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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Using A Cloth Or Single Use Wipes After Meal Time.. What Do You Do?
turkey 08:36 AM 05-15-2013
I have a Licensed Family Daycare. I have the same 5 children everyday and have been open and running for 5 years now. Yesterday, I had a mom get upset and start freaking out about cross contaminating kids jerms because she seen me use the same cloth to wipe one child's face, as I did another...

I use 1-2 new cloths a day, and rince in hot soapy water between every use.

I think it's a waste of money and garbage to use single wipes for everychild for every meal. That's 2 each for most meals and I already use them outside and for infants who are drooling and have runny noses.

Im just curious what other home providers do? do you use cloths or single use wipes?
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Meyou 08:39 AM 05-15-2013
I have a stack of jersey "facecloths" that I cut from tshirts. I use a new one for each child and I just toss them in a bin in my kitchen and wash them every 2 days. I have enough to get through a couple of days. I use them for faces and hands. It's super easy to wet a stack of them at once.
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butterfly 08:41 AM 05-15-2013
I use a reuseable wash cloth. I agree about the waste. I understand the parents concern and had one of my dck's families express the same concern. I would suggest that the family supply the wipes if they have concerns and then you could use them for just their children. I personally just explained my process of cleaning to the concerned family and it wasn't brought up again.
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Rockgirl 08:45 AM 05-15-2013
I buy big bundles of washcloths. We use them for washing up after eating, and for drying hands. I keep a bucket in the kitchen and bathroom for dirty ones--they get a fresh one each time. I have enough so I can just do a couple of loads per week in the laundry, and the kids help me stack the clean ones.
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Mom2TLE 08:49 AM 05-15-2013
I am pretty sure it is against licensing regulations to use the same towel on more that one child. I just use one per child child a clean one each time and wash them every few days. You can get a pack of 18 for around $5 at Wal-Mart.if you get one with pink eye you will surely spread it even before you know the first child had it.
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canadiancare 08:49 AM 05-15-2013
Each child has their own facecloth. It and the bibs go in the wash at the end of the day. I rinse them as needed. I use white so I can bleach them.
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youretooloud 09:06 AM 05-15-2013
Each kid gets their own washcloth. I have huge stacks of them, and I give each kid their own.
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Play Care 09:10 AM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by Mom2TLE:
I am pretty sure it is against licensing regulations to use the same towel on more that one child. I just use one per child child a clean one each time and wash them every few days. You can get a pack of 18 for around $5 at Wal-Mart.if you get one with pink eye you will surely spread it even before you know the first child had it.


It is in my state. I have to have a separate towel for each child. I do have paper towels but am working on phasing them out and using cloth. Each child would have their own.
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daycarediva 09:23 AM 05-15-2013
EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWW. Sorry I am with Mom, that's NASTY! It's against regs here too. I couldn't even let them dry their just washed clean hands on the same towel. Every child in my care has a color, they have washcloths and hand towels that are just theirs. Washcloths are used once and put in the dirty clothes, hand towels are used for one day and then washed.

It was a small investment up front, as I bought high quality items and 3 washcloths and 2 hand towels per child, but well worth the use over paper.
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snbauser 09:36 AM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by Mom2TLE:
I am pretty sure it is against licensing regulations to use the same towel on more that one child. I just use one per child child a clean one each time and wash them every few days. You can get a pack of 18 for around $5 at Wal-Mart.if you get one with pink eye you will surely spread it even before you know the first child had it.
It is here as well. Single use only.
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WoodOx 09:55 AM 05-15-2013
These are great ideas, i know i'm not the OP, but i have been using papertowels and wipes for those purposes.
i will be stocking up on towels or cut up old shirts.
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Leigh 10:01 AM 05-15-2013
I use disposable wipes-I hand one to each kid and they wipe their own faces-I go to each kid and check their face (clean it up more if needed), and excuse them from the table one by one. I hate creating more trash to go in a landfill, but not as much as I hate the idea of ANOTHER load of laundry to do every day.

