Blog Update!
For those of you not following me on Facebook, as of the Summer of 2019 I've moved to Central WA, to a tiny mountain town of less than 1,000 people.

I will be covering my exploits here in the Cascades, as I try to further reduce my impact on the environment. With the same attitude, just at a higher altitude!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Using cloth - the wipe up

Don't forget to wipe!So, you are planning on doing (or are fence-straddling) the Cloth Wipe Challenge and you want more details. Well, here's the wipe-up. Or, the wrap-up, whichever you prefer. These are my suggestions.

1. If you are just trying this out as a trial, but aren't convinced you want to do this for more than two weeks, then get some cheap 100% cotton flannel or rip up old sheets or t-shirts and use those. For more details read my doin' it on the cheap post. Otherwise you can buy wipes made especially for this purpose (Google "family wipes").

2. If you plan on using cloth only for #1, get a mesh bag to hang on your TP roll holder or a small container with a lid (those compost pails with the filter work nice too). After you wipe, just throw the used cloth in your receptacle of choice and then launder with your other clothes. You can use a cold water wash if you use the dryer or line dry in the sun. If you're worried about bacteria, wash them in hot water.

3. If you plan on using cloth for #1 and #2, get a small container with a lid (again, the compost pail with filter is nice to keep the stink down). If you are doing a dry pail method, just throw the used wipes in the pail and toss some baking soda in occasionally if smell is an issue. If you are using a wet pail method, fill the pail with the soak of your choice (tea tree oil, baking soda, etc.) and then throw the used wipes in there. Wash the used cloth in hot water. You can add a vinegar rinse if you like. For more info on cleaning, see my stinky post.

That's pretty much it! Any more questions?

What are you waiting for?

For those of you that just need a little extra enticement, I'm throwing some prizes into the deal. Check back Friday to see what wonderful cloth wipe swag you can win if you take on The Challenge!

Tomorrow I'll be reviewing the benefits of using cloth...

7 comments:

anna j said...

crunchy, i think i'm going to back out of the challenge. i forgot i have a squeamish roommate i don't want to offend.

Anonymous said...

I'll sign up for the challenge. I've wanted to switch to cloth since I started cloth diapering 3 years ago. I still havn't convinced Superdad but this may do the trick. Especially if I hide the paper TP. :::evil grin:::

Anonymous said...

Crunchy, how often do you wash the cloth wipes? Do have enough to fill up a washing machine, say, once a week? Do you ever let the wipes sit for, say, two weeks? I'm a bit squeamish about that, but I don't want washing the wipes to turn into a "hobby," either. Hence my not signing up yet...

Anonymous said...

Oops, that should have been "Do you have enough..." :)

Niffer said...

I finally figured out how to put the banner on my blog! Yeah, I'm slow. I was trying to over complicate it. I really want to hear from people who are taking this "on the road." I'm curious.

FreeIndeed said...

I'll watch from the sidelines. This isn't the first time I've heard of this and I believe it's great for the environment (just not for MY environment, lol), but just reading the description made me want to vomit.

I do enjoy your blog though and I applaud all of you who are taking this challenge.

Olive said...

this is so much easier because we already cloth diaper and use cloth wipes on the babes. i feel like im cheating!