The Ingenuity of Mothers - 101 Uses for a Muslin

Today is Mother's Day for a lot of the world, and rather than do a soppy post for my own mum (we're not that sort of family) I thought I'd celebrate the ingenuity of mothers the world over by doing a post about 101 uses (well maybe not quite that many) for a muslin cloth!

When I reached 20 weeks in my pregnancy, I decided to do some shopping. I bought a ridiculously dear changing bag, some newborn baby clothes (that fit when Joseph was 6 months old!) and several packs of muslin cloths. I read in a baby magazine that they were useful. Little did I know how useful!

Joseph above is wrapped in a muslin cloth. Just to give you an idea, here he is playing with one this morning.
When in NICU I used them every day, I always had a store of them. As well as a blanket, I used them as sheets, the cot sheets the NHS uses can be a bit crunchy and muslins are much softer, and also protect the sheet from leaking babies.

I used them as emergency nappies, often they would come to weigh Joseph, then get distracted and we'd have to wait, rather than over handle him putting another nappy on only to take it off again, I'd wrap his bottom in a muslin.

I can't believe that same cloth wrapped him several times over. So with lots of input from Facebook and Twitter 101 uses (well not quite) for a muslin cloth!

• Sun shade on a pram
• Picnic blanket
• Boobie protector when baby wearing
• Nursing cover
• Peekaboo facilitator
• Strain raspberries for coulis
• Making paneer cheese
• Straining cooked soybeans to make soymilk
• Place herbs in for a bouquet garni
• Straining quince puree for jelly
• Making homemade ribena
• Sheets for a small baby
• Playing memory games
• Road for a toy car
• Napkin for messy adults eating spaghetti
• Spice bag for chutney
• Wet wipes
• Tying to a stick for running away to seek your fortune
• Parachute
• Wine making
• Comforter
• Mattress protector
• Changing mat
• Window cleaner
• Magic tricks, wrap watch in cloth and pretend to smash it
• Sheets for a doll pram
• Cloth nappy for a tiny baby
• As a cloth nappy liner for a bigger baby
• Great tip putting one in a disposable nappy near toilet training time so toddler realises they are wet
• Hang off pram hood when you don't want people touching your tiny baby
• Wipe up spills
• Strainer for grated potato when making rosti
• Poultice for eczema and other skin irritations, place tablespoon of oats in muslin, tie to taps and run water through it in bath. You can also use it directly on skin.
• Wrapping mucky clothes in if you forgot a plastic bag
• A baby bottom towel when a baby wipe just will not do
• Tying up hair when breastfeeding
• As a bandana for hiding a bad haircut
• To practice tie dying
• To protect Christmas presents in storage
• Emergency breast pad
• A pirate flag
• A lettuce spinner
• Cleaning football boots
• Wrap spices in for mulled wine
• Transfer of scent - give one to baby in NICU, one for mum to sleep with, then swap regularly
• Face cloth for messy toddlers
• To put on floor for naked time for babies
• Duster and polisher
• Emergency teatowel
• To strain stock
• To clarify oil after frying to use it again
• Bibs for babies
• Breastfeeding cover
• Some people even use them for wiping up baby sick!

I'm sure there must be more! Thank you to everyone who joined in and gave me a good giggle! Some great uses for a muslin, do you have any more that haven't been covered here?