will it help you on an interstellar trip, but they have so many great uses.

Tomorrow, green refrigerator options.