Someone commented to me a while back about the more clever of my baby solutions, and I thought since it is food related enough, I may as well share it here.
I am not the kind of person who really worries that much about a messy baby. They are meant to have fun with food, so they will enjoy it more as they get older, and maybe not be such a picky eater along the way. However, to keep that mind set, sometimes I use a few measures to help make the mess less.
My top tip is shelf liner. Yea, that vinyl crud we stick on the bottom of cupboards and forget about, it is cheap and usually hidden somewhere in your house, I got mine for free when my boss was cleaning out a storage area, and asked if I wanted it.
We just happen to have the kind of table that splits apart in the middle, and the booster seat sits at the middle point where the crack is... and food was getting crammed between. The little man likes to try and eat everything, so placemats are out of the question, and plates fly and smash when he gets hold of them, so the solution for me was to put a chunk of shelf liner right on the table, covering the crack and wrapped down to cover the edge.
I place all his food directly on it, and wipe it clean. No dishes to clean, not cracks to de-gunk, and if it gets stained or starts to pull up I replace it with a new sheet. Easy.
Next tip? Dollar store table cloths or old picnic table cloths, or vinyl shower curtains. Why? You use it like a painter's drop cloth under high chairs or booster seats to catch the mess. Afterwards, you just shake it off, and if messy the dollar store ones are easily replaced, and picnic table cloths wipe clean, and shower curtains can be wiped or even gently washed in the washing machine (hang dry of course)
Now, high chairs and booster seats can be taken outside in nice weather and hose sprayed, then sun dried for a nice, quick clean with the added bonus that the sun kills germs. In winter or bad weather, just lug them in the shower and let them drip dry, then set on the table cloth a fore mentioned to catch any hidden water as it finishes drying. This way you don't have to spend enormous amounts of time wiping down every nook and cranny, and get a better clean usually.
If you are worried about clothes, then feed baby naked. Diapers are changable and babies hose down pretty good too ;) Hope this helps.
