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101 uses for a Muslin

21 replies

shipsladyg · 01/06/2010 14:00

My hubby is sceptical about my insistence that we need the two dozen muslins I've bought - and that's with his best mate saying how his new born is getting through at least eight a day. DH latest response is "why can't we just use a tea towel; we've got lots of them already" So, I'm asking your help to get together a list of the myriad of uses a muslin is suitable for - baby related or otherwise!

Here are a few of my starters:

Clearing up baby's spit up
Impromptu nappy if caught short
Swaddling
Car polishing
Jam making

Over to you!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
belgo · 01/06/2010 14:05

They can be used as nappies or as extra padding for a terry nappy.

I've seen them turned into bra, on a programme on breastfeeding!

MumNWLondon · 01/06/2010 14:07

personally only ever used for:

-clearing up baby sick
-covering you clothes to protect against baby sick
-if you have a boy catching wee during nappy change to protect your walls and curtains!
-if you have a girl to cover your changing mat so that if she wees during a change her clothes not all totally soaked

  • if you feed lying down in bed covering sheet to catch leaking milk (either during night feeds or just between feeds)
  • covering you up when breastfeeding in public
  • using as "bib" for sicky baby if got baby has nice clothes on
  • to put on baby's mattress during sleeps to catch any sick to save you washing sheet so often

can't see thay would ever use as nappy, not big enough or strong enough for swaddling

belgo · 01/06/2010 14:09

They were commonly used as nappies in Belgium; I've never seen terry's nappies used here.

Good as a nappy changing mat.

Tillyscoutsmum · 01/06/2010 14:11

Impromptu sun shade

Cover up for changing stations in public places

As a comforter or "toy" (playing pee po etc)

As a wash cloth when they are weaning (still use them as face cloths on my 3 year old)

To line car seat if its hot (stop sweaty head marks) or if baby is liable to do exploding poos (aren't they all ?)

plantsitter · 01/06/2010 14:12

As a slightly rubbish mother, I use/d them:

As a bib when out and about and forgotten bib.

When had no clean flannels - as flannel, obviously.

As sun hat for baby or adult when forgot sunhat.

As sun shade in car when proper one got squished.

As sun shade in pushchair when forgot parasol (seeing a theme here?)

I got really annoyed with the idea of muslin squares when I was pregnant as everyone kept going on about needing them, but luckily for me my sister told me to stop being precious and get some, and she was RIGHT.

BornToFolk · 01/06/2010 14:13

Nose wiping. They are very soft when noses get sore from frequent wiping.

Putting under the baby's head in cot/Moses basket so you don't have to change the sheet if they spit up a little bit.

Wiping of mucky faces and hands after eating.

Draping over buggy to keep the sun off.

Here's a tip for you - dye your muslins now. I did mine (Dylon dark blue dye, in the washing machine, really easy) after about 18 months when they were starting to look really grey and minging. Should have done it much earlier. It would have saved confusion at baby groups too, when each baby has a muslin and you never know which is which!

megonthemoon · 01/06/2010 14:13

It's not always so much how many things you can do with a muslin as how many times you need to use one per day to deal with just one or two things! So mainly you get through a gazillion just clearing baby sick - about 3 times per feed when my DS was little, so pretty much one muslin per feed as he was sick a lot so 8 a day just for feeds! And then you always need one to hand as the baby will always be sick when you are on the move which means at least one or two in every room you go in plus one thrown permanently over your and his shoulders.

But here are some other uses, baby related or otherwise:

Cheap changing mat cover - keeps baby off cold plastic mat and can just throw in wash when poo goes all over it rather than having to wipe up the mat. Cheaper than those terry ones that John Lewis sell specially.

Putting in cot/moses basket under baby's head so when baby is a bit sick or drools or snotty when sleeping you can just remove muslin rather than having to change sheets every nap time.

Drying your face/hands when you haven't had chance to put a load of towels on for 3 weeks because you have a newborn...

Bib for baby/toddler/yourself when eating messy spaghetti...

Blowing your nose if you've run out of tissues or are trapped on sofa with sleeping/feeding baby

Draping over, ahem, strategic areas if you are breastfeeding in public, large of norkage and were dim enough to put on only a tight strappy vest top when you went out that day (happened to me several times - I don't learn quickly)

Sunshade if it suddenly gets sunny when you are walking in the park with the baby and you've forgotten to bring parasol/sunshade (or just weren't organised enough to buy them, in my case!)

Triangular bandage / wound dressing if you are in some sort of emergency first aid situation (and weren't organised enough to buy a first aid kit for the house, again as in my case!)

Squeezing out grated cucumber when making homemade tzatziki, as I did last week

Basically if you're disorganised like me they are a lifesaver.

deaddei · 01/06/2010 14:16

I read this as 101 uses for a MUSLIM -and wondered which troll had started it!!!
Must go and put my glasses on.
FWIW, I loved muslins- very useful.

katiepotatie · 01/06/2010 14:19

all of the above you honestly will use way more than you think. Asda sell them for £3 a pack

StewieGriffinsMom · 01/06/2010 14:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

shipsladyg · 01/06/2010 14:25

Oops. Perhaps if a moderator spots this they could change the OP to Muslin Cloths (but not clothes... that really wouldn't help!)

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 01/06/2010 14:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Tillyscoutsmum · 01/06/2010 15:19

I started almost the same thread word for word a couple of years ago and also had lots of posters misreading it for Muslims and about to come on and give me grief !

Librashavinganotherbiscuit · 01/06/2010 15:21

I find them very useful to do the dusting.

lovechoc · 01/06/2010 15:32

DS uses them as a bib when eating at the table - he is 3yo and still needs his clothes covered esp for eating fromage frais or yoghurt.

M32song · 01/06/2010 15:47

filtering out sediment when draining a 21 year old bottle of port.

vintage · 01/06/2010 15:55

dear God read that as Muslim

Flossbert · 01/06/2010 15:55

all of the above and:

i put three on top of each other at the bum end of the changing mat, then as they get covered with poo you can just peel a layer away.

and i would keep one actually on me during the final feed so that when I put LO down I could put her down on a nice warm muslin that smells of mummy.

Dusters, sun-hats, sun-shades, hankies for trapped mummies, all that jazz. Jeez, what can't you do with them!

Flossbert · 01/06/2010 15:56

btw, i have two dozen, i use them all constantly and i don't even have a very sicky baby.

LooL00 · 01/06/2010 15:59

I wrap the bread in them when it comes out of the bread maker.

goodlifemummy · 01/06/2010 15:59

Straining our home-made Sloe Gin, and also the squeezy cucumber thing! Wonderful invention!!

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