DENVER - ColoradoDesk -- From Colorado to the Carolinas, US households are being asked to use less water, and in some places the rules now come with real penalties.

husltewithjonathan.com, an independent consumer information site, today published a guide to reusable cleaning cloths and how they can fit into a low-water cleaning routine.

Denver Water issued 297 fines totalling $175,500 between October 1 and October 12 for violations of its lawn-watering ban. Its reservoirs stood at 66% full on October 19, compared with an average of 89% for this time of year.

In North Carolina, Durham County remains under a stage two water shortage response that restricts home car washing and cleaning hard surfaces with city water.

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With outdoor use tightly limited in many areas, the guide looks at what households can do indoors and around the car. It covers reusable cleaning cloths used damp, which can replace some paper towels and spray cleaners for everyday jobs such as glass, counters, dusting and car washing.

It explains how the approach works (one damp cloth, one dry), how the cloths are washed and cared for, and where the approach has limits. For example, the manufacturer states the cloths disinfect only to the extent that hot water and ordinary cleaning does.

"Small changes inside the house can add up when outdoor water use is restricted," said Jonathan, editor at husltewithjonathan.com. "We think readers deserve a balanced look at what these products can and can't do."

The guide is available at https://husltewithjonathan.com/towels. husltewithjonathan.com is an affiliate publisher and may earn a commission from purchases made through links on its site. This is disclosed on the page.