Tip of the Week!
This is my white facecloth after washing my face once with it.
This is my black facecloth after washing my face 14,742 times with it.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Do yourself a favour. Switch over to black facecloths today. Yes, you can bleach white facecloths. But that's extra work. More work. I have enough work. LOADS of work. No more work! Besides, you can't use bleach in certain front loading washing machines.
White facecloths are meant for people who have maids or a laundry service. If you have a maid or a laundry service, please disregard this post. And please send me money. And a pony.
Lin
Oh Karen, so good to hear from you. Better than that old groundhog!!
Karen
Ha! It's hard to compete with a furry ground dweller. ~ karen!
Bonnie White
Ditto for undies! LOL
Patti
But how do you know when they’re dirty? I love a snowy white facecloth! Same with sheets!
Jeanie Burch
Agree. I switched to a black face towel a long time ago. All my white face towels were ruined.
Hettie
I have a stack of indigo-blue ones by the sink in the powder room. They're great little one-use hand towels but they work for face washing too. :)
Lisa Lynn
I love that!
Kathy
Black also works for downplaying minor scrapes with kids! (Have you ever seen the horror and drama resulting from cleaning a scraped knee with a white washcloth?)
Karen
That is such a good point! ~karen
Lorrie Jamieson
Hi Karen ... typing this from snowy, socked-in Ladysmith. Vancouver Island is not used to this kind of weather ... what do they think, that we live in Ontario?!?!
Anyway, about facecloths, I too had a problem ... shall I throw it in the wash or keep it out for one more day. I don't use mascara or the like, but it's still a problem knowing when it's reached its tipping point.
So my tip? Go to Costco and buy their white facecloths in a pack of 20 ... I think it costs about $25, but worth every penny. Now I keep a stack of facecloths beside my washbasin and use only a fresh one each time I need it. The old one goes directly into my laundry hamper for the next wash load. I have a constant round of fresh washcloths. And I don't get attached to any of them so if they're too dirty to clean successfully, they hit the trash basket rather than the hamper.
Karen
Hi Lorrie! I did that at Ikea last year with a big stack of white facecloths. But I still ruined them all with mascara and garden dirt within a few uses. I'd have to treat and soak them to keep the nice looking and I can barely bring myself to do laundry let alone extra laundry chores. So. Back to black facecloths for me! Current conditions here in Ontario - rain! ~ karen
CarolB
Hi Karen,
I find that a little bit of Dawn directly on a stain before washing will remove anything-- mascara, lipstick, red wine, grease, tomato sauce, even poop from a parrot that just ate blueberries. But don't be generous with the Dawn. I did once with a badly parrot-stained white sweater, and when I opened the door of my front-load washer, an avalanche of suds poured out.
Edith
Or….use baby wipes
Paulo
Hi Karen! You can paint your white cloths black but it is a tedious job most adequate for young people.
Babs
Hiya, Sure have missed you. Glad you are chugging along. Once again you remind us of the simply things we can do to save us time.
Karen
I'm getting back on track with posts now Babs so you'll be hearing from me more often again. :) ~ karen!
Marcia
When my kiddos were little and got hurt (blood involved) I always used a dark brown washcloth to clean the cut or scrape. Less traumatizing than actually seeing bright red blood on a washcloth.
Madeleine Whitfield
I never used to fold socks or underwear until I had a cleaning lady once after I'd broken my leg. She always folded those things so I felt shamed and continued the practice. Can I stop now (it's 16 years later)?
Karen
Yes you can.😄 I absolve you of all guilt that might be associated with it. ~ karen!
Lynda
Still, you shouldn't stop. Because once you start jumbling them in your drawer, you will find you have more than you can fit in the drawer unless they are folded.
Sarah Jackson
Red washcloths are necessary with children. Why? You cannot see the blood when the little darlings get hurt. When the child sees blood on the washcloth; the kid screams louder. I know, I have five children and now seventeen grandchildren. No, I do not want a pony. Too much work.
Mary Lynn
Just discovered another use for coconut oil...makeup remover. You only need about a heaping teaspoon. It melts when contacting the skin...economical and good for your skin.
Now my white facecloths are spared the mascara and foundation stains!
Karen
That's great to know! I'll give it a shot because for whatever reason my eyeliner won't stay put on my eyes during the day but once it's time to officially take it off, it's stuck for life. I'm going to try it tonight, Mary Lynn. ~ karen!
Tricia Rose
You are so far ahead of me!
Parker
Well, shoot. I've been buying supplies for my move to off-grid life, and I bought white towels. Somewhere waaay back in my mind the thought crossed that white wouldn't be the easiest to clean (in an admittedly dirty lifestyle), but I disregarded it. The pretty white called to me with it's siren song - "look at meeee, so clean and pure...you must surround yourself with my pristine whitenessssss"....and I listened, and I bought.
I guess I'll be replacing them with black ones at some point, heh. OR, I'll dye 'em! Yeah!
Patricia
Also a good idea if you have kids who injure themselves (like kids do). A dark wash cloth over a bad cut doesn't show blood and keeps the hysteria over an injury down!
Karen
Good point. ~ karen
Diane
Bahahahahaha! Did you get a pony from any of your readers? If so, I'm also making a post on my blog...and asking for a maid! It might work...
Karen
Diane - No. :( It didn't work. No pony. ~ karen
Noelle
This is so funny...I am a "white" girl and a bleach-a-holic, that is probably not good...but I like white washcloths, towels, and sheets. I have 5 kids and 4 of them boys, big dirty boys!!!!I should probably buy some stock in Clorox!!!! This was a fun conversation!!!
Arlene
I just had a duh moment. I am so ashamed at all the white cloths I have damaged, when just 1 black cloth would have made a huge difference! LOL I guess we live and learn, from your fantastic blog!
Maggie
Genious! Same goes for sheets unfortunately, I prefer white, but husbands are so sweaty and I don't use bleach.