I, too, would never use the same cloth on different kids.
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turkey 10:16 AM 05-15-2013
Thanks for the input.
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Sugar Magnolia 10:22 AM 05-15-2013
I'm confused......did you use the same cloth, without washing it? Our did you wash it between uses? In my state, regs say disposable cloths only, no cloth towels or wash rags. I kinda agree with the mom, its pretty gross and definitely a health risk. I would use baby wipes, but if cost is the issue, use a damp paper towel. I get 4000 "trip-fold" paper towels for.$15. That's .004 cents per towel.
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melilley 10:26 AM 05-15-2013
I don't use either. I just take them to the sink and wash their hands and faces and give them a half of a paper towel to dry off-even the babies. For me, that's cleaner than using wipes or a washcloth. I have used washcloths in the past when I worked in a center and they seemed to work well (I still had them at least wash their hands), I just don't use them at my home childcare. Sorry, but I would never use the same washcloth on more than one child, if I did use them. As for the drooling, I put bibs on the children and use that to wipe it. And as for runny noses, I use a tissue. I know that it may not be very "green" of me to use paper towel or tissues, but in my opinion, it's the most sanitary. Also, my licensor said that when they come to do inspections, they prefer to see paper towels, especially in the bathroom, rather then towels or washcloths.

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Jewels 10:29 AM 05-15-2013
I was using paper towels, but recently placed an order on towel hub.com and bought 25 dozen washcloths, it was $120 with shipping, but i spend that on paper towels in a year I'm sure, I would never use one washcloth and use it on multiple children, first its against regulations, and second its against them for a really good reason, towels spread germs big time! So I agree with the mother on that one, I wouldn't want to see my kid being wiped with a towel another kid was just cleaned with.
And as above, I always take them to the sink and wash them with soap and water first, the towels be it paper or wash cloth are only for drying, I am not a fan of food smell on kids and like to wash as much away as possible.
And with 25 dozen that gives me enough to get through most of the week I hope without doing a load, maybe ill have to do one, I still will only have children use one per time and then throw it in the dirty
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jessrlee 10:59 AM 05-15-2013
I use wipes. I spend $15 every 3 weeks for 12 kiddos. Would you wash your face after someone else? I wouldn't. I know wipes aren't the greenest thing out there but I haaaaaaate laundry!
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EntropyControlSpecialist 11:08 AM 05-15-2013
I would be grossed out, too, if I was that parent!

It's against our licensing requirements to re-use a cloth on more than one child. This includes bathroom towels (you must get disposable ones or have one for each child).

For messy faces, I bought a lot of washcloths from Walmart, they are a waffle weave material, and use those at mealtimes. Yes, I go through a lot of them but it saves on the waste of paper towels. I wash them every other day.
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nothingwithoutjoy 11:10 AM 05-15-2013
Each of my children has an assigned color. I have 5 washcloths/child and 2 handtowels/child, all white with colored ribbons for hanging. Washcloths hang in my kitchen on little hooks; towels in the bathroom. I launder washcloths every day and towels once a week (or more often if they seem soiled or kids are sick). I rinse their washcloths with hot soapy water between uses.
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MrsSteinel'sHouse 11:19 AM 05-15-2013
I use wash clothes also. Separate clean one for each child, each meal. They go into a dishpan with my kitchen towels, all white. Every other day the get bleached and washed. I use to use paper towels in the bathroom but recently switched to wash clothes to dry hand too. They are in a basket and after used are tossed into a trash can designated for them. I wash this every other day and my little girls love to fold them! They are the only two usually here that early on those days. Not leaving guys out
Yes, we do more laundry but, I feel it is cleaner and I can't wipe as well with paper!
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williams2008 11:20 AM 05-15-2013
In my state regs say we can use individual cloth towels or paper towels.
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MNMum 11:21 AM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by Meyou:
I have a stack of jersey "facecloths" that I cut from tshirts. I use a new one for each child and I just toss them in a bin in my kitchen and wash them every 2 days. I have enough to get through a couple of days. I use them for faces and hands. It's super easy to wet a stack of them at once.
I am similar to this. However, I made washcloths that are jersey material on one side, baby towel material (or receiving blanket) on the other. I picked up a bunch of towels, receiving blankets at garage sales for a quarter each. I am by no means a seamstress, so they are not "pretty", but they get the job done. I use my kids old t-shirts or leggings after they are too worn out to be passed on to someone else. My kids like seeing their old clothes! Used once, then put in bin for wash. I have enough to get me through about a week. For wiping down the changing table, I have baby washcloths. I've also collected those at garage sales over the years. In the bathroom, each child has an Ikea washcloth that has a tag to hang it from.

