Before the advent of synthetic cleaning cloths and paper towels, the cotton cleaning cloth was the scullery maid’s weapon of choice when attending to a spill. The cloth was dampened slightly then pushed around the floor, using foot or bended knee, to clean up the area in question. These days, there’s still no need to get out a bucket and mop (or armful of paper towels) when a cleaning cloth can perform the same duty with less fuss and waste. Tightly woven with a subtly attractive stripe, the cloth is not only presentable but durable: It likes to be washed and actually improves with age. Which is more than you can say about its modern descendants. Fortunately, the classic is making a comeback.
Five to Buy
Object Lessons columnist Megan Wilson is the curator of the Remodelista 100, a collection of essential everyday objects presented in the Remodelista book.
This post is an update. It originally ran on March 25, 2014 on Remodelista.
For more on eco solutions in the home, see:
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Start the Conversation