stinky flannels

[spendthrift]

How do you perfect housewives prevent flannels going smelly when you are travelling and there's no opportunity for them to dry out properly again? No matter how much they are boiled beforehand, it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Dont use them! I take a pack of nice thick wipes, (sensitive baby wipes, or facial quality) give them a good soak in the sink before I use them, use as you would a flannel, then pop them in the bin! Much more pleasant way of coping! Or just take enough flannels for a clean one every day.

are we talking about a body flannel? If so I'm not sure there's a way, the body's bacteria will get onto the flannel during washing and that's what will cause the smell. It needs drying or boiling to get rid of them I'm afraid.

I'd suggest a travel towel, the kind that dries out really quickly? Costs about £8.

Don't think there's anything you can do if they're permanently damp unless you perhaps try soaking in a solution of water and white vinegar or water with a few drops of tea tree oil,before wringing out (my theory being that the natural anti bacterial qualities may slow down the growth of bacteria,and therefore the smells)

But thats guesswork....

what do you mean with travelling? coach tour city to city?
if yes, baby wipes is the answer.
if travelling by car, wash then with really hot water + soap after use and hang up in the car to dry during the day.

Wipes or, if you really want a cloth, a portion of a muslin. Roll it in a towel in the morning and twist, then blast with a hairdryer

Those netting pouffe things for the shower/bath are fine to travel with as they dry quickly. Blot them with the bath towel after use.

Wipes for the face.

You could try these www.homecare-products.co.uk/Products.aspx?sch=conti&gclid=CKmYr9Cc3a4CFUcRfAodqk9Kag - same as baby wipes but dry.

Brilliant ideas. Ds and dh have v sensitive skins and react badly to wipes or have in the past but will try again. Yes to drying out when possible, hadn't thought of hairdryer. Do the wring and towel thingy. Am firm believer in all properties of tea tree oil so will try that too.

Will think about travel towel. Ds will lose his.. sigh. Dh will forget. But I (grin) would have a lovely flannel.

Cut up an old towel into small squares et voila, disposable flannels.

This happens to us even in our bathroom as SOMEONE keeps forgetting to hang them up after cleaning the kids up. Sigh.

Someone (piglet john???) recommended using some antibac washing up liquid and leaving the flannel squeezed out but not rinsed. Then rinse thoroughly before using next time. I keep forgetting to try it but the theory sounded good.

Oh - also, thin flannels dry faster - Ikea do a pack of 10 for £3 and they dry pretty fast and have handy little loops to hang them up.

there is a way and it's easy.

useful when travelling or if in hospital or something.

rinse in hot water and squeeze out

then apply a squeeze of washing up liqiud, or bath foam (shampoo will do at a pinch) and squeeze through so it foams right through the flannel.

then squeeze it as dry as you can and lay out to air.

the detergent will prevent bacterial growth that makes it smell. For next use, squeeze out again in hot water. Any residual dirt or grease will wash away easily due to the detergent.

You can do the same with washing-up sponges, with a squeeze of WUL.

The other alternative is not to dry them out in the day at all - treat them like reusable wipes and put them in a loc and loc box with boiled water and tea tree oil - then rinse in the evening and make sure they are hung up at night

This is all incredibly helpful.

What I also want to know is how we never had smelly flannels as a child when we were doing long haul travel eg to Australia over several days. Can't recall my mother hanging the flannels over the airline seats to dry.. bizarre.

you just didn't notice...

You could use microfibre cloths instead. New ones obviously. They dry quickly and wash really well.