How to do it: Making (vegan) beeswax cloths
Vegan wash cloths or beeswax cloths are a great addition to a sustainable lifestyle. By using and maintaining them properly, you can not only keep your food fresh for longer, but also help reduce plastic waste. So, let's protect the planet and enjoy the benefits of these nature-friendly cloths! You can either buy these cloths or make them yourself. We will show you how!
Tools
- cotton fabric (I made three 40×40 cm canvases, but you can of course cut other sizes if you find that more convenient.*)
- beeswax(For one 40×40cm cloth, you will need about 15g of wax. Want to make a vegan cloth? Then use the same amount of candelilla wax).
- iron
- number of sheets of baking paper
- optional: jojoba oil, this helps keep the cloth supple
Instructions
- Cut the cotton fabric into the desired size. Tip: You can also make round cloths by cutting the fabric into a circular shape, handy for using on round bowls. Tip: Cut the fabric with serrated scissors to prevent fraying, looks nice too!
- Lay down a piece of baking paper and then place the cotton cloth on top. Tip: work on a surface that can tolerate a little heat. You can possibly use newspaper to protect your surface from wax stains.
- Spread the beeswax over the fabric. Make sure the wax is evenly distributed, with a slight emphasis on the edges to seal them well.
- If you like, drizzle a few drops of jojoba oil over the fabric for extra flexibility. Moreover, jojoba oil has a disinfecting effect.
- Place another sheet of baking paper over it.
- Go over the baking paper slowly with a medium-hot iron. You will see the wax melt. Make sure the melted wax is well distributed over the fabric. Do this by moving your iron over the paper. Let cool down.
- I made three cloths at the same time, at the end I put the three cloths on top of each other, between baking paper and went over them again with the iron to distribute the wax so well. Tip: you can keep the pieces of wax that are not on your cloth but are on your baking paper. You can use them, for example, to ‘refresh’ your cloth over time.
Notes
*A light cotton fabric works fine, as long as it doesn't stretch. The thrift shop is bulging with them! Tip: Search the thrift store for nice cheerful cotton fabrics, wash them at hot temperature and iron well before use. You could also use (farmer's) handkerchiefs. Or maybe you still have an old shirt in the closet.