Home Cleaning Calculators
Paper towels vs reusable cloths.
Enter how many rolls you use and what they cost, then what the cloths cost and how you wash them. See the monthly and yearly difference and when the cloths pay for themselves. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Your numbers
Result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
Three rolls a month at $2.50 is $7.50 a month, $90.00 a year. Twelve cloths at $1.50 replaced every 24 months cost $0.75 a month, and one $1.13 wash a month adds $1.13: $1.88 a month. You save $5.62 a month, $67.44 a year. The $18 upfront is recovered in 18 / (7.50 - 1.13) = 2.8 months. These are example inputs: replace them with your own.
How it works
Paper per month = rolls x price per roll. Cloths per month = cloths x price / months of life + wash loads x cost per load + paper you still use. Break-even months = upfront cost / (paper per month - washing - paper still used).
Not covered. Detergent for greasy cloths beyond your per-load figure, cloths that wear out earlier than you expect, and the choice of hygiene for raw-meat or chemical spills: wash kitchen cloths hot enough and often enough that you are comfortable, and keep paper for what you do not want to reuse.
Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-08): arithmetic on the numbers you enter; no outside price or cloth lifespan is applied.
FAQ
Are reusable cloths cheaper than paper towels?
Usually when you use a lot of paper, but it depends on your paper use, the cloths' price and life and what washing costs you. Enter yours and read the break-even month.
How do I include the cost of washing?
Enter the cost of one laundry load and how many loads per month you wash only for the cloths. Use 0 if they go in with a load you run anyway.
How long do reusable cloths last?
It varies by cloth and use, so you enter the months before you replace them.
What if I still use some paper towels?
Set the share you still use; the tool keeps that part of your paper cost in the cloth total.
Where do I get the cost of a laundry load?
Use the Laundry Cost Per Load calculator on this site and enter its result.