spiceye Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Hi All, I currenly go thru 1000's of handtowels every month. Children LOVE pulling 3 or 4 towels at a time to dry their hands. Wondered if anyone had any good replacement ideas?? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gezabel Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 we get through loads of paper hand towels too! but can't think of a suitable replacement. Lots of our little ones are actually incapable of taking just one towel from the dispenser. Lately we have been taking a handful out and putting them on the top of the dispenser and so far the children are taking one at a time and our total usage has drastically reduced. It was intended as a temporary measure but it's working so well it may prove to be the solution!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Same thing happened to us at my last setting. In the end we put the hand towels on the side near the messy area which is just outside the toilets and the children came out and would take one paper towel as they knew there was always a staff member around!! I think with the dispensers that it is very difficult for the children to take just one towel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 we just use the ntowels no dispenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Likewise, we place the paper towels in a small basket in an accessible area in the toilet block near to the sinks. Its much easier for the children to access and reduces the amount they use. We are lucky though, the church pay for all of ours (although I suppose we do, it must be included in our rent somewhere!) When the dispenser it full, it is really hard to get the towels out, even for adults! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MaryEMac Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 We have had the same problem and it is not helped when our children who go to Tots group see their mums pull out two or three to dry their own hands. We solved the problem by stressing to the children in circle time that when they wash their hands that they only need to use one towell to dry them. The result was that when they did take just one towell they would stand in the doorway and shout, ' look Mary, I've only got one'. I used to get some funny looks from any visitors but the children from last year are now telling the new children that you only need one. Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 hi We used to have the problem of hand towels being pulled from the dispenser. And as someone else said they see their parents pull out a handfull. It became a standing joke in my setting that I was always stressing about the paper towels. I am pleased to say that we have soved the problem. We now buy the green towels that are folded. We put them in a basket near the sinks. But as the children are unable to unfold the towels we do that in advance and tear them down the middle, so the children only actually use half a towel at a time. Of course they are allowed more if they need them. I think a box of 24 sleeves is about £20 ish at the moment, but they last us ages.(Two sessions a day about 60 children on register) Ofsted have seen us do this and were fine with it. Glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 We use Tiny Towels.. they are half the size of the usual ones and we have a dispenser on the wall for them, we get the occasional blip with new children but it is often due to them not dispensing one at a time... Sorry dont have the number for them here its at work.. and they do not have a website to look either! we found them in a leaflet in one of the early years magazines a couple of years ago. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Try brainwashing! Have you sent for your Carex pack with lots of useful resources in it? We use one of their songs before we go and wash our hands..... (Tune Frere Jacques) Soap & water Soap & water Wash your hands Wash your hands Rub them both together Rub them both together Rinse them well Rinse them well We then talk to them about turning off the tap (another bug bear) and 'how many paper towels do we use?' answer - one, and one more if you need it. 'Do you know paper towels are made from trees and we mustn't waste paper towels or more poor trees get cut down and we need our trees....' The children soon caught on, and yes, we put a little pile of towels on the sink too for those who can't manage the dispenser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denisse Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 We too had this problem and found that they like the action of pulling out the paper from the dispenser more than drying hands. We talk to the children about wasting paper and the environment and also have stopped using the dispenser. When we wash our hands in large groups we get one child to hand out the paper towels as children finish washing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Have you sent for your Carex pack with lots of useful resources in it? Ooh tell me more: I do love a freebie! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 http://www.carex.co.uk/HandsUpForHygiene/ That should take you to the site. We had a pack ages ago and I keep ordering more stickers. Perhaps that's why last term we won a huge box of squirty soap, enough for everyone and to keep nursery going for years! I love freebies too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hali Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 owww thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Hi All, I currenly go thru 1000's of handtowels every month. Children LOVE pulling 3 or 4 towels at a time to dry their hands. Wondered if anyone had any good replacement ideas?? Thanks Hi what we do in our setting is cut the paper towel in half, and have a little tray with so many in for the morning session.It is then filled up for the afternoons or as and when needed. If you have an older child who is confident in helping out, give them the responsibility of handing 1 out at a time at snack times,etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SueV Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 We had this problem too and although we still use paper towels when the children wash their hands after using the toilet, I bought a whole load of white flannels from Ikea which were incredibly cheap. Obviously they need to be washed and dried and I do this at home on a daily basis (I do get a laundry allowance for this) but it has worked very well. Originally the children were supposed to bring their own individual hand towels but so many mums forgot them that this seemed a good way out. Because the children only use them once, I think the level of infection from colds etc. has been kept low too which is another bonus. I am new to the Forum so apologise if this is a bit old hat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I have around 250 facecloths which we use as handtowels. Children use one and throw it in the bucket by the sink and I take them home and wash them. I've collected them over several years and the large quantity means that I can do a washload and not panic about getting them back quickly the next day. It's sort of halfway between home - using a towel, and school - using a disposable paper towel. Wilkinson's usually has cheap facecloths, but some of these came from ebay, or just anywhere where I came across any! They are a lovely mix of colours too, which is great for chatting, plus they are useful for washing hands and faces too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I have around 250 facecloths which we use as handtowels. Children use one and throw it in the bucket by the sink and I take them home and wash them. I've collected them over several years and the large quantity means that I can do a washload and not panic about getting them back quickly the next day. It's sort of halfway between home - using a towel, and school - using a disposable paper towel. Wilkinson's usually has cheap facecloths, but some of these came from ebay, or just anywhere where I came across any! They are a lovely mix of colours too, which is great for chatting, plus they are useful for washing hands and faces too! I love this idea. I'm sure they dry more effectively than the paper towels too. We get through so many paper towels - sure we destroy a whole rain forest some weeks! Have Ofsted given their O.K. for this - I can't see why not - but then we are talking about Ofsted!!! Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Well he seemed very impressed - but as you say, they are all different! I must confess that I don't use washing powder or fabric softener for them to save on costs. I have a Kleeneze (sp?) washer ball which works with ions and tumble dryer balls to fluff them up - so no chemicals for children or the environment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsWeasley Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 We have had the same problem and it is not helped when our children who go to Tots group see their mums pull out two or three to dry their own hands. The other day I asked one of our children if they really needed 2 towels to dry their hands with, and they very politely pointed out that I had used two. So I told them that it was because my hands were so much bigger than theirs that my first towel was too soggy and my hand still wasn't dry! They seemed to think this was acceptable.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 We also chop them in half, we have hand driers too but the kids will stand under them ALLLL day lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dottyp Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Hi We also use 'Tiny Towels' with a wall dispenser. The towels work out at about £20 per box and the dispenser came free! Although some children do use two or three at a time, the box seems to last for months and months. We purchase our supplies from Distinct Disposables based on West Yorkshire. Tel No. 01484 854 518 and it's usually next day free delivery. I usually get a reminder call every six months to make sure I haven't forgotten to place my next order! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts