Family Cloth...what nobody ever told you - Page 12

[mlleoiseau]

Originally Posted by KnitterMama

(He's used to having a bidet, baby wipes were the closest we could get.)

I just wanted to post a link to this website I found the other day. The American Bidet We're thinking of getting one.

Dd is pottylearning and she is using family cloth. I bought some used wipes online. They look like washcloth material on one side and velour on the other. She's getting quite a bit of irritation, though, so I'm thinking I may need to switch to old tshirts or flannel. I keep meaning to switch myself, but haven't. I need to find a bean pot or something to put the used ones in. For that matter, that's generally why I end up not using my mama pads, either. :

[rere]

Originally Posted by mlleoiseau

Dd is pottylearning and she is using family cloth. I bought some used wipes online. They look like washcloth material on one side and velour on the other. She's getting quite a bit of irritation, though, so I'm thinking I may need to switch to old tshirts or flannel. I keep meaning to switch myself, but haven't. I need to find a bean pot or something to put the used ones in. For that matter, that's generally why I end up not using my mama pads, either. :

It might be the soap you're using to wash them.Or even that you're not getting all the soap out when you wash them.You might want to do a rinse with vinegar if you don't do that already.Or try switching soaps.

[westcoastmom]

When we were in Pakistan we stayed with a family. In the bathrooms, there is a hose with a spray nozzle attached to the side of the sink cabinet which is next to the toilet. It is the same kind of spray hose that is in kitchen sinks. The idea is to spray yourself clean, then use a cloth.

It would be a similar idea to the link posted for the American Bidet handsprayer.

[mlleoiseau]

Originally Posted by rere

It might be the soap you're using to wash them.Or even that you're not getting all the soap out when you wash them.You might want to do a rinse with vinegar if you don't do that already.Or try switching soaps.

I'm using the same soap I've used her whole life--a teeny amount with a second rinse. I haven't tried vinegar yet. I really think it may be the material cause she seems to do best with cotton. I'll have to replace them with something cute, though. She really likes the flowers and pinkness of the ones we have.

[sarahtar]

Originally Posted by Wild Flowers

I can't imagine wiping my little girls bottoms after they poop with tp. OH my goodness.

That's why I switched to cloth for me, actually. DS was going in the potty for poops and I was doing the clean up afterwards and always using wipes. Someone commented on it once, and I said I couldn't imagine using TP on his little butt, plus I can't imagine I'd be able to actually get it as clean.

Then I thought - wait a second, here. Hm. If I can't get someone else's butt, which I can see, clean with TP, how do I know I'm getting my own rear end clean??

And really, haven't been able to go back to paper since.

[Kerry]

Yooper, your recycling story reminds me of my sister. She gives DD most of her clothes as hand me downs. There were a few pairs of cotton pants that got holes in them so I added them to the family cloth stash. My sister was visiting as I was folding laundry and recognized them. I still laugh about it, because she just assumed it was a baby wipe...if she had any idea it was used as a butt wipe for family cloth she would DIE.

We have stopped doing family cloth since having foster kids in the home. With my own family I don't worry so much about the ick and germs, but I am concerned at adding in extra kids.

[conniebonnie]

my dh uses cloth wipes, and he even cuts some too, but they are always super small.... like, the size of a business card.... gotta get him away from the scizzors.
my question though is, after a few washes im noticeing some of our tp rolling up into tubes, and its really irritating to try and unroll all of them to stack them nice and solution them and put them in the container (we use wipes containers, one for dry, one for wet and im hoping to get a "travel size" one for the bedroom)
any solutions?

[rere]

Originally Posted by conniebonnie

my dh uses cloth wipes, and he even cuts some too, but they are always super small.... like, the size of a business card.... gotta get him away from the scizzors.
my question though is, after a few washes im noticeing some of our tp rolling up into tubes, and its really irritating to try and unroll all of them to stack them nice and solution them and put them in the container (we use wipes containers, one for dry, one for wet and im hoping to get a "travel size" one for the bedroom)
any solutions?

I used two layers of flannel and have no rolling.

