Cloth napkins with kids?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone do cloth napkins with kids? How do you wash them? How many do you have?

Trying to reduce waste but not sure this is a good move for this particular season of our lives.

[Anonymous]

We do, most of them are heavily patterned and we got them for our wedding so they have lasted 11+ years. We also have some cheap ones from ikea. I don't use paper towels except for things that may touch raw meat or excessively sticky things so I have plenty of rags and towels to wash each week. I have a wetbag hanging in the kitchen where I toss the soiled ones.
I'd say we have around 2 dozen napkins

[Anonymous]

We do. I have a dozen probably. Only one preschooler and a newborn. Used cloth napkins for 10 years now. We reuse them for a couple days unless they are really filthy.
i find patterned ones work best, also not too thick fabric since it's easier for little hands to wipe with thinner fabric. Eventually they get too many stains on them but we have everyday family napkins and separate for when company comes over. I got the original sets on Etsy a long time ago pre kid and also get plain colored larger ones form World Market.

[Anonymous]

Yes, with individual napkin rings (a WASP culture thing)
see other thread.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, we’ve always used cloth napkins. You just wash them with like colors - not complicated.

[Anonymous]

I started with 75. I bought them off of Etsy (multiple patterns) and 4 years later I probably have 60 left. I’m about ready to buy another set of 25. I like to be able to get through a week before washing, though we use those white bar rags instead of paper towels in the kitchen so on a messy week we might do 2 loads. If a napkin gets really gross I rinse it and hang it over the side of the basket (well ventilated, dedicated basket) instead of tossing it in, but 99% aren’t gross.

The cost has paid for itself over time, and it’s nice to be able to stop throwing out that paper and the plastic they come wrapped in. We keep them in a nice basket on the table. I have no problem with the kids using them, it’s no messier than paper. They’re really good about not throwing them out, and it’s a perfect chore for young kids to fold them.

[Anonymous]

Yep, a mix of washcloths when younger and cloth napkins now. We just have a hamper in the pantry and wash like regular towels—on hot with Oxi Clean. I have enough that we can get a full load of them.

[Anonymous]

Kids can use them just as adults would. I have around 16 for a family of 3. It’s plenty. I wash them when needed with any load of other laundry. It’s very easy.

[Anonymous]

We use them too. I have a colorful set (around 15) for lunchboxes and plain white for home, about 3 dozen for a family of 3. I wash them in hot water, the white ones get washed on the steam setting to get out stains. We also use cleaning cloths instead of paper towels (a mix of old burp cloths, retired washcloths, and face towels).

[Anonymous]

Always. We have to in lunch (Waldorf school). Make them or buy cheap ones. I do laundry a lot so I just toss them in whenever and we have a lot.

[Anonymous]

We have a ton - it’s all we use. We have a clean basket and a dirty basket. I wash them once a week with regular laundry. We don’t iron them and they are all dark colors or prints. We don’t worry about matching. We probably have 3 dozen for 4 people .

[Anonymous]

We probably had 2 dozen regular use cloth napkins when our teens were toddlers. We had a basket under the sink we’d toss them and dish towels into, and we washed them with towels 1-2 times a week. If the kids got really gross during a meal, like covered in spaghetti sauce or frosting, we’d use a wet washcloth instead. We also kept a nice set for holidays and having friends over. We didn’t worry too much if the daily napkins got a little stain here or there. When we would fold them, we’d be sure to make that side be hidden, and we tried to make sure the kids got the stained ones.

[Anonymous]

At Bed Bath and Beyond I found a pack of multi colored cloth napkins. Every family member has their own color. We tend to reuse these a few times (dinner only) before washing, unless it’s a super messy meal and a napkin needs to be changed. We are all used to it, even my germapobe DH.

[Anonymous]

I grew up with them (and yes, also napkin rings! But those were for when company joined us for dinner).

I use dishtowels from IKEA, which are much cheaper than napkins. And are you all washing them after every use? I change them out once a week, unless something makes them particularly dirty.

[Anonymous]

I have two dozen I got from Etsy. I wash them after every use. They go into a bag under the sink, I wash about 2x a week.

It’s great. I don’t find it burdensome at all and I have 3 kids under 5.

I also replaced our paper towels with reusable paper towels.