How do you make Family Cloth?

[lovemyfamily6]

I read on another thread about using old t-shirts to make family cloth. How do you do it? I have several old t-shirts that I just put in a basket because they're stained or getting holes. Does it require sewing? I don't own or have access to a sewing machine. I'm really getting interested in cloth, at least for pee.

We cloth diaper, so can they just go in the diaper pail and get washed with the diapers?

Will my dark pink shirt do okay with white diapers since they get washed on such a hot temp?

I think all I can do for now is use it for pee. My boys have way too messy of toilet paper right now after poo to use cloth.

Thanks for any advice!

[b&c'smama]

I just cut up an old king size flannel sheet to make a bunch of cloths for family cloth. I would have liked to sew around the edges to make them more finished, but I know that I would have never gotten around to it. We are out of diapers now, but I don't see why they couldn't just go in with them. As for the dark pink shirt, I probably wouldn't risk it.

[lovemyfamily6]

So do you cut in squares or strips (like toilet paper would be in)?

[Jojo F.]

I have been wanting to do this too. DS is almost 5 and I still use his cloth wipes. DH thinks I'm CRAZY but, I'm used to it

For me, I would cut them into squares, strips might be too messy or kind of hard to use.

Do you have a kneedle and thread? Maybe you could go around the edges so the pieces don't fall apart since you are using t-shirts.

[newlywaaz]

just fyi, t-shirt material won't ravel but it will get pretty curly on the edges, so if you're ripping (the fastest and easiest method; make a small snip with scissors first, and rip the shirt into strips and then rip each strip into squares), I'd make them on the large side, like 8x8, to allow for rolling. If you feel like you are capable enough with a needle and thread, I'd really recommend sewing two squares wrong sides together and leave a hole along one seam so you can turn the whole thing right side out and then either stitch around the edges again, or at least where the hole is. Old prefolds are another great source of fabric for wipes, as long as you do 2 layers thick. your wipes can go right in the wash with the diapers, and if it's a well-worn pink shirt, I wouldn't worry too much about it bleeding onto the diapers. HTH

[Mrs. Cheerful Face]

Have you all ever heard of pinking shears? They cut a zig zag edge so you don't have to sew. We cut our t's in baby wipe squares now. We just use cheap wash cloths for eh, "bigger" jobs. Into the old diaper pale they go. In our new house we plan to have paper in the mainfloor powder room, and cloth upstairs. Dh will have his own tp for himself, fussy, fussy. JK. So we stack the cloth in an old laundry basket beside the toilet. HTH

[SmilinGal]

revival of the long lost threads, but...

pinking shears. I have some crafting scissors that cut like that. I've never used them on anything heavier than card stock, but they should be able to cut cloth well enough too. The kind of scissors people use for scrapbooking. Is there any reason those wouldn't work for this? (they probably are pinking shears and I just don't know it, right? lol)

Also, how does the jagged cut make it so you don't have to sew?

[russianthistle]

I had a bunch of t-shirt fabric that I wanted to use for something at some point. I cut it up into squares just a bit bigger than a square or two of toilet paper. With the t-shirt material, I've had no issues...the sides don't unravel and the poo washes clean off, no even a stain!

I have a friend who didn't like the lack of absorbency of the t-shirt material and who sews SO MUCH. She took flannel and put two layers of t-shirt material on the other side and serged them together. I admire her design and all, but the t-shirt squares have done well by me!

[mk12]

I cut organic cotton fleece into 4x4 inch squares. I only use them for pee and figure I will save a ton each year on toilet paper. The cotton fleece cloths are super soft and thick, and don't need to be folded.

I didn't finish the edges in any way. They don't unravel but they do curl up into little scrolls if I dry them in the drier. It doesn't really bother me, they are still super easy to use, but I was wondering... If I had cut them with pinking shears would that prevent them from rolling up?

Thanks in advance.

[russianthistle]

This may be a silly question, but why do some use family cloth only for pee? We use family cloth for it all...no staining on the cloth, or anything...So far, I've had no issues with the poo.