Family Cloth Questions

[AFWife]

Due to pregnancy making me pee all.the.time I'm switching to family cloth for myself. (I'm the only girl in the house so I use most of the TP)

DH has a few white undershirts that are worn out...and they were low-ish quality. He recently bought a new pack and I've claimed the old ones.

Questions:

1) What size should I cut them into?

2) My prenatals give me that neon pee (Rainbow Light ) will that stain it?

3) If I can't "finish" the edges how long will it last?

4) Can I just toss them in with regular laundry? Or can I wash them by hand in the sink (to help them last longer?)

[Monkey pants]

Well its an old tee shirt right? Just wash them in the laundry. I bought some flanel wipes that I use and havent had any stains yet. I just wash with towels on hot. Old tee shirts is a good idea. may have to chop chop some of mine up. Us pregnant ladies do use tons of teepee.

[Magelet]

I used flannel not t-shirt however.

I find that a great size is about, oh, an inch or two bigger than a square of TP. It's so much sturdier, (you don't have to fold it over a bunch. oh wait, I guess I'm used to cheap tp :P), such a size is plenty big enough for me.

no idea if your pee will stain it. I use red family cloth mostly. not even my menses stain them. (I happened to have red flannel on hand a lot. not sure why. turns out, red is great, doesn't stain, and hasn't bled a bit)

Mine seem to have come to a state of non-fraying even though I did not finish the edges. They frayed at lot at first. (so maybe make em two inches bigger than a TP square. I forgot about that.) I expect them to last a very long time since they don't really fray anymore. However, I'm using woven flannel, not a knit. I imagine the knit would not hold up very well at all unfinished, but i could be totally wrong.

I think mine last longer if I machine wash them. (rather than taking a hard scrubbrush to them which pulls the edges out into serious fraying. however, they also get used as hankies. serious scrubbing or a washing machine is nessicary to get... boogers... out of those ones.) Family cloth ones, I just throw in with the regular wash, regardless what it is. Urine is pretty clean, and the washing machine cleans stuff. I don't use it for poop, though I imagine when I've a LO with cloth diapers, I might, and throw it in with the poopy diapers.

[amber913]

Size: At least the size of, say, your hand. I accidentally cut mine too small, so i just use a bunch, which you certainly do if you have plenty.

Staining: I don't think they'll stain. Some of mine did from..er...other things, but i keep the clean ones in a bag (hand-sewn from a baby blanket so it's purty) by the toilet, so no one sees them anyway. Dirties go in an old cat litter bucket (not purty).

Edges: I never finished them, and they're all intact after over a year. If they ever do get too worn down, i'll just cut up some old clothes i can't sell at the yardsale.

Washing: I used to wash mine with the cloth diapers, but since we're a diaperless family at long last, i wash them with dish/cleaning towels and the dogs bedding and even bath towels. If you're only using yours for pee, i'd say go ahead and wash them with the regular clothes. I use mine every time i visit the loo, so i like to wash them with things that don't have to live against our skin--though i'm sure no one's died from wearing a shirt that was washed with something yucky. I only use a washer.

Another hint, since you're pregnant: They make great wipes--just get some wet on your way to change the diaper. Also, they prevent toddler-induced bathroom floods b/c they can use as much as they want and they go into a receptacle instead of into the toilet. My 6-yo uses 4. Every time.

[adorabelle]

I cut mine like 5x5 inches.  Your urine shouldn't stain the cloth.  I used flannel and it works very well!  I wash mine with regular clothes laundry/ body towels.