So usually one load of laundry for the week for all of my kitchen and bathroom linen. I then have 3 little slaves that fold and redistribute the linens
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itlw8 11:24 AM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by Meyou:
I have a stack of jersey "facecloths" that I cut from tshirts. I use a new one for each child and I just toss them in a bin in my kitchen and wash them every 2 days. I have enough to get through a couple of days. I use them for faces and hands. It's super easy to wet a stack of them at once.
why did I not think of that ???? I do use them to make super hero cape but then toss the other half... what soft cloths they must make you are so smart...

Oh I just take the child to the sink and wash hands and face.
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itlw8 11:29 AM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by MrsSteinel'sHouse:
I use wash clothes also. Separate clean one for each child, each meal. They go into a dishpan with my kitchen towels, all white. Every other day the get bleached and washed. I use to use paper towels in the bathroom but recently switched to wash clothes to dry hand too. They are in a basket and after used are tossed into a trash can designated for them. I wash this every other day and my little girls love to fold them! They are the only two usually here that early on those days. Not leaving guys out
Yes, we do more laundry but, I feel it is cleaner and I can't wipe as well with paper!
Love that idea also the lady that came in to help care for my Mother had a basket of white washcloths that Mother folded. Mothers vision was pretty well gone but that was a task she could do. She never knew it was the same basket every day.
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MarinaVanessa 12:04 PM 05-15-2013
I use baby wipes to wipe kids anything ... the parents supply them and they all know. Clients with babies supply me with either a new bin of baby wipes or a large bag of wipes to refill the bins with when they get low. Clients of older kids (kids out of diapers) supply me with small bags of baby wipes (the kind that have the opening on the top). I don't use paper towels or napkins here to clean but I also don't use the same cloth on more than one child.

My bathroom has a dispenser with tri-fold paper towels though, I wouldn't use a cloth towel in there for all of the kids to use either.

To clean up spills and messes I use terry cloths which I may use again like to wipe a table and then the chairs and then finish with it by using it on the floor as well but I wait until the end of the meal and after I excuse all of the kids and spray the table and chairs with bleach/water solution, wipe it with the cloth and then wipe up the floor with that same cloth, then it goes into the laundry basket.
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JoseyJo 12:33 PM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by nothingwithoutjoy:
Each of my children has an assigned color. I have 5 washcloths/child and 2 handtowels/child, all white with colored ribbons for hanging. Washcloths hang in my kitchen on little hooks; towels in the bathroom. I launder washcloths every day and towels once a week (or more often if they seem soiled or kids are sick). I rinse their washcloths with hot soapy water between uses.

This is what we do too- We don't use washcloths though- after meals everyone washes up in the bathroom sink (even little ones w/ help) and dries their hands on their own hand towel that is hung on their own hook on the wall. We wash the hand towels once a week minimum, but usually close to twice a week. They are white with colored ribbons- we bleach them when we wash them though so the ribbons eventually turn pastel

We also have a basket with a large stack of dry washcloths (probably 2 dozen) in the bathroom at all times in case a parent or anyone else needs to use one to dry hands- those go straight to the laundry after one use.

