What not to clean with kitchen roll: You should never wipe these surfaces in the household with kitchen paper!

Whether cleaning, wiping up liquids or collecting leftover food – the kitchen roll is a real all-rounder in the household and can be found in most of our homes. With it, pretty much everything can be brought back into shape quickly and the paper towels are used all the time. They’re nothing more than a replacement for the kitchen towel, and just because something is handy, it doesn’t mean it’s the best tool for the job. So many people use kitchen paper for things for which it is not at all suitable. In fact, there are many surfaces in the home that shouldn’t be cleaned with paper towels. We will explain to you in our article what these are!

What not to clean with kitchen roll: Is kitchen paper bad for the environment?

Like any other paper product, kitchen rolls are not good for the environment and those who want to live more sustainably should limit their use whenever possible. So that the paper does not disintegrate so quickly, it consists of wood fibers to which numerous chemicals have been added. In addition, the material is often bleached with chlorine and many trees are used for the production. Billions of kitchen rolls are used every year and this is not at all environmentally friendly!

We have to admit that cleaning with kitchen roll is very practical. You wipe whatever you need to wipe quickly, throw it in the trash and you’re done. However, this is just as quick with a sponge or dishcloth and we can simply wash them after use and use them again. This saves us a lot of money in the long run and does something good for the environment. But that’s not the only reason why you shouldn’t clean with paper towels. Some surfaces can even be damaged and we don’t want that, right?

Which surfaces you should not clean with kitchen roll?

Although paper towels are always a great help around the house, there are certain areas and items where we would rather not use them. So which mistakes you should avoid and which surfaces you should not clean with kitchen roll, we will explain to you in our article.

What not to clean with kitchen roll – Carpets

Spilled your red wine or coffee on the carpet again? We often use kitchen paper to remove stains from carpets – we’ve all made this mistake at least once. However, the carpet is undoubtedly one of the items that we should never clean with paper towels. When scrubbing, the paper dissolves quickly and we can’t get rid of the fine fibers completely, even after repeated vacuuming. The usual tea towels, on the other hand, would be a much better choice for removing stains from the carpet.

Mirror and window

We have cleaned our windows and mirrors a thousand times with kitchen roll. However, this has turned out to be a huge mistake. Although kitchen paper is very soft to the touch, it has a rough surface and the small wood fibers can severely damage mirror surfaces and windows. In the beginning the traces are minimal, but as time goes on they become more and more prominent. It is much better to wipe mirrors and windows with microfiber cloths. And if you don’t have a towel, use a paper bag or newspaper, but never kitchen roll!

Never clean your eyeglasses with paper towels

For the same reason, you should never clean your eyeglasses with paper towels. Since we always have any scratches in our field of vision, they are particularly annoying. In addition, the coating is also removed over time due to the rough surface. The best way to clean your eyeglasses is to rinse the lenses under running water. Then dry them with either a special lens cleaning cloth or a microfiber cloth.

Screens

Whether it’s a television, laptop or cell phone – you shouldn’t clean screens and displays with paper towels either. As already mentioned, the wood fibers it contains can quickly damage and scratch surfaces. Instead, use a microfiber or cotton cloth. This also applies to camera lenses, which are even more sensitive and could get scratched even quicker by the kitchen paper.

Fresh food

We all know that we should wash fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly before eating them. However, did you know that you shouldn’t wipe them with kitchen roll? Harmful chemicals were discovered years ago in some rolls, even classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Although the measured values are usually below the permitted guide values, you should avoid prolonged contact of moist food with paper towels. In addition, the rough structure of the kitchen paper can damage the surface of some types of fruit and vegetables. Cotton towels would be another gentler alternative.

Stovetop and baking sheet

We all know them – food leftovers on the baking sheet or the stove that are almost impossible to remove. No matter how hard you clean them with kitchen roll, you will hardly get rid of stubborn residues. The paper shreds very quickly when scrubbed and then immediately ends up in the trash. It would be best if you first soak them in lukewarm water and washing-up liquid and after a short time wipe them off with a sponge.