Pop into any parenting forum and ask about muslin cloths. You are sure to get responses like these:
“They are ace.”
“They are invaluable.”
“They are the best things in the world.”
“They are literally a lifesaver!”
One such parent, Kelly Duddridge captured it perfectly. She said:
“Muslins are the most versatile, universally awesome little tags of cloth that you can’t live without even when your kids have grown up!”
I couldn’t agree more! Muslin cloths are incredible! And I’ll show you why in this post. Sit tight and keep on reading to see what I mean.
WHAT ARE MUSLIN CLOTHS?
Muslin cloths are organic, 100% cotton, soft, pieces of fabric used to make baby cloths and blankets. They are very absorbent and gentle on the skin.
Muslin cloths are also referred to as muslin squares.
You probably are wondering then how many muslin cloths do I need? Here’s your answer.
HOW MANY MUSLIN CLOTHS DO I NEED?
My honest answer is it varies. If you have a sicky baby or one with reflux, you will need about 15 – 30 muslin cloths or even more.
On the other hand, if your baby doesn’t spit up often you may find you use them less. A few mums even say they’ve never used a muslin before!
My first son was a sicky baby, so muslin squares were lifesavers for me! I didn’t go anywhere without them.
With my second son, I didn’t use them as much but they were still very useful in cleaning up the occasional spit-ups. They were also very effective as bibs.
Many retailers sell muslin squares. Many mums love the Aden and Anais brand because they are super soft.
On the other hand, you can buy cheaper from Primark, Amazon, ASDA George or any of the supermarket brands in your country.
They’ll serve you just as well, though they may not be as soft as the premium brands.
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HOW MANY MUSLIN CLOTHS FOR HOSPITAL BAG?
I’ll say pack a set of 3 muslin cloths in your hospital bag. You likely won’t need so many in those first few days.
Except, you expect to stay much longer than 1-2 days, then you can pack an additional set of 3.
WHAT SIZE MUSLIN SQUARES FOR BABY?
There are different sizes of muslin squares. Small, medium, large and extra-large.
Small: 25 x 25cm / 30 x 30cm
Medium: 60 x 60cm / 70 x 70cm
Large: 100 x 100cm
Extra Large: 120 x 120cm
Generally, the medium-sized muslin squares are great for clean-ups and winding.
The small is about the size of a baby washcloth. But every size of muslin cloth is useful for something depending on what you need.
I bought extra-large muslin squares (from the now-defunct Mothercare) to use as a nursing cover while breastfeeding in public.
The large and extra-large muslins have many more uses. I talk about them below.
23 Uses of Muslin Cloths
Muslin squares aren’t only used for cleaning up drool or spit-up. Gosh! There are so many, many uses for muslin cloths.
I share below 23 clever ways mums use muslin cloths. Consider this mum hack 101!
CLEAN UPS
Muslin cloths are fab for cleaning spit-ups, drool, sick, dribble, you name it! They are great for mopping up quick messes.
BURPING BABY
They are great to use when burping your baby to prevent spit up on your clothes. Place the muslin cloth on your shoulder before you wind your baby.
BIBS
Muslin squares make very good makeshift bibs. I preferred to use them instead of traditional bibs because they have a wider coverage and can absorb more than a bib can.
WASHCLOTHS
The small ones can serve as washcloths for newborns.
NO NAPPY TIME COVER
You can also use muslins to cover your baby during no nappy time if your baby has nappy rash.
COMFORTER
Many babies use muslin squares for comfort. Some babies even use muslins as a comforter till they are much older.
BABY CHANGE
Lay a muslin cloth on a changing mat first so that the changing mat won’t be too cold for your newborn during nappy change.
You can also use muslins to cover boys genitals when changing their nappy so you don’t get peed on.
Muslin cloths can act as a clean surface when changing in public if you are without or forgot your changing mat at home.
Pick a specific one to dry your baby’s bum after using a wet wipe to prevent nappy rash.
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BLANKET/SWADDLE
A large muslin cloth can serve as a thin blanket as well as a swaddle in the summer. Be sure to follow proper safety measures when swaddling your baby.
BATH COMFORTER
If your baby is fussy at bath time, a muslin square is great at keeping your newborn warm and calm.
Wrap one around your baby during bath time, it will act as a comfort in the first few baths till your newborn gets used to bath time.
NURSING COVER
Large and extra-large muslin squares make great nursing covers for when you are breastfeeding in public or with visitors around.
PLAYTIME
It can be used to play peekaboo with your baby as he gets older.
WIPES
They are used to wipe the face and hands when out and about or after meals.
BREAST PADS
If you ever run out of breast pads and need to go out, have no fear! Muslin squares can be folded up into a rectangle and placed inside your bra to absorb leaky boobs.
NAPPIES
Some mums use muslin cloths as improvised nappies in case of an accident or when they’ve run out of nappies.
PICNIC CLOTH
You can also muslin as a sit-on area for your baby in the garden.
BABY CAR SEAT SHADE
Put a muslin cloth under your baby (in the stroller) to absorb sweat or over the car seat in summer to act as an improvised shade.
Just be careful and check on your baby often.
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PHOTOSHOOT PROP
It can be used as a prop for your newborn’s photo shoot.
CRIB SHEET PROTECTOR
Place a muslin under your baby’s head to prevent crib/cot sheets from getting constantly dirty from brought up milk and from dribble when teething.
To be safe, make sure that there are no loose stitches that can cause a choking hazard
HELPS NEWBORN SLEEP
Muslins can help your newborn sleep. Since they are cotton, soft and easily absorb your scent, your baby will feel you are nearby. Because the muslin cloth smells of you, it will help your baby settle more easily.
As always, take safety precautions and remove the muslin once your baby is asleep.
TUMMY TIME
It can be used as a blanket for tummy time. Or can be placed on a blanket during tummy time to prevent the blanket from being drooled on.
BOTTLE FEEDING
Place under your baby’s chin when bottle feeding to catch any milk spillage.
CLEAN UP SNOTTY NOSE
Brilliant for cleaning up snotty noses. My son had a runny nose a lot as a baby and muslin cloths were very handy to use.
OTHER USES
When your baby outgrows them, you can use muslin squares for other cleaning activities around the house: dusting, wiping surfaces and such.
IN CONCLUSION,
The number of muslin squares you really need is dependent on how often your baby spits up. At the same time, there are many other uses of muslin cloths that even if you don’t have a baby prone to reflux, you can still find many many uses for muslin cloth.
So, I recommend every mum gets some. At the very least, get three muslin squares.
I hope this article has been helpful to you. You may like to read this post next – how many sleepsuits do I need for my newborn?
Congratulations on your baby!