This post is Part Two of my series on cloth wipes in the bathroom. Read more on why I use them, the questions asked by readers, and Part One of my answers to the questions.
Let me just start by telling you my cloth wipe laundry routine. It is essentially the same routine I used for cloth diapers. When I had babies in cloth diapers, I would wash our cloth wipes and diapers together. No one here is in diapers anymore (hurray!) (well, except for those nighttime disposables, and no, I haven't found a solution for that issue . . yet . . .).
As I noted in Part One, all of our used cloth wipes go into a little zippered wet bag. Every other night, I take the wet bag and dump out the contents into the washer. Then I throw the wet bag in as well. Please note - I never touch any of the dirty wipes.
Between the three of us (the girls and I), we use enough cloth wipes in two days to make a nice, small washing machine load.
1. I run a cold rinse, then a hot wash with detergent and some Borax or Oxy-Clean (whatever is on hand).
2. When it's done, I throw it all in the dryer with a dry towel to make the drying more efficient. (Yes, I could hang these to dry outside. I should. I know this, okay. I just don't.)
3. Buzzer rings, and I fold wipes and put it all back in the bathroom.
Easy-peasy.
Seriously.
I have to say that if we were using wipes for #1 only, I would have zero qualms about running the wipes through in a regular load of laundry. It's just pee.
Other questions:Do you use a wipe solution?
I don't. I know many people who use cloth wipes like to mix up a little wipe solution to spray on to the wipes for #2 clean-up. Peri bottles (the kind the hospital sends home with you after you deliver a baby) work particularly well for this. There are many wipes solutions recipes out there - just Google and you'll see. I don't find the need for this. Our sink is within arm's reach of the toilet, so I just wet the wipe at the sink.
What about having to deal with the results of your husband's clean-up?
Okay, well, again - Kyle thinks this whole thing is laughably ridiculous. He and I do not share the same passion for frugality/conservationism/comfy-potty-clean-up. So I don't have to deal with my husband's clean-up wipes, but so what if I did?
It all goes in the same wet bag, I don't ever look into or rifle through the wet bag to inspect the used wipes, and it all goes into the same washer anyway. And again, I'm never handling the used wipes at any point, except for obviously when I am using them. You have to handle paper TP when you are using it, too, correct? And I assure you, you do not have the "breakthrough" moments with cloth wipes that sometimes do happen with paper TP.
What about the energy usage?
This uses no more energy for me than cloth diapering did. In fact, it uses a little less because my cloth diaper loads were generally a large load run that involved a cold rinse, hot wash, and cold rinse. So I am, in effect, reducing my footprint.
I am not a scientist or an engineer or an any way educated about these things, but it just seems to me that the energy usage required to process paper to turn it into TP on top of the transportation required to distribute it through stores . . . well, I just don't see how that could be equal to me doing three extra loads of laundry a week. Feel free to correct me with facts and numbers here if you would like to.
Is it really safe to wash poopy wipes in your home washing machine?
The question of poop in the washer is one I had to settle for myself when I started cloth diapering. I believe that yes, it is safe. If you can't take my word for it, check out this article on laundry from the CDC:
Although soiled linen may harbor large numbers of pathogenic microorganisms, the risk of actual disease transmission from soiled linen is negligible.
and
Studies have shown that a satisfactory reduction of microbial contamination can be achieved at water temperatures lower than 160°F if laundry chemicals suitable for low-temperature washing are used at proper concentrations. In the home, normal washing and drying cycles including "hot" or "cold" cycles are adequate to ensure . . . safety.
Who would have thought that the CDC and I could stand in agreement on an issue? Wonders never cease. (If you are a new reader, I'm not an anti-CDC whacko. We just part ways when it comes to the way they handle vaccination recommendations. You can read more of my thoughts on vaccinations here.)
I feel that I am forgetting to address something.
Have you learned all that you ever wanted to know about cloth wipes, but didn't dream that someone would talk about it publicly?
Tell me what I left out and I shall address it as best as I can.photo courtesy of le vent le cri
