Cloth Wipes, Unpaper Towels, Family Cloth - Worth it?

[nightkd]

I FINALLY have a washing machine so I'm considering investing in some unpaper towels (kitchen towel) family cloth (toilet paper) & cloth wipes.... Is it worth it??

It would definitely be handy to have the unpaper towels - as we get through kitchen roll super quickly & we never seem to have any left when we ACTUALLY need it... Family cloth - I was thinking just for wiping number 1's.... And cloth wipes - DH is pretty against, he prefers the disposables & they are CHEAP - then again I want some pretty wipes & nice smelling wipe solution!!

What are your thoughts? Will it ACTUALLY save money, is it worth the hassle & are cloth wipes as effective as sposies?

 

[littlepne]

Hi

I only use cloth wipes out of those and if you're using cloth nappies they're actually easier than sposies because they just go in the nappy bucket. Plus I find they clean a lot better.

 

[Rachel_C]

Yep it will definitely save you money!

We were going through 3 or 4 kitchen rolls a week which I hated (all that waste!) so I bought some packs of microfibre cloths from Tesco to use instead. You get three white cloths about the same size as a sheet of kitchen roll, maybe a bit bigger, for 97p I think. I prefer the white ones to the bigger coloured ones you can get elsewhere. I wash them once a week on a hot wash. I'm not sure how much it costs to wash them, but I was spending a couple of pounds a week on kitchen roll, and I spent £6 or £7 on cloths so I think I'm making a good saving. I still keep kitchen roll in a cupboard for gross things that need cleaning up, but I use less than one roll a month now, probably one every 3 months!

Family cloth is a good idea too. I only use it for no 1s too, and it's just me that uses it, I don't even think OH has noticed it's there but he washes instead of wiping after a wee (it's a Muslim thing). I just cut up some bamboo fleece into toilet roll sized squares. It's good but I'm going to sew them together so there are two layers, as otherwise it tends to curl up in the wash. It doesn't fray though so no real need to sew it.

Cloth baby wipes have saved me HEAPS of money. Disposable wipes are so thin that I use two or three where I'd use one cloth wipe. Has your OH tried cloth wipes? Cos I don't know about him, but I don't particularly like being able to feel warm poo through a sposie wipe. You don't feel any warmth, squidginess or wetness through a cloth wipe . Even the pretty ones aren't that expensive, you can get nice ones for about £5 for 10. And wipe solution is easy to make yourself - just buy some essential oils (I like a couple of drops of tea tree, a couple of lavender and a couple of sweet orange oil, plus a squirt of baby wash in some water).

 

[Jetters]

What Rach said

I use Cheeky wipes for Kia,and microfibre cloths from the poundshop around the house. I don't use family cloth though... I justify that by buying the more expensive eco biodegradable stuff

I don't know how much I save what with the washing costs but i'm sure it's loads- it has to be!- and no adding to the landfills... win win win! I really hate most things disposable and go reusable whenever I can.

 

[Mary Jo]

yes, once you're used to it it's no bother at all. we use cloth wipes (home-made by me) on Adam's bum, cheap cotton face cloths to wipe his face and hands after meals, microfibre cloths and muslins to wipe up in the kitchen (a well washed muslin is SO absorbant), and I use Wee Notions cloth wipes on wees myself (but we always have loo roll in, I just get a kick out of not buying it as often as I otherwise would). all toilet related items go in the nappy bucket, all other items in a bucket in the kitchen, and they're all washed twice a week with the nappies. I've never been one for kitchen roll, though, just never bothered, so it's not been something I had to give up.

 

[jenstar]

Microfibre cloths are really good for around the house. If you use furniture polish you are only supposed to use a tiny tiny amount with them, but they get greasy fingerprints off my glass tv stand without using anything. In the UK you can get 3 tesco value ones for 90p so I can't imagine they are expensive in USA either. I definitely think these save money.

For baby wipes I use cheap face cloths. But as you say, baby wipes are so cheap I'm not sure how much money this saves. More of an environmental saving I would say.

I have never considered 'family cloth' before. But reading what you girls have said, I suppose why not? Especially while I'm washing nappies anyway. I'm off to check out the environmental implications off loo roll, which is something I never thought of before. Surprising, because we do a lot of other 'green' things in our house.

 

[Jetters]

I have never considered 'family cloth' before. But reading what you girls have said, I suppose why not? Especially while I'm washing nappies anyway. I'm off to check out the environmental implications off loo roll, which is something I never thought of before. Surprising, because we do a lot of other 'green' things in our house.

I'm gonna research, too!
Don't know why it initially squicked me out when I use them for Kia

 

[nicholatmn]

We use cloth wipes and "unpaper" towels! I also use momma cloths too. We haven't tried family cloth as DH isn't keene on it, but cloth works WAY better than paper.

Diaper wipes, we only use one square for a heavy poopy diaper as with diaposables, we'd need 4.
One cloth napkin for meal time is all we need now, vs 2 or 3 paper towels.
And I use breast pads and I have momma cloths ready for when AF shows again.

Wouldn't go back to disposables for anything

 

[Lu28]

Cloth baby wipes are way cheaper than disposables and work much better too. I've always used cloth towels for the kitchen, we rarely have kitchen roll - I honestly thought everyone did that!!

I can't quite get my head around family cloth though, it's a step too far for me

 

[Char&Bump-x]

I'd never do family cloth, the thought of washing my own poo revolts me even though I'm fine with kylas nappies lol.

Saying that, I'm quite curious to try cloth pads. Just don't want to spend what they cost!

 

[Jetters]

Have a look in the miscellaneous or however you spell it section of CNT for cheap CSP, Char xx

 

[Rachel_C]

I wouldn't use family cloth for poo but I don't have a problem with wee at all.