Can I use muslin instead of cheesecloth for straining?

A fine, loosely woven muslin can strain in a pinch, though its tighter weave drains more slowly than true cheesecloth. For fine straining or cheesemaking, cheesecloth's looser, gauzier weave works better, while muslin is better for tasks needing some body.

Are muslin and cheesecloth the same fabric?

They are close at the loosest grades, both open plain-woven cotton, but they are not the same. Muslin spans a wide range up to a sewable utility cloth, while cheesecloth is specifically the loose, soft, food-grade open weave.

What is a muslin in dressmaking?

In sewing, a muslin (or toile) is a test garment made from inexpensive muslin cloth to check fit and pattern before cutting the final fabric. The cloth is used precisely because it is cheap and has enough body to behave like a real garment.

Side by side

Muslin vs Cheesecloth

Muslin and cheesecloth are both plain-woven cotton cloths defined by their openness, and at the very loosest grades they overlap, but they sit at different points on a scale. Muslin runs from fine and sheer to a medium, usable utility cloth that can be sewn into garments and used as a sewing pattern toile. Cheesecloth is the loosest, gauziest, floppiest open weave, graded by how few threads it has, made for straining and wrapping rather than wearing.

Muslin

No. 027

plain weave · first documented Antiquity

Cheesecloth

No. 083

very loose, open plain weave · first documented 1600s

The differences

Aspect	Muslin	Cheesecloth
Weave density	Ranges from fine and sheer to medium and usable.	Very loose and open, graded from coarse to extra-fine, all gauzy.
Body	Has enough body to sew, gather, and hold a shape.	Floppy and unstructured; conforms to whatever it wraps.
Typical use	Garment toiles, backing, dressmaking, bookbinding, light clothing.	Straining, cheesemaking, wrapping food, basting, dusting.
Strength	Reasonably strong for its weight.	Weak and easily torn; meant to be soft, not strong.

Which to choose

Both are open plain-woven cottons, but muslin has the body to be sewn and worn, while cheesecloth is the loosest, floppiest grade, made for the kitchen and the workshop. The names blur at the open end, but a cloth you can make a shirt or a pattern from is muslin, and one you strain stock through is cheesecloth.

Common questions

Can I use muslin instead of cheesecloth for straining?: A fine, loosely woven muslin can strain in a pinch, though its tighter weave drains more slowly than true cheesecloth. For fine straining or cheesemaking, cheesecloth's looser, gauzier weave works better, while muslin is better for tasks needing some body.
Are muslin and cheesecloth the same fabric?: They are close at the loosest grades, both open plain-woven cotton, but they are not the same. Muslin spans a wide range up to a sewable utility cloth, while cheesecloth is specifically the loose, soft, food-grade open weave.
What is a muslin in dressmaking?: In sewing, a muslin (or toile) is a test garment made from inexpensive muslin cloth to check fit and pattern before cutting the final fabric. The cloth is used precisely because it is cheap and has enough body to behave like a real garment.

Full entry: Muslin Full entry: Cheesecloth

Sources & References

1.Muslin, Wikipedia
2.Muslin, Encyclopaedia Britannica
3.Cheesecloth, Wikipedia
4.cheesecloth, Wiktionary