Chmielewski_Family

       Family Cloth 

 

The purpose of the Family cloth is to reduce

the waste created by toilet paper.

The environmentally unfriendly

 

aspects of toilet paper happen before

it arrives at your home. Trees are destroyed

for the necessary pulp and large

 

 amounts of chemicals are used to turn the

wood pulp into the soft, fluffy, white tissues

we like to use. In addition,

 

those darn packages of t.p. are big and

a lot of fuel is burned getting them to their

 destination. These concerns are

 

causing people to ditch their toilet paper

and use a family cloth instead.

Eco-friendly families usually start out trying

 different cloths. Old t-shirts are the most

 popular source for family

 

 cloth pieces. You can also use many other

types of fabric. We are right now using

flannel, hemp/bamboo, and terry

 

and they work well. Using them for a

family cloth prevents them from becoming

yet another piece of landfill. Cotton t-

 

shirt material-flannel-hemp/bamboo and terry

are soft and very absorbent. They also receive

high ratings from

 

female users because they don't leave any of

that annoying tissue dust after usage.

For those unfamiliar with the family cloth, the

name is somewhat misleading. No one seems to

be certain where the

 

term originated but is not an accurate title.

Family members do not share a single cloth

for their bathroom wiping

 

needs. Each family has their own method, but

most often a stack of clean cloth strips are

left near the toilet in the bathroom.

 

 After use the family cloth is placed in a bucket.

We got ours at Wal-mart and I use it for

family cloth and my cloth

 

pads.I like how the bucket comes out and has a

handle so that you can carry it to the laundry

or dry diaper pail.

 

 

If your pail is in your bathroom then you have no

 need for the bucket you can use your pail for

the cloths.

          

Every few days the contents are washed with

cloth diapers if you have babies or with towels.

 

 

And that if my thoughts on family cloth!

 

 

I would like to add that for us family cloth

is new and at first I thought it was just yuck

but after already doing cloth

 

 diapers then trying cloth pads the change

 was actually not bad at all.

 

 

My girls like it because they can pick out fun

colors and characters in the flannel and

make their own wipes.

 

 

I must share this funny with you our youngest

daughter just learning to potty train loves the

cloth she gets excited to

 

 play a game with them while she sits there and

 waits we play I spy with some fabric that has

 many things on it or pick

 

 out colors things like that.

 

   

 

 

Family cloth to me incorporates

 

All cloth that we use in our home.

 

Such as, napkins, diapers, towels,

 

Momma pads, potty wipes, lunch bags,

grocery bags,

 

 diaper bags, sandwich bags, snack bags etc..

 

You get the idea..

 

Explore a whole new way to recycle your

old t-shirts and flannel things

 

or have fun going to an good will and buying

 big shirts with fun prints the

 

 ideas are unlimited to what you can do.

Enjoy making and creating recyclable things.

 

 

It is good for you and good for our Earth.

Sanitary issues are a top concern

 

for those who don't use the family cloth.

They worry about the used cloths sitting around

 

 and about whether they get really clean.

This should not be a concern. Cloth diapers are similarly

 

stored and washed without problem.

When children wet the bedding or

their clothing the items

 

are washed and reused, not discarded.

The family cloth is no different.

While some green households use the

family cloth to entirely replace their

toilet tissue needs,

 

most do not. Based on discussion board comments,

 the family cloth is most often used only after urination.

 

 Very few families use it after #2.

The biggest opposition to the family cloth

 

 seems to come from men who use it

less often anyway. Even households that rely entirely

 

upon the family cloth admit to stocking regular

toilet paper for their guests. We do that and

 

we only right now use it for all the girls for

urination. Though at times it makes a great wipe to

 

have on hand for those messes little ones

can get while they are going #2!

The family cloth is completely environmentally

 friendly. It is also a great way to save money.

 

Some families rely on the family cloth to help

cut their paper product expenses.

 

Others opt to use the family cloth in an effort

to reduce stress on their septic tank system.

 

 

 

 

 

In the general population the idea of the

family cloth is met with a look of

 

astonishment and horror. Within the

 

environmentally concerned green community

 

the family cloth is an obvious choice.

How green are you willing to go?

 

Carri Chmielewski

Patriarch Homeschool

wwwpatriarchhomeschool.com

I made my own wrap n mat sandwich wrap!

I used my pul from my diaper fabric stash.

It came out great now only nine more to go!!

 

Hard to see b/c of the color..sorry.

I have pinned the corners around ready to sew it together leaving

a space open to turn out.

Here is a good close up. I sewed it around leaving an opening

then attached a small piece of elastic to make a button loop.

Now it is time to flip it out and sew it all around sealing the opening you has to turn out.

All done with sewing it up now I am applying a button.

This being my first one I did learn that with my next one I will apply button

to only the cloth side before I sew the seam together after the flip out.

That way you do not see the thread work of the button making.

Okay now wrap is done and ready to fold...

here is how to fold the wrap! step one..

step two fold other side..

folding wrap step three ...

Step four...now time to close up the button and you are done!

there you are!

I really like the pul fabric with the cloth.

My husband uses it daily for work and likes the idea of pul for easy wipe off and the

cloth on the other side he says he sometimes uses it for a  napkin.

We will save many plastic sandwich bags by using this method and helping our enviroment.

Please sign our guest book and tell us what you think!

http://www.patriarchhomeschool.com/guestbook.htm

 

 I wanted to make a lunch bag for my husband.

I made my own pattern out of an old file.

Here is the finishe dlook I will share more pictures of the

details soon!

 

I made a re-usable Snack Bag!

This was very easy to make.

Here is the finished project..

http://www.patriarchhomeschool.com/index.htm