Varieties of muslin
The birthplace of muslin, which gave the name to the material, is the city of Mosul, located in Iraq. In hot climates, the property of this fabric not to retain heat and to allow air to pass through is highly valued.
This fabric appeared in Europe at the end of the 18th century. The ladies were delighted with the elegant, light, flowing dresses made of silk muslin.
Nowadays, products made from muslin fabric are also deservedly popular. This is due to the strength and durability of this material, as well as its lightness and softness.
Muslin is made mainly from natural fibers:
- cotton,
- wool,
- silk.
Cotton muslin is the most popular among other types. It is used to make bedding, underwear, summer outerwear, children's items and curtains.
Wool muslin is a very fine fabric made from 100% wool. Retains heat perfectly and is practically weightless. It is used to make capes, scarves, elegant dresses, men's shirts and hats.
Silk muslin is the finest, translucent fabric. Things made from it are weightless, pleasant to the touch and come in the richest colors. Used for sewing outfits, summer dresses and neckerchiefs. This is the most expensive type of muslin, but its high cost is well justified.
What is muslin?
A little history. This fabric comes from Mosul, a city in ancient Mesopotamia (now located in northern Iraq). They began to produce it in the 16th century, and already in the 17th century they learned about the unusual material in Italy and France - local merchants began to actively distribute the fabric. A couple of centuries later, muslin became the most popular material among European tailors - it was used to sew exquisite outfits for fashionistas. In the 20th century, the fabric began to be used in Soviet textile factories for sewing clothes and curtains. Today it is the most popular material for baby diapers.
And now directly about the muslin itself. This is a 2-layer cotton fabric with a characteristic weave of threads (in a checkerboard pattern), which makes it quite durable. It is somewhat reminiscent of gauze, but denser. Also, muslin diapers are characterized by extraordinary softness, so they are very pleasant to the body. At the same time, muslin sheets are lightweight and are practically not felt by babies.
Cotton material is produced in different countries. We work with Turkish muslin. And this indicates the special quality of the diapers, which is extremely important for products for the care of newborns.
Muslin diapers - difference and advantage
The delicate skin of a baby requires special care, and baby clothes with diapers must be chosen from the best materials.
They should be soft, breathable and perfectly absorb moisture, helping to avoid diaper rash on the skin. Muslin fully meets these requirements. In Soviet times, pediatricians insisted on tightly swaddling babies. Modern children's doctors recommend not restricting the baby's movements and wrapping her in a diaper not too tightly. Your baby will feel comfortable in muslin diapers.
Sleeping on such a diaper or being covered with it is a pleasure.
Natural fabrics have always been more expensive than artificial or mixed ones. Buying muslin diapers will not be ruinous for you. Since the fabric is wear-resistant, the diaper will last a long time. Products made from muslin will withstand a large number of washes, and each time they will become softer.
Another advantage is that washed clothes with muslin diapers dry very quickly.
If you compare muslin diapers with calico, flannel or calico diapers of the same size, the former will be lighter in weight.
How are muslin diapers different from regular ones?
Probably many will ask this question. After all, if ordinary diapers have always been used, then why change them to an unknown material. In fact, the benefits of muslin are obvious. This is an environmentally friendly material, which is an important quality for something used by a baby. Despite the cost, in the end such products are more economical than ordinary ones, since due to their texture they have increased strength. Due to its softness, muslin is ideal for premature babies or babies with delicate skin.
Important! Muslin diapers have no medical contraindications.
Muslin diapers have better thermal insulation properties compared to other materials. This, in turn, provides the child with a comfortable and restful sleep.
How to use the diaper
So, if you have a muslin diaper, then you can:
- Use it to protect your clothing by draping it over yourself while holding your baby upright after feeding. It will serve as protection for you from spitting up your baby.
- Cover yourself with it, hiding from prying eyes, when you need to breastfeed your baby.
- Use as a blanket when you need to lay down and change your baby.
- Take it with you when you go to the pool and replace it with a robe or towel to dry your baby’s skin. The diaper's light weight and excellent absorbency make it a very good replacement for a regular towel.
- In the hot season, a diaper will be an alternative to a baby blanket. Under the cool and breathable fabric, the child will sleep peacefully and will not overheat.
- Replace the sheet with it, since the dimensions allow this to be done. Muslin absorbs moisture without remaining wet. You can make a pillow out of a diaper by folding it several times. The baby's head will not sweat.
- A muslin diaper can be used as a stroller cover. It will serve as protection against ultraviolet radiation. It will not be hot under such a cape, since thin muslin will not interfere with the exchange of air.
- In addition to providing sun protection, a muslin product can act as a protective insect net.
- On the beach, you can dry your baby with a muslin diaper after splashing in the pond or throw it over his hanger to prevent him from getting sunburned. Mom can also use it in the same capacity.
