35 Uses for Old Muslin Cloths

My boys are now older teenagers but I still have a number of the muslin cloths I used when they were babies because they are just so useful for so many things.  They are lint free, super soft, strong, absorbent and natural - don't get rid of them after your baby grows up and  re-purpose them into something new.

35 uses for old muslin cloths

Around the house:

1. Make into a duster
2. Use as a washable cleaning cloth
3. Shoe shining cloth/buffer
4. Make into pot pourri drawer freshening sachets.
5. Use as gift wrap (include a link to this blog so your friends will know what to use their cloth for afterwards!)
6. Hang insect repelling herbs in a muslin bag by windows and doors
7. Put cotton wool soaked in peppermint oil in a muslin bag and hang in your wardrobe to deter moths and others insects.

In the kitchen:

8. Make into a jelly bag to sieve fruit when jam/jelly making
9. Make DIY tea bags
10. Squeeze lemons through them
11. Drain yoghurt through them when making thicker Greek yoghurt
12. In cheese making use them to separate the curds and whey
13. Store/dry cheeses in them
14. Strain nut milks through them
15. When making chutneys tie spices in a muslin bag
16. Make into a bread storing bag
17. Use to squeeze moisture from vegetables
18. Make into a beeswax food cover
19. Use as a jar cover when sprouting seeds
20. Make into storage bags both for bought and home grown vegetables/fruit
21. Use to make a bouquet garni

In the bathroom: 

22. Make in to a bandanna to protect your hair when applying face masks etc
23. Make into a soap saver bag
24. Use to gently exfoliate skin and lips
25. Use as reusable cloths for make up removal

Out and about:

26. Make into a light and fold-able drawstring bag
27. Cut down into reusable travel wipes
28. Make into lightweight reusable produce bags
29. Make into a wrap-up case for reusable cutlery
30. Use as a small lightweight towel
31. Make them in to small travel blankets
32. Use as sun shades in the car

Miscellaneous

33. Makes clothes for your children's toys
34. Make clothes for your children such as super soft PJs
35. Use them as a backdrop in photography

Muslin cloths are amazingly useful when you have babies ... and just as useful afterwards. Do you have any more uses for old baby muslin cloths?

Green Bog Round Up - February 2020

Each month I am putting together a post with some of green themed blogs I have come across over the preceding month. Here are my favourites for February 2020 and if you have any interest subjects such as reducing waste, plastic free living, carbon offsetting and green cleaning then you will find at least one blog post here to enjoy.

Helen from Spot of the Earth reviewed her local Zero Waste Shop
You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook

Aaron from The Busy Papa will help us reduce fridge waste with this post.
You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

Teja on the Horizon wrote about Carbon Offsetting based on your personality
You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram

With Summer on the way Justine from Little Green Duckie talks about how to having wet wipe free festival fun!
You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter

Spring Cleaning must be in the air as two bloggers have written about natural cleaning: 

Trail  of Breadcrumbs wrote about the simplicity of Green Cleaning  
You can follow this Trail of Breadcrumbs (see what I did there?!) on Twitter and Pinterest

and so did Isabel from Sustainable, Responsible Living  - Cleaning with Natural Products

You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

Whilst we are talking Spring Cleaning I wanted to also highlight this post. I have recently become aware of cleaning influencers on instagram and how they are pushing their followers to use ridiculous amounts of cleaning products. This overuse is a disaster both for anyone who uses this amount of cleaners (something I blogged about before) and for the environment. One of these influencers, a brand ambassador for P&G, has over 3 million followers and in the unregulated world of instagram is able to post stories promoting their excess use whilst also showing unsafe ways to store these dangerous chemicals aka laundry tabs.  I can see no better reason to stop using these commercial cleaning products than the facts that they need child proof lids (that should NEVER be removed) and 7000 cases of ingestion were reported in a one year period and 6 deaths since have been attributed to people eating them. (source).

Finally I wrote a post about making environmental connections:

Find A Green and Rosie Life on Facebook, Instagram (joint page with the gite), Twitter and Pinterest.

... and don't forget you can follow my #DailyGreenTips over on my A Green and Rosie Life Facebook page.

If you have a blog post you would like to be added in the March roundup please do get in touch.  Posts need to be current and on any of these subjects:

• Recipes with seasonal and/or foraged ingredients
• Organic gardening and attracting wildlife to your garden
• The 4 Rs and a U - Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Repair and Upcycle.
• Natural crafting
• Waste and energy reduction.
• Conservation posts - helping wildlife, wild flowers and their habitats.
• Connecting kids to Nature
• Discussions on green, sustainable, ethical, organic, environmental subjects such as:
• Green hobbies
• Green technology/advances
• Green politics
• Good environmental practice 
• Greenwashing 
• Sustainability and you

.... and lots more besides.  If you have a current post with a theme that is green, sustainable, ethical, organic, fair trade, environmental, seasonal or local please do get in touch and I'll include it in next month's round-up.

Why antibacterial cleaners are bad for you and the planet

Antibacterial cleaners, wipes and hand santisers are big business with countless varieties available, all claiming to kill 99.9% of germs/bacteria.  There is however compelling evidence that these antibacterial cleaning products are both ineffective in keeping us healthy and in fact dangerous for the people using them, their families and the environment.  Their success in recent years can be put down, at least in part, to some very effective marketing by the manufacturers, who have duped the public into believing they are vital to maintain health, when actually the complete opposite is true.  Just look at this marketing for a product called Lysol, an American antibacterial cleaner, that uses the tagline: Stop just CLEANING. Start HEALTHING. 

Photo Credit