What to Consider When Ordering Cloths:
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What work will the ColorFull Cloths™ support and what weight is best for this?
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What colors best match the work being done by the child and generate a sense of beauty, attractiveness, harmony, and cohesiveness?
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What size fits the trays you are using? Always keep as your guiding principle, the size of a young child’s hand and the child’s skill level with folding and squeezing.
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How many of each cloth do you need to support your classroom? Check with State and Local Health and Safety guidelines and personnel to see if single-use, or any other cloth protocol, is required for your classroom. These requirements, as well as your laundry cycle, number of work activities using water, and classroom size, are all factors in determining how many cloths to buy.
Suggested Ways to Handle Cloth Supply
Universal Supply: In this method, all cloth colors are presented in a centrally located basket or tray in the classroom. The child, after finishing a chosen work at a table, brings the used cloth to the universal supply and selects the correct replacement cloth, matching color and size. S/he then places the new cloth onto the work tray readying it for the next person and proceeds to hang the used cloth up on a drying rack. The child then returns the work to the shelf. Later in the day, the same child or another, takes the dry used cloths off the drying rack and puts them in the laundry bag/basket as set up in each classroom.
Shelf Supply: In this method, one cloth color matching the work is presented behind the work on the shelf. The child, after finishing a chosen work at a table, hangs the used cloth up on a drying rack. The child then returns the work to the shelf. S/he then places a new cloth from the supply basket on the shelf onto the work tray readying it for the next person. Later in the day, the same child or another, takes the dry used cloths off the drying rack and puts them in the laundry bag/basket as set up in each classroom.
Work Station Supply: In this method, a basket(s) of cloths matching the work is presented behind the work set up at a permanent work station. The child, after finishing this work, hangs the used cloth up on a drying rack. Or, the used/wet cloths can go directly in a laundry bag made available as part of the work station (as shown in the picture). S/he then places a new cloth(s) from the supply basket(s) presented behind the work readying it for the next person.
About Tray Work Cloths
General Use:
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These light yet extremely absorbent cloths are best used as your core work cloths supporting all Montessori works and materials utilizing water.
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It is my recommendation that clear water be used versus water with food coloring added. This preserves the cloths and reinforces the truth of water’s clear nature.
Color: This can vary in as many ways as you can imagine but here are some ways customers have selected colors:
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Cloth colors match work and work trays with no variation (ie, chair washing is always yellow, table washing green, dishwashing blue, etc.). This greatly facilitates the child’s sense of order.
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Cloth colors match work and work trays with variation. In this case, the colors would change seasonally with the work.
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Each Montessori classroom is a different color (ie, the Aspen Room is blue, the Spruce Room is purple, the Maple Room is green, and so on).
Size:
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Smalls fit in the palm of a young child’s hand and are best used for water activities presented on trays on shelves.
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Mediums sit perfectly in rectangular trays supporting work such as: washing dishes, windows, easels.
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For washing chairs or tables, smalls can be used to apply and remove the soap, and mediums can be used to dry.
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Larges are especially nice for work that requires a child’s whole hand (versus fingers), such as cleaning a chalkboard, drying a pumpkin, or dusting a shelf or railing.
About Face/Cleanup Cloths
General Use:
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These very heavy weight cloths are best used for very heavy weight work.
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Ideal for washing one’s face; and cleaning up milk, water, or a beverage at snack or lunch.
Color:
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Charcoal and Navy are very versatile as their deep color masks stains to stand the test of time.
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Ivory is an ideal color for cleaning up milk or water spills.
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Lilac is such an inviting color that it will create warmth in any heavy duty work you use it for.
Size:
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All sizes work great as face cloths.
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Short cloths can also be used on work trays on shelves; the midsize and long cloths are too big for this purpose.
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Short and midsize cloths fit best in buckets.
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Long cloths hang perfectly over a drying rack spool.