Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course I reuse before washing. Several times. I also reuse my sheets, my dishcloths, and my towels before washing. A discreet dab of sauce from the corner of my mouth does not warrant laundering the entire napkin.

Gross. I assume napkins are labeled with your family members’ names so you aren’t sharing “sauce from...[your] mouth”? Once again, gag.

Yes, everyone keeps their napkin from meal to meal. No need to wash after every meal.

Where do you store them between meals to grow bacteria and ferment?

That doesn't actually happen.

Why wouldn't it happen? You are leaving old food and saliva sitting around on a cloth. It is like a petri dish.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course I reuse before washing. Several times. I also reuse my sheets, my dishcloths, and my towels before washing. A discreet dab of sauce from the corner of my mouth does not warrant laundering the entire napkin.

Gross. I assume napkins are labeled with your family members’ names so you aren’t sharing “sauce from...[your] mouth”? Once again, gag.

Yes, everyone keeps their napkin from meal to meal. No need to wash after every meal.

Where do you store them between meals to grow bacteria and ferment?

Havent had that problem, but we “store them” at their place at the table, on the left of their placemat. I know of a family where each person has their own unique napkin holder/ring and they are kept that way in the middle of the table so that the table can be used for other things when they are not eating.

Do you have trouble using chapstick or lipstick more than once too?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry I have not switched to cloth...you can reuse them? Seems like they would be dirty.

Reuse is the point. Wash them when dirty. See?

No obviously I do not think you are tossing the cloth napkin after each use. That would be absurd. But people are saying that they wiped their mouths and dirty hands on a cloth napkin and then use it again the next day or up to 7 days. To me that would be the same as eating on the same plate without washing it... GROSS! Bacteria growing everywhere!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course I reuse before washing. Several times. I also reuse my sheets, my dishcloths, and my towels before washing. A discreet dab of sauce from the corner of my mouth does not warrant laundering the entire napkin.

Gross. I assume napkins are labeled with your family members’ names so you aren’t sharing “sauce from...[your] mouth”? Once again, gag.

Yes, everyone keeps their napkin from meal to meal. No need to wash after every meal.

Where do you store them between meals to grow bacteria and ferment?

That doesn't actually happen.

Yes, we always have. Get a material that washes well. We're not talking hemstitched linen, lol! Some stores sell them by the dozen for under $10. I wash them with the dish towels once a week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course I reuse before washing. Several times. I also reuse my sheets, my dishcloths, and my towels before washing. A discreet dab of sauce from the corner of my mouth does not warrant laundering the entire napkin.

Gross. I assume napkins are labeled with your family members’ names so you aren’t sharing “sauce from...[your] mouth”? Once again, gag.

Yes, everyone keeps their napkin from meal to meal. No need to wash after every meal.

Where do you store them between meals to grow bacteria and ferment?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course I reuse before washing. Several times. I also reuse my sheets, my dishcloths, and my towels before washing. A discreet dab of sauce from the corner of my mouth does not warrant laundering the entire napkin.

Gross. I assume napkins are labeled with your family members’ names so you aren’t sharing “sauce from...[your] mouth”? Once again, gag.

Yes, everyone keeps their napkin from meal to meal. No need to wash after every meal.

Anonymous wrote: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.

We have always had cloth napkins. We have a pile in a cabinet. We replace when they get dirty - from 1-7 days I would guess. Depending on how often you do laundry and how often you want to change them, the number would would need would vary. In our experience, 4 per person is more than enough. But it is nice to have more to vary the colors on the table.

Anonymous wrote:Of course I reuse before washing. Several times. I also reuse my sheets, my dishcloths, and my towels before washing. A discreet dab of sauce from the corner of my mouth does not warrant laundering the entire napkin.

Gross. I assume napkins are labeled with your family members’ names so you aren’t sharing “sauce from...[your] mouth”? Once again, gag.

We have 3 kids under 12 and we switched to cloth napkins about 2 years ago. It's great.

Anonymous wrote:When do you find time to fold them and put away? That was my downfall when I tried this

I wash them with the towels so it was no different than folding and putting away the towels.

But (big, giant but here), from the time my kids were about 3 years old, they helped me with folding towels. My oldest liked to do grown up chores, not “baby” chores (basically meaning he wanted to do what I was doing, not busy work) so he’d fold washcloths, dishtowels and napkins while I folded towels and other laundry. Then when his sister was old enough, she took on washcloths and dishtowels and DS did napkins and socks for the family, and his own underwear. It kept them busy, let me do my work, and was actually helpful.

We have used cloth napkins for years. We are still using white wash clothes for our 2 year old (new one at every meal, slightly damp), but otherwise cloth it is. We've got enough that we can put them in the laundry after every meal and it's not a problem to run out before the next wash. Dark colors/patterns are the easiest to not worry about staining with, though most food comes out no problem. We are pretty tidy eaters though, I can't recall the last time I really had to wipe food off of my own face.

I have some natural gray and white linen ones. Maybe about a dozen. I keep them in a basket in the dining room. They get washed daily or every other day on hot with the rest of the kitchen rags or a load of white clothes.

There are somewhat stained, but I view it as patina. I have another set I pull out for special occasions that I treat stains on and press.

I use cloth and wash after each use.

Yup, have since they were babies and they are now late elementary. Pretty much has eliminate paper napkins and towels. We probably have 3 dozen. Soft cotten is best, especially when they were little and needed faces washed often. We keep a wicker basket with lid in the kitchen where they go when dirty and have a drawer with clean ones. These days we wash once a week but it was probably more often when they were tiny.