washing faces & hands at meal time

I'm kind of an earthy-crunchy type of person, using cloth diapers and cloth wipes...and up until this point, cloth face/hand wipes, too. I have to tell you, though, I an SICK to death of A. all of the extra laundry B. having to wash them on super hot to make them not stink (the face/hand washcloths, not the diapers!), and C. having wet cloths hanging around my kitchen until I get enough for a load! It's funny, I don't mind washing the diapers, but I know it's an every other day thing, they are tucked away inside of a pail, and they don't hang around waiting to be washed, KWIM?

When I went on vacation last week I bought disposable diapers and wipes just for the week and I used the sensitive wipes for their hands and faces...and it was so easy!! Now that I've been home, I started using wet paper towels, but they kind of break apart. I hate to be wasteful and use a ton of baby wipes, plus who knows if it's any good for their faces (although it works on butts, right?), but I just can't bring myself to go back to using washcloths before and after each meal. What do you use? If you do use washcloths, how often do you wash them? I was throwing them in with cloth bibs and our regular bath and hand towels every other day because if I left them any longer, they would get a moldy smell, even if I had them hanging to dry while I was waiting to wash them. Now I've switched to the massive plastic bibs with pockets (to cover my bigger disasters) so I don't need to wash as often. Sorry for the long vent/question...just take the poll and help me out

 

We use both wash clothes & baby wipes. I actually see a difference in my sons skin when we use the sensitive baby wipes ...odd right? But it seems to be more clear.

How terrible of a parent am I....I never thought to wash hands BEFORE they ate!! Yet, I do?? Ack!!

 

I use their old burp clothes to wash their hands and faces before and after meals.

 

I have an earthy streak myself, although since I live in apt and don't have my own personal washer, I have used disposable diapers and wipes.

However, I answered this one as other. I have always used hand towels and a couple homemade burp cloths to clean faces, hands, necks, and spit up. I've found wash cloths are too small, and besides that I've always had excess hand towels laying around, and I figured this is the perfect opportunity to actually use them. Not only are wipes too small, but I have to use like 6, which makes me feel guilty, since I don't even use that many for a poopy diaper. On the positive side I've gotten down to doing laundry only 2-3 times a week. Granted I do two loads (one dark and one white) at a time. But here's how I avoid the excess laundry. I try to use only one hand towel per day. After I wipe them down at breakfast, I rinse out the towel, and hang it back up, and use it for lunch and then dinner.

 

:blush: I don't wash their hands before dinner :blush:
When I wipe them down after meals, I use damp paper towels.

 

I keep a small tub on our counter thats filled with bibs & baby washcloths. We use new ones for every meal.
So after every meal I put the dirty stuff in the laundry basket. I wash the wet cloths & bibs with whatever laundry I have. Not specifically towel laundry etc. If I wont be doing laundry that day, I just drape them over the side of hte laundry basket in the laundry room and they dry out without being heaped in a small ball to get moldy amongst the other clothes.

 

It really depends on the time of day. Breakfast and lunch usually a baby wipe to wipe their hands and face before and after but sometimes I will use a washcloth before and reuse afterwards. At dinner time I just usually do it int he bath because 9 times out of 10 they go straight from eating to the tub.

 

We have a container of baby wash cloths that stays in the kitchen for washing after meals. I try to use the thinnest, cheapest quality ones I have for faces and hands. They get into small spots better and dry quicker. Oddly enough I never thought about all the miscoloured and stained (darn bananas!) washcloths I have drying here and there around the house until others have mentioned it here! We hang them on the edge of the kitchen sink, the edge of the island and in the bathroom. Whenever I'm doing any type of laundry I make a quick dash to the kitchen to collect all the cloths.
My cloths will also do double duty and be used to wash up the high chair if it's only a small mess.
I only remember to wash hands before meals if they have been outside playing. It's a habit I need to break I guess.
As for bibs, we have one pair of cheap plastic ones with the pocket and one pair of the Kushies ones with the pockets. For small messes they get a wipe and for larger messes they get thrown into the sink with the hand wash dishes. I try to do this every night and then hang them to dry.

 

I sometimes use baby wipes but mostly use a washcloth. I just rinse it out after using and then put it over the radiator. I use the same one for about a week.

I don't wash hands before eating unless they're really filthy (like covered in dirt from crawling round the garden), and then I use the sink.

 

After posting that I use baby wipes all the time I decided to use a wash cloth for dinner. It is soooo much better for wiping off the crap! Am a convert and will use cloths from now on! Save some money doing it too. Thanks!