In the kitchen we have a 1 gallon bucket that we fill with hot soapy water and about a dozen white cleaning cloths every morning, and a stack of dry cleaning cloths next to it. We use the wet ones to clean the tables, floors, counter, etc as needed- we use the dry ones to dry the tables, chairs, counters after we spray w/ bleach water (our state regs require washing and sanitation before/after each use of a table or counter). We have a separate little bin the in the laundry room for all the white cloths and we bleach them when the bin gets full.

Sounds like a lot but we spend maybe $20 a year replacing cloths as they wear out.
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crunchymama 12:39 PM 05-15-2013
We use cloth, at the beginning of the meal each child gets a new cloth (or rag as we call them here) and they use that rag as a napkin during the meal then I use it to wipe hands and faces. After eating and wiping they take their rag and put it in the rag basket to be washed. We go through a lot of rags each day so the bottom drawer in my kitchen is designated as just rags and the kids know to get them anytime they need to.
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LK5kids 12:57 PM 05-15-2013
Oh my goodness....no they don't share wash cloths! I use wipes. New one for each kid.

I may go the big stack of wash cloths......maybe. Will still use disposable towels to dry off at the sink. Years ago I used the separate towel to dry off with. I did that for ten years. It just didn't seem that sanitary. I Need to go back and read more carefully on what you all do. I always thought the kids might not pay attention and use others towels.

I only washed them once a week but it seemed like I should do it more often, just never got around to it!
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JenNJ 01:05 PM 05-15-2013
Barf!

I use colored wash cloths. Each kid has their own color. I also use those for drying hands in the bathroom. I wash twice a week when I wash my dish towels and cleaning rags. I bought 3 $5 packs at Wal-Mart.
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JenNJ 01:09 PM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by JoseyJo:
In the kitchen we have a 1 gallon bucket that we fill with hot soapy water and about a dozen white cleaning cloths every morning, and a stack of dry cleaning cloths next to it. We use the wet ones to clean the tables, floors, counter, etc as needed- we use the dry ones to dry the tables, chairs, counters after we spray w/ bleach water (our state regs require washing and sanitation before/after each use of a table or counter). We have a separate little bin the in the laundry room for all the white cloths and we bleach them when the bin gets full.

Sounds like a lot but we spend maybe $20 a year replacing cloths as they wear out.
PLEASE rethink this idea. Kids can drown in as little as an inch of water. I am really uncomfortable with this bucket sitting around all day.
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KnoxMom 01:15 PM 05-15-2013
I guess I'm one of the oddballs. I use bio-degradable wipes: eco-friendly and sanitary. It actually costs me MORE to run those extra laundy loads then it does for me to buy wipes in bulk. Also, parents provide a good portion so most times I don't even have to dip into my stash. I use stackable paper towels in the restroom; you can find them pretty cheap at Costco or Sam's.
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KnoxMom 01:16 PM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by JenNJ:
PLEASE rethink this idea. Kids can drown in as little as an inch of water. I am really uncomfortable with this bucket sitting around all day.
She said it was in the kitchen. I'd assume this area is off limits to the kiddos just as mine is
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LoraJenkins 01:34 PM 05-15-2013
In the bathroom I have a basket of white washcloths for drying hands. One use and they go into the hamper. At meals I have another set of larger towels. I wet 1 for each child as I am setting the table. They go into the hamper after 1 use also. I wash them on Wednesdays and Fridays with some bleach. Easy-peasy.
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nannyde 01:43 PM 05-15-2013
I have about 50-60 washcloths in day care stock. I make a bucket of warm rags (wrung out) for each play period. I do one swipe and then the rag goes in the wash. I never use the same rag on more than one kid. I also don't use the same rag thru the day with one kid. Each episode of cleaning gets a fresh rag.

