A washcloth is a small square of soft fabric, usually cotton, used for washing your body. Most washcloths are about the size of a dinner plate when unfolded, perfect for holding in one hand while you soap up in the bath or shower.

You wet the washcloth with warm water, add a bit of soap, and use it to scrub your skin clean. The cloth's texture helps remove dirt and dead skin more effectively than using just your hands. After you're done, you rinse it out and hang it up to dry.

Washcloths are also handy for washing your face before bed or cleaning up messy hands after dinner. Some families have different colored washcloths for each person so they don't get mixed up. In Britain, people often call them flannels, though they're usually made of cotton terry cloth, the same bumpy, absorbent fabric used for bath towels.

When a washcloth gets old and worn out, many people repurpose it as a cleaning rag for household chores, giving it a second life wiping down counters or cleaning up spills.