- And of course, babies who have not been swaddled tightly will sleep very comfortably and peacefully in a muslin swaddle. To prevent the baby from frightening himself in his sleep, it is necessary to secure his arms and swaddle his legs more loosely.
Is it possible to buy products on the Aliexpress or Ikea websites?
Judging by the reviews, ordering muslin diapers from AliExpress is quite simple. Here the consumer will find sellers who sell products individually or sell them in sets at once. Moreover, the cost per set varies from 480 to 1300 rubles, depending on the quantity, size and brand.
Judging by the reviews, muslin diapers of various colors and sizes can also be purchased at IKEA. Thus, a set of 2 high-quality products, called a “muslin flap,” costs about 340 rubles. There are other options.
Tips for caring for diapers
Despite the fact that muslin diapers are durable and easy to care for, manufacturers provide a number of recommendations that will increase their service life.
- When washing, the water should not exceed 40 degrees. Both hand and machine washable in delicate mode. There may be slight shrinkage of diapers after the first wash.
- Spin in a washing machine on a gentle cycle is allowed.
- It is advisable to use detergents intended for children's laundry.
- Children's clothes should be washed separately from others.
- If muslin diapers are dried correctly, there will be no need to iron them. But if you think ironing is necessary, we recommend using the steam mode.
If you follow these simple tips, the diapers will serve you for many years without losing their properties and qualities.
How to wash baby diapers
Young mothers sometimes do not know how to wash diapers from baby urine and feces, or what product to use. So, when washing children's clothes, you should choose a natural product that does not contain chlorine, fragrances, surfactants and phosphates. The product should also dissolve well in water and be rinsed off things, and be hypoallergenic. The skin of a newborn reacts strongly to various chemicals, you need to take this into account when choosing a powder.
The following products remove infant stains and are also safe for children:
- “Our Mother” - available in the form of a concentrated liquid product and soap powder;
- Hypoallergenic stork powder;
- Amway powder for newborns;
- “I was born” is a concentrated laundry detergent.
All of them are suitable for both hand and machine washing.
But how can you wash baby diapers if you don’t trust store-bought powders? For these purposes, regular laundry soap (72%) or natural baby soap without additives is suitable. Dirt on diapers should be thoroughly soaped and washed, after first cleaning the baby's feces from things. Baby urine is colorless and odorless, so it can be washed from clothes without using soap. It is enough to wash them in the washing machine with plain water.
You can make your own laundry detergent for baby clothes. To do this, grind baby or laundry soap into crumbs or grate it on a fine grater, mix with ordinary soda and salt in equal proportions. Salt makes things soft, and soda washes and bleaches. And such a powder will definitely be safe for a newborn. For washing in an automatic machine, this product is used at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 3 kg of laundry.
Washing rules
Children's clothing, whether it be diapers, rompers or other items, should not be washed together with adult clothing. Be sure to sort before washing. To ensure that the fabric is well washed from stains, you should not overload the washing machine drum.
Surely you are wondering at what temperature you should wash baby diapers? The water temperature should be high enough to destroy germs that are dangerous to the baby, namely 60-85C. If your machine has a “Children’s Wash” mode, set it, if not, adjust the temperature yourself.
How to wash diapers by hand? Everything is simple here. Wash the diapers in cool water without soap. Then pour hot soapy water for 20 minutes, thoroughly wash the stains and rinse the laundry 3-4 times.
Do not leave dirty laundry for more than a day, otherwise it will be difficult to remove stains from it later.
Disadvantages of muslin products
Muslin diapers have several disadvantages:
- Their cost is higher than similar products made from other fabrics. But this is compensated by the fact that the service life of these diapers is quite long. This means you don’t have to constantly buy new ones.
- They wrinkle, but this is typical for absolutely all natural fabrics. But, perhaps, for diapers this is not so critical.
- Cotton muslin does not retain heat, so wearing products made from it can cause your baby to freeze in the cold season.
Reviews
“I bought our muslin diapers almost 2.5 years ago for my Antoshka. We used them all the time: some are drying, others are in use. And so on in a circle. Nothing happened to them during this time. They only shrunk a little right after the first wash, but it was almost unnoticeable. The manufacturer said so on the packaging, so I have no complaints. But when I received the parcel and unwrapped the rags, I was even a little upset - they were tough. Immediately after the first wash they changed and became soft to the touch. Our son has grown up, but we still use them. I was satisfied!”
Faith
“A friend recommended muslin diapers to me when I was buying everything I needed for my first child 3 years ago. She said that it was better to buy them a little more expensive than to constantly run for new ones. I bought them and we practically never got out of them. Recently my second son was born, so I pulled out the ones that were saved from my first son and didn’t buy new ones. So I actually managed to save money!”
Alla
