Skip to main content

Maven Moment: Rags and Textile Waste

I still laugh when I remember the Easter when Grandma Jennie used rags to curl my sister’s and my hair. Using strips of fabric, she tied each strip at the end of a section of hair. Next, she twisted the hair, rolled it down to the scalp, and tied the rag tightly. Then she moved on to the next section until all of our hair was tied up in rags.

I remember Dad making funny faces to make us laugh while we suffered from our beauty treatment. Despite how silly we felt, the rags were a lot easier to sleep on than the pink plastic rollers that were common at the time. And on Easter morning when Jennie took them out, we had beautiful curls all ready for church!

Rags were such common household items at the time. We would never think of throwing away old clothes and linens just because they were faded, torn, or stained. The fabric was so useful! Strips of cloth could be used as a rag mop. And towel- or napkin-sized cloths could replace paper towels for use in the kitchen.

My other grandma, Rose, usually used her fabric scraps as cleaning rags. She also used sturdy fabrics that came from an old couch or chair cover to make aprons and durable tote bags for shopping. Nothing went to waste in her household!

Old textiles are useful for all sorts of craft projects, like making a braided rag rug or an old-fashioned rag doll. You can even reuse the fabric to make a face mask. It seems like the possibilities are endless if you do some research on the internet. But even if you’re like me and not crafty, you can still use the rags for cleaning and replacing paper towels.

Before the pandemic, there was a quilting club in our library and I think groups like that might accept used fabric like sheets or tablecloths that are still in good condition. Also, animal shelters often accept old towels and sheets. Always call the organization before you deliver this type of donation to make sure they can use it.

Where I live, there are plenty of places to donate old clothes, but I have found very few organizations that take textiles for recycling. There is a Goodwill that accepts them, and although it’s not close to me, a good friend lives nearby. So, I can save up my textiles for recycling and drop them off when I visit her.

I think that we can find creative ways to reuse old textiles and other items that might otherwise go in the trash. Bit by bit, we can be part of the solution and help Mother Earth!

You Might Also Like…

Energy Wasters: Scare Away Those Vampire Loads

October 28, 2020

Earth911 Podcast: David Wolff, Creator of the Mini Reef

October 28, 2020

Maven Moment: Rags and Textile Waste

October 28, 2020

The post Maven Moment: Rags and Textile Waste appeared first on Earth 911.



from Earth 911 https://ift.tt/37JM0oF https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How I Collected 1,000 Cigarette Butts

I never smoked. I guess it’s because of the smell, the sickly scent that lingers on your clothes and hair long after you’re done with a cigarette. Last week, I had the doubtful pleasure of experiencing the stench of 1,000 cigarette butts. Spoiler alert: It’s worse than you imagine. Much, much worse. This is the story of why I did it. Our Beaches Are Drowning in Cigarette Butts It all started with articles about the impact of plastic straw pollution. They are the seventh most common trash item found on our beaches and got so much attention that within a few months they started getting banned all over the world. You know what doesn’t get that much attention, though? Another trash item, so ubiquitous we tend to overlook it, even though we step on it 100 times a day. A trash item made from cellulose acetate that decomposes into microplastic particles. Yes, I’m talking about cigarette butts . Because they’re so tiny, we tend to believe they’re not litter, and that this one small ci...
Post a Comment
Read more

Urban Greening Post COVID-19: What It Means for Business

We’re at a time of crisis; how do we rebuild our economies after COVID-19 ? Humans have caused the annihilation of 83% of all wild animals and half of all plants. We’re disrupting a natural climatic balance, pushing us into a future projected to be 39.38-40.64 °F warmer. We need to take drastic action to re-balance society with nature. Cities account for 75% of resource use, 60-80% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 50% of global waste. By 2030, the urban population is expected to grow by 70% worldwide. This makes cities a perfect hub to transition into a sustainable future. And this transition has started now. Worldwide investments are shifting from conventional to green alternative design , within which urban greening is key. In this article, we’ll look at two examples of urban greening projects, identifying the importance of businesses and individuals for the success of each. What is urban greening and why is it important? Living green walls are an urban greening ini...
Post a Comment
Read more

Maven Moment: Reuse Ideas for Old Pantyhose & Stockings

Years ago, pantyhose or stockings were must-haves for a working woman’s wardrobe. No professional woman would consider going to work without wearing them. Even today, pantyhose and knee-high stockings make an outfit look finished and professional. And knee-high stockings are so comfortable to wear with slacks. I accumulated quite a collection of them to wear with my cute flats. But recently, the lab where I work has mandated that we wear safety shoes, so I don’t wear my flats as often and I don’t need very many pairs of knee-highs or pantyhose. I save a pair of pantyhose in case I need to wear a dress. As for the knee-highs, I keep about 10 of the best pairs for when I can wear my casual shoes. But what do I do with all the extras? I can wear an extra set of pantyhose under slacks in a chilly office, even if it has a run in it. My great aunt in Italy actually sews up the runs in her stockings and wears them beneath pants in just this way — especially for her pricey support hose. I j...
Post a Comment
Read more