It was when I was working at a small town car wash in college that I first discovered that cloth diapers are amazing. No, not those fancy cloth diapers we’re seeing more and more to use for babies (although they do look pretty neat too). I’m talking about the old white cloths with the thick middle strip – the old-fashioned pre-fold cloth diapers.
We’ve been trying to get away from using paper towels so much in our house and are even thinking of switching to cloth napkins. For now, we’re starting with cleaning and cooking without using paper towels. Cloth diapers have been a great substitute for us so far. Here are some new uses I’ve found for cloth diapers.
1. Cleaning windows and mirrors. I must be challenged or something, but every time I’ve used microfiber cloths to clean my windows and mirrors I get streaks. At first I thought it was the fibers rubbing off on the glass, but when I looked closer, I could see hundreds of tiny streaks. This is when I had my car wash flashback! The cloths are soft and absorbent enough to leave a hassle-free, streak-free shine every time!
2. Drying herbs and veggies. I recently bought a really nice salad spinner because I was tired of having to hand dab wet lettuce on the counter. However, it doesn’t work for everything and I really hate using paper towels because it seems like such a waste. So, I grabbed on of my unused cloth diapers (I think I will keep two separate piles) and layed it next to my sink to dry my herbs and veggies. That middle absorbent strip is perfect for laying down stalks of cilantro on top of.
3. Dish towels. This one I guess is a no-brainer. The diapers are the perfect size and you can even put your own embellishments on them if you want to. Iron-on or embroidered monogram would be a cute finishing touch.
4. Dusting wood furniture. Since the diapers are so soft, they’re perfect for dusting and oiling your wood furniture. I remember having to do this every week at my parent’s house since most of their furniture was wood. Have ornate furniture? Use Q-tips for spots you just can’t get with a cloth.
5. Cleaning up wet messes. The diapers were made for wet messes, right? Use that extra absorbent cloth to wipe up spills around your house.
If you like to keep your cloths separated by purpose, you make a couple of quick stitches in different colors for each one. Or better yet, do a little free-hand embroidery and label each diaper in the corner so you know what it’s used for. Happy cleaning!
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Sunday Funday @ The Foley Fam
