Stop Buying Mop Pads and Wipes (The Old Amish Rag Bag)

Find the oldest bath towel in your linen closet, cut it into four squares, wet one, wring it and wipe the counter. Then hang it open over the faucet. That one old towel just did a month of throwaway wipes, and it will do it again tomorrow. My neighbor Judy, sixty-seven, on a small teacher's pension, spent $38 at the store on wipes, mop refills, dusting cloths and paper towels. "Every rag I've ever kept ends up smelling like a wet dog," she told me. It isn't the rag's fault, and it isn't hers. Here is the rag bag that hangs in every Amish kitchen I know, how to keep rags from ever souring, and the honest limit of what a rag can do. In this video: • Why a plain wet rag cleans, and why cotton terry and flannel work (loops and fuzz) • What goes in the rag bag and what stays out • Our farmhouse rule: a rag moves down, never up (kitchen, bathroom, floor, barn) • Your flat spray mop without throwaway pads: a folded terry rag or two binder clips • Why rags smell like a wet dog, and five steps so they never sour • Oily rags that can catch fire by themselves, and cooking-oil rags in the dryer • Jobs a rag does better than paper: windows, dusting, big spills, the stovetop • The honest part: a rag cleans, it does not disinfect, and a wipe only disinfects if the surface stays wet as long as its label says • Disinfecting with a rag, the CDC bleach recipe, and when a paper towel is still the right tool • What you could save in a year, and how to make it easier on sore hands and backs Homework: tonight, cut up one old towel and use those squares all week instead of anything you'd throw away. Hang them open after every use. On Saturday, smell them. What's in your rag bag, and how much do you think you spend on wipes and pads in a month? Tell me in the comments. I read every one. CHAPTERS 0:00 Cut up one old towel 0:25 Judy's $38 cart 1:06 What you'll learn 1:42 The bag by our back door 1:58 Why a wet rag cleans 2:35 Loops and fuzz: cotton and flannel 3:03 Safety first 3:46 What goes in the rag bag 4:26 What stays out 4:38 A rag moves down, never up 5:07 Your mop, no pads 5:45 Why rags smell like a wet dog 6:29 5 steps so a rag never sours 7:54 Cooking oil and the dryer 8:22 Jobs a rag does better 9:25 The honest part: clean vs. disinfect 10:13 The 4-minute wipe rule 10:37 Disinfecting with a rag 11:10 My one roll of paper towels 11:30 What you save in a year 12:32 In one breath 12:53 Easier after sixty 13:36 The pail under my sink 14:28 What Judy said Safety note: rags soaked in furniture oil, linseed oil, wood stain or oil paint can heat up and catch fire as they dry. Never put them in a rag bag, laundry basket or dryer; lay them flat outside away from the house, or keep them in a metal can with water and a tight lid, and ask your town how to dispose of them. Kitchen rags soaked with cooking oil: wash hot, and hang them to dry if they still smell oily. When you disinfect, clean first, wear gloves, open a window and follow the label. Money figures are examples; yours will differ. Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia or other cleaners; always follow your appliance and product labels. #amishway #cleaningtips #frugalliving