(…but not for diapering!)

Burp cloth. Burp rag. Diaper. Did I miss any? Whatever you want to call them, I’m talking about these:

Plain old Gerber birdseye prefold cloth diapers, which most of us these days use for catching and wiping spit-up from newborns.

When I was pregnant with Miryam, I bought a few packages of these—probably around 20 cloths total—to make sure we would have enough to make it from one load of laundry to the next, with extras still in the drawer while the clean laundry sat in a basket, unfolded, for a day or two.

While not particularly cute, these are the most absorbent and protective type of burp cloth I’ve come in contact with. I had one set of small, patterned, cute, thin ones with Miryam, and I usually ended up with spit-up on my shoulder when using them, because babies just don’t aim well. Or maybe they do; maybe she was going for my shirt and I just made it easier with the scanty pink rag.

The Gerber diapers are simply more effective at the spit-up control job. They are definitely a “need” on my baby registry lists.

But wait, there’s more!

They have so many other household uses!

When baby stops spitting up so much, she’ll probably start teething and slobbering. In addition to the bib Miryam wore at all times at that age, I would drape a burp cloth over the belly area of her jumperoo so the toy wouldn’t get completely soaked with babbling/teething/jumping flying baby saliva.

But what about after babies? Into the hope chest plastic tub of “for future babies” and back into the basement?

No!

Into your kitchen towel drawer!

Meet your new go-to for drying off rinsed fruit, washed salad greens (if, like me, you lack the luxury of a salad spinner), and veggies that you need to be quite dry before getting roasted (not steamed!) in the oven; all while leaving your hand towel nice and dry for your hands when you’re done. These things are far more absorbent than a tea towel and a paper towel combined. I lay one down, put my wet green beans on it in one layer, and dab the top with a second cloth. If any color transfers, no problem: these are pure plain white; just bleach them.

As a baby becomes a toddler and starts learning to use lidless cups and paint with watercolors, etc….these cloths mop up spills in one go. Unfortunately, because they’re white, your floor dirt will also show up on them….but just quickly rinse it and toss it into the laundry room and no one but you has to know.

AND

(here’s the reason this is on my mind today)

These cloths clean up pee puddles in one or two swipes without even getting your hands wet!

We started potty training Luke on Monday, and for some reason, I decided to clean up the first few puddles using paper towels. Then I remembered my burp cloths in the drawer. Um, why didn’t I think of that the first time? I probably wasted a whole dollar worth of paper towels!

Honestly, even if you don’t have kids, some old fashioned cloth diapers might be a good investment for you. They are doubly “multi-use”—multiple purposes as well as washable/reusable.

Is there anything you’ve repurposed and gotten more use from similarly in your home? Can you think of another use for burp cloths I haven’t mentioned? (Please don’t say “as actual diapers!” We’ve come a long way from those days, people.) Tell me in the comments below!