What is the purpose of burp cloths?

A burp cloth, explained in the simplest way possible, is a piece of absorbent fabric that is used when burping a baby after a feeding. The purpose of the burp cloth is to have something handy with which the parent or caregiver can, ideally, catch any possible spit-up or, if the spit-up ended somewhere else, have something to clean it up with.

For what do you use burp cloths?

Apart from the use described above and from which it is named, the burp cloth has many other uses. It can have as many uses as situations exist in which a parent is surprised by his baby suddenly expelling fluids or in which they have to react quickly to an unforeseen baby need. The following is a list of examples of such possible uses:

• To dry spillover from bottle or breastfeeding: Babies almost always spill milk, both when being breastfed or bottle fed, and a burp cloth helps prevent those drops of milk that the baby did not swallow from falling on the caregiver’s clothes or furniture
• To act as a barrier between the baby’s fluids and the caregiver’s cloth: Spit-up is not the only fluid that comes out of babies, so a burp cloth can also help prevent drool from wetting the baby’s caregiver’s shirt when holding them
• To act as a clean barrier between the baby and someone else’s clothes: Burp cloths are a perfect barrier to put on top of the clothes of visitors meeting the baby and wanting to hold them. Just remember to always put the baby’s face on the same side of the burp cloth!
• To act as a clean barrier between the baby and wherever you have to unexpectedly put them down: If, for example, a parent unexpectedly needs to put the baby down on a sofa while in the waiting room of the pediatrician’s office, a burp cloth can double as a sort of improvised bed sheet so the baby is not in direct contact with the sofa’s fabric
• To help clean, dry, and brush off the baby and their things: A glass of water falls over and gets the baby wet? During a car ride, the lead of the container with the baby formula fell off? The baby left tons of crumbs on their stroller? The burp cloth can be used for all of this
• Burp cloths can be useful for basically anything: Keeping flies or mosquitos away from the baby, playing peek-a-boo, or even working as a comforting object for your baby to fall asleep with

How many burp cloths do you really need?

How many burp cloths do you use in a day?

If a baby only occasionally spits up after feedings and the entire day is spent at home, one burp cloth a day should be more than enough. A good practice is to ensure that after each use during the day, the burp cloth is put somewhere with good ventilation and hung as spread out as possible so it is dry for the day’s subsequent use. Something to keep in mind is that accidents do happen, and they can take many forms (the burp cloth falls to the ground, and a parent steps on it with shoes used to walk on the street), so having a spare is a good idea.

How many burp cloths do you use in a week?

Considering what is mentioned above, having and using one burp cloth daily would result in a weekly total of seven. However, since accidents happen and they do more often than expected, a comfortable number to have is ten burp cloths in total. This number accounts for possible excess use when the baby feels unwell, for example, or spends the entire day outside their home and the burp cloth gets dirty from other uses other than cleaning occasional spit-up. This number also accounts for a few days' delay in doing the baby’s laundry.

How many burp cloths should I bring to the hospital?

Since most hospitals provide almost everything the parents need when giving birth, bringing two burp cloths should be more than enough. In fact, they might not even be used. By bringing the burp cloths the parents chose, though, they can be sure that if the ones the hospital provides are not of their liking, they can use the ones they are sure will work well for them.

At what age do babies stop needing burp cloths?

More than a question of when babies stop needing to use burp cloths, the question is until when will parents have a use for them. As with many things related to babies, there is no clear-cut moment after which one can say they are no longer helpful. A good rule of thumb is to plan to continue having them around as long as the baby is regularly eating milk. After that, when the baby eats solid food, there is no need to burp them, and parents might opt to clean them with a regular napkin that can then be thrown away rather than with a burp cloth that they will have to wash later.

How to take care of burp cloths

Like any other piece of cloth or household item, burp cloths will last longer if properly taken care of. Since they are made of fabric, taking care of them should be no different than taking care of a piece of clothing made of that same fabric. In general, if the idea is to make them last longer in time, the burp cloths should be hand-washed and hung out to dry in the sun. That way, they will not suffer the regular wear and tear of going through the washer and dryer. This entails much more time and manual work, but the gentler the process is for cleaning, the less they will wear down.

Something to keep in mind is that it is important to carefully choose the soap that will be used to wash the burp cloths. Apart from the typical concerns of using one that cleans thoroughly without being too abrasive on the fabric, which will also help prolong its useful life, the soap must also be baby-safe. There are options out there for soaps specially designed for babies that are made of components that are hypoallergenic and mild so as not to cause any damage to their skin. Using the same soap that you use for your baby’s clothes is a good rule of thumb, as the burp cloth will be in contact with your baby’s face.

Factors to consider when buying burp cloths

The three most important factors to consider when buying burp cloths are size, color, and, most importantly, the fabric they are made of. For everyday, regular use, a burp cloth the size of a kitchen towel should be more than enough. When it comes to color, the safest option is to go with white. It is easy to know when they are dirty to the point of needing a wash, and it is also easy to spot what part of it has not been used yet and, thus, which part of it should be used next to clean your baby’s face.

When it comes to what fabric to choose, the characteristics to consider are how soft and absorbent the fabrics are:

• Cotton: This fabric has a good balance between soft and absorbent. It might require layering to make sure that liquids do not go through it, but it will be soft on the baby’s face
• Muslin: this type of fabric is one of the softest options, but it might not be absorbent enough for some situations. This type of fabric might be ideal for when the baby is less than three months old, which is when they are less likely to make too much of a mess and their skin is at its most sensitive
• Flannel: this type of fabric might be great for an impromptu blanket in cold weather, but it might not be absorbent enough to be able to clean the baby or any mess they might get into,
• Terrycloth: this type of fabric is very absorbent and it is also soft, but since it is used to make towels, they tend to be associated more with taking a bath than with a cute little baby!