Skoy...cleaning joy!

Since I've been testing a lot of cleaning products lately, I needed something to cut down on the ridiculous amount of paper towels we've been burning through. Between dinner, the baby, and general hand washing and mess cleaning, we were buying paper towels at almost every shopping trip. And I really hate that, because it feels like we're literally throwing that money away. When I read that one Skoy is like 15 rolls of paper towels, I was intrigued. So, I was absolutely delighted to try Skoy cloths, and I have to say that these kick paper towel booty!

They're pretty cool. Technically disposable, you'd think they wouldn't last, but they're surper resilient! You use it in the kitchen for a while, toss it in the washer when it gets grimy, then use it some more. The directions say to downgrade it to cleaning up spills or wiping up floors, things of that nature, after you wash it. I found that mine were good for another round of kitchen duty even after I'd washed them. I actually can't comment as to the life span, since mine are are all still in great shape after about a month and a half. I wouldn't be surprised if they're still in great shape in double that time, actually.

As they wear out, you use them for increasingly icky tasks (wipe the bird poop off the patio furniture, for instance). Once they've been washed, dried, and cleaned to the limit, you toss them. Don't feel bad, they last just 5 weeks when you compost them. They're made of eco-friendly cellulose (from wood) and cotton (which makes them much more green than a traditional microfiber cloth, which is usually synthetic).

I baptised mine by fire. Did you see the photos of my stove in that last post? Paper towels shred when you drag them over that kind of petrified food debris. Frankly, I fully expected the Skoy cloth th shred on impact, especially once it got wet. Yeah, they're thick (more like a couple paper towels all folded up), but still...I just couldn't imagine that they'd hold up to the intense krud-scrubbing. They are, technically, disposable, after all.

Not only did they hold up, they worked really well! It's like a cross between a sponge, a paper towel, and a cloth. I scrubbed the heck out of that stove (you can even see the Skoy in the photos) without as much as a tear. Rinsed, scrubbed, rinsed, scrubbed, and they did just great. I showed them no mercy, and what would have pulverized a paper towel didn't even phase my Skoy! Here's the post-cleaning proof:

So cleaning with them makes me pretty happy, but my very most favorite feature is how crazy absorbent they are. The website says they hold 15x their weight. Frankly, that doesn't register with me as good, bad, or indifferent. But you know what does? An entire glass of apple juice being spilled on my counter and only having to use ONE Skoy to wipe it up! My Skoy happened to be the first absorbent thing within reach, so I plopped it into the puddle that was about to run off the edge....and that was it, I didn't need a bunch of paper towels. The thing just sucked all of it up, it was great! That mess would have taken at least 3 or 4 paper towels.

But then I had apple juice in my Skoy (yikes, that sounds awful!). Solution? Put it in the dishwasher. Yep, that's right, in addition to being machine washable/dryable, you can run them through the dishwasher. How cool and convenient is that?!

I've been opposed ot using reusable sponges and the like in the past because of how manky and gross they get. They're just a breeding ground for all things nasty. Skoy has a wonderful solution for this! You just wet 'em down and pop 'em in the microwave for 2 minutes. Voila! Bactera = dead. Skoy = sanitized. Mom = happy!

So in addition to all that fabulousness, they're also very eco-friendly. They're European-made without chlorine and they only use water-based inks (so be careful using the colored ones on carpet). That note about using the colored ones brings me to an important point (important to me, anyway!) - they're really cute! They come in the natural white-ish color, but they also come in a bunch off bright, cheerful colors. I'll brighten up my cleaning doldrums any way I can, and the Skoy certainly helps. ("Skoy" comes from the Swedish "skoj," which means "just for fun!" - I concur, they are fun!)

You probably want your own Skoy now...so TWO of you will each recieve a 4-pack from the lovely ladies at Skoy! Here's how to enter: (One entry each, please leave a separate comment for each entry.)

Mandatory:

• Go to the Skoy site and let me know what your 4 favorite colors/designs are in the comments (they come in flowers & phrases).

Bonus entries:

• Become a fan on Facebook - you must become a fan of BOTH Skoy and Makes Mom Happy (leave your FB name in the comment so I can verify your entry, please)
• Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect - it's in the sidebar (leave the name you use to follow in the comment so I can verify)
• Follow me on Twitter
• Put my blog button on your site - it's in the sidebar (leave a link so I can find it, please)

Giveaway runs from 7/1 - 7/15/09, 11:59 EST. Good luck! If you don't win, you can always grab a 4-pack for $5.99 +shipping (how great is that?!). You can even subscribe and have them sent to you automatically every 3 months!