[sweetpeppers]

Originally Posted by cam&kat's_mom

I would SO love to ry cloth but when i jsut mentiond it to DH his expresion was priceless. kinda like "you've really lost it woman!!" and oH how DD woudl miss unrolling teh TP in the bathroom. But i think for the kids and I we might give ti a try adn DH only goes to teh bathroom every few days, I swear!, so we'll keep regular TP for him around!

I was just thinking I would like to make the switch just to keep my son from pulling all the TP out. He's 13 months and loves it so much, I just don't have the heart to stop him.

[clothdipemomof2boy]

Just made some whipes from some old sweat pant matterial. Love it they are thick. They took a little while to do since i am doing it by hand. next I have a ton of tshirts that need to be ripped up and some recieving blankets to cut up for whipes. I was just wondering i am sure it has been posted before but do you have any recipes for whipes that you can post for all of us. thanks

[Pariah]

We've been doing this for awhile now... At first I thought it would be gross, but we've been using cloth wipes since day one with ds, so what's the difference? I made ours from either flannel sheets (thrift store finds) or old, soft towels (also thrifted). I do two layers, sew them together...they stay flat that way.

And yes, DH uses the cloth too...he didn't have any issues with it.

[clothdipemomof2boy]

lucky pariah
My hubby coldnt flush toilet paper so they would throw it away and he said the smell was awful . So when he came home and i told him we were going to use cloth and put them in a wet bag he didn tlike the idea at all!!!
I am doing it and trying to get the kids to do it and maybe when he sees how much money we actually save he will be ok with it. . Lets hope

[iamloved22]

I am actually excited to start using my FC, I am waiting on my bum wash to come in the mail and still searching for my perfect basket for the back of the toilet.
I know DH won't go for it and it may take a while for me to get used to the BM family cloth myself but I am such a horrible waste when it comes to tp even when it's just pee that it will be a significant change in waste if only I use it!

[clothdipemomof2boy]

Where did you get the bum wash. And what are some whipe solutions you all make for your cloth any info would be helpful thanks.

[tightwaderin]

Many thanks to all for this thread and all of the great info. Bought a flannel sheet set from my next door neighbor's yard sale (she kept asking what I was going to use it for - never did tell her) and have fallen in love with family cloth. I only use it for pee right now but hope to move up to BMs in the future. I think a peri bottle may be in order for that as I'm too messy (sorry if TMI). Love the fact that I'm using so much less tp now. I'm just about ready to switch over to mama cloth too.

Erin

[smeisnotapirate]

Just wanted to post that I my new FC!!! DH is totally sold on it for everything except #2, and we've expanded the idea to cloth tissues and cloth wipes for the upcoming baby!

Such a great and economical idea!

[smilecatcher]

Originally Posted by clothdipemomof2boy

Where did you get the bum wash. And what are some whipe solutions you all make for your cloth any info would be helpful thanks.

read the whole first page of this thread, and part of the second page. that is as far as i got, before skipping to the end, and there was a couple of "recipes" for wipes.


funny thing this thread popping up today, b/c i didn't even know what family cloth was. But i've been thinking of doing exactly this~ partly for green reasons, : and partly for haha, other green reasons ($$$).
just for pee at first and then i guess i'm going to look into mama cloth. I had never thought about it before, so thanks for the idea

I hope that the kids don't flush them on accident, b/c I bet that would make a mess of our septic.

[Pariah]

DS just flushed a wipe! Luckily it was one of our thinner ones, but it happened in a split second...I saw it happening, and I was like "NOOOOOOOO!!!!" I've flushed since then and it seems fine... We had a big talk about wipes in the bucket, though.

[smeisnotapirate]

For wipe solutions: I use a couple drops of Lavender EO in water. Smells lovely and feels good.

[Indysmom]

This thread is crazy BIG! With 2 kids it will take me some time to get through it... So here is a question:

What kind of container do you use to keep the clean wet wipes in by the toilet?

We have a large diaper wipe container that I use(reuse) for my DDs wipes with her cloth diapers but I'd have to actually buy more wipes to get the container and I really don't want to do that. I need something easy for DS to open as he is now wipeing his own bum. Ideas?