I do a load of rags a day between the kids and the kitchen. I wash them in hot water and use scent free detergent. They are dried in the dryer.
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mainemomma 01:45 PM 05-15-2013
I cloth diaper my son and went insanely overboard ordering custom cloth wipes .....well, it was too much of a pain to make wipes and I switched back to disposable wipes for him so I had all these brand new 'wipes' sitting in my closet...guess what I now use for the daycare kids I also have little squares...about 2"x2" that I have a TON of for boogie wipes. I have a trashcan with a lid on it that all the dirty wipes go in and I do a sanitize wash on them in my washer every 3 or 4 days
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JoseyJo 03:56 PM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by JenNJ:
PLEASE rethink this idea. Kids can drown in as little as an inch of water. I am really uncomfortable with this bucket sitting around all day.

Oh no! I didn't mean down where they could get it! It is up high on a shelf. We are not allowed by licensing to have anything w/ any type of chemical (soap included) in the reach of children except handwashing soap on the bathroom sink.

Sorry, I didn't think about how that would come across
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Patches 07:07 PM 05-15-2013
Originally Posted by Mom2TLE:
I am pretty sure it is against licensing regulations to use the same towel on more that one child. I just use one per child child a clean one each time and wash them every few days. You can get a pack of 18 for around $5 at Wal-Mart.if you get one with pink eye you will surely spread it even before you know the first child had it.
I'm pretty sure it is here, too. But even if it wasn't....ewwww. I understand that parent being concerned about the spread of germs. As a parent, I would say something, too. I use white cloths. A new one for each child, each time.
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blandino 07:11 PM 05-15-2013
I use the same washcloth for each child for each day. They have small plastic bins, that their individual cloths go in after each meal. Sometimes the infants go straight into the laundry after each meal, depending on how dirty they are. Everyone else gets a fresh one at the start of each day. I also disinfect the plastic containers that hold the washcloths between meals, each night.

I use the 18 pack white washcloths, so that they can be bleached. We have almost enough to go a week without having to do laundry. Not that I try and let that happen - but it is nice to have enough to not worry.
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AnneCordelia 06:28 AM 05-16-2013
Has anyone heard of Norwex cloths? I am waiting for two of their Enviro Cloths to arrive. They are supposed to be antibacterial. I'm considering getting one for each child if I like them.

Right now I use single-use wipes for hands and faces.
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MyAngels 07:37 AM 05-16-2013
Originally Posted by Mom2TLE:
I am pretty sure it is against licensing regulations to use the same towel on more that one child. I just use one per child child a clean one each time and wash them every few days. You can get a pack of 18 for around $5 at Wal-Mart.if you get one with pink eye you will surely spread it even before you know the first child had it.


Another side benefit to this is that my kids stay quite healthy through the cold and flu season, and even if one does have a little cold they don't all come down with it.
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mema 07:48 AM 05-16-2013
Right now I use paper towels-the select a size ones from Sam's Club. I only have a small group tho, so it doesn't cost too much. I would like to go to everyone having their own wash cloth/towel.
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AnneCordelia 06:23 AM 05-21-2013
Originally Posted by AnneCordelia:
Has anyone heard of Norwex cloths? I am waiting for two of their Enviro Cloths to arrive. They are supposed to be antibacterial. I'm considering getting one for each child if I like them.

Right now I use single-use wipes for hands and faces.
Bumping cause my Norwex AntiBac Enviro cloths arrived today. Anyone use these?
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Familycare71 06:36 AM 05-21-2013
I use colored washcloths for each child to wiped up after meals- older kids wash themselves... They used the same one for the day(I rinse it off or give them a new one if they are really messy) and we use paper towels in the bathroom for hand washing...
We can't use the same towel here either- but I wouldn't anyway- my kids even have separate toothbrush holders! Lol
I am considering going to wipes tho for washing up the little ones-
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