Talk to me about cleaning your cleaning cloths

[orchidee]

For which jobs do you use non-disposable cloths, and how do you clean them?

I tend to keep a pile of used microfibre cloths etc until it seems worthwhile running the washing machine fir them, which I double-up as the machine's maintenance wash.

I dislike having dirty/used cloths lying around, so often use kitchen paper for jobs. I've a toddler at home so have to be careful where the cloths are drying out after being used, before being stored and washed properly.E.g. today, after doing the insides of my windows. The microfibre cloth was grubby even after rinsing out.

So what do you do?

[GinandJag]

I have loads of cotton cloths which I use once and the throw in the washing machine.

I don't mind putting them in with a clothes wash. I will rinse them first if they are particularly gross.

I much prefer this system to J-cloths or paper towels.

[Themobstersknife]

I keep mine in a net bag in my utility room, like the sort of bag you would use in a nappy bucket. I hang it on a cupboard, out of reach. The air circulating through the bag seems to prevent them going mouldy, and then when I have enough, I put a wash on, including the bag, which is what I think ecloths recommend to wash their cloths in.

[nightshade]

Throw Them in a pile and in the washing machine along with clothes.

[Themobstersknife]

Just looked at your post and realised I haven't answered your question. I use reusable cloths for pretty much everything, but get cheap rolls of paper towels from the market for the dog bowls.

[GinandJag]

Why wait for a large number of cleaning cloths? Why not just wash with clothes?

[hugoagogo]

I use microfibre cloths for nearly everything, paper towels are just for the cat litter tray or cat sick.

The cloths just get bunged in the wash with everything else.

[LadyMetroland]

We have a utility room with a sink. Dirty cloths go in sink until there's enough for a half load. We have a lot of cloths and dusters - takes about 3 weeks before there's enough to do a wash but in the meantime they are out of sight out of mind.

Then for kitchen spillages etc we just use kitchen roll, and for wiping down surfaces we have one spongy cloth thing that is kept next to sink on draining board, where it dries out. This is binned and replaced regularly.

Bathrooms have sponges that are kept hidden in cupboard or wicker basket alongside eco bog cleaner.

[Themobstersknife]

I don't wash mine with clothes, as I use a sports wash to get rid of odours on the cloths, and don't use fabric conditioner on the cloths but do on the baby clothes. Also, probably being ridiculous, but I worry about any chemicals on the cloths mixing with the baby clothes. But I chuck them in when I am washing our stuff.

[ouryve]

Dishcloths (I have some cotton ones, but keep an emergency supply of scourer sponges for nasty stuff) go in with towels.
I use those disposable cellulose sponges for wiping work surfaces because they pick up lots of water and dry very quickly. They stand up to a few goes in the washer, too, so are semi-disposable.
When they get a bit old and manky, they're regulated to being bathroom or floor cleaners, or for cleaning outside windows. If there's still a bit of life in them after any of that, I'll wash them with bathmats of doormats.
I use cif wipes for cleaning around the loo, quickly dealing with mess in the bathroom in general when I'm not doing a deep clean and for attacking the boys' shoes when we get home and one of them's inevitably stood in something brown and nasty. They're also good for wiping around the edges of windows if mould is beginning to appear. I use windowlene spray and a paper towel to clean the actual glass, though.

I've just had to rinse the boys' face sponge and chuck it in the wash after DS1 decided to use it to wipe his wellies with [gag]

[BertieBotts]

I wash them in with towels and sometimes bedding at 60 or 90 (depending on what else is in there). Don't use fabric softener as it will "coat" the fabric. 60 is the minimum to kill bacteria.

The only thing I tend to use disposable cloths/tissue for is cleaning the toilet and wiping out disgusting oil from pans - everything else I use old muslins and chuck them in on hot too :)

[usualsuspect]

I use micro fibre cloths and wash them with the towels.

[MousyMouse]

I have loads of kitchen cloths (j-cloths?)
they are washed together with the towels, flannels and sponges at 60 whenever I have enough for a load.

[orchidee]

mobstersknife I like the idea, thanks and I have one of those net bags.

I do a separate wash for cloths as I like to wash them separately from clothes so no fabric conditioner and 60+, 95 occasionally which I think of as a service wash. If you chuck them in with clothes, do you bleach your cloths first or are they not used for grotty jobs?

[orchidee]

Thanks for all the ideas!

[Themobstersknife]

Yeah that is the other reason I keep them separate usually, because I like to do them at 60 and sometimes 95 and treat it as a service wash as well.

[UterusUterusGhali]

I keep them back, along with tea towels and I wash them all together with soda crystals, no fab soft, at 60? or more.

Food stuff must be kept together!

Towels & flannels separate also on a hot wash.

I tend to use kitchen roll a lot though. I HATE smelly dishcloths that transfer their smell onto the sides.

Bathroom cloths are kept separately too, and may be washed with towels. Unless they've been used to wipe tge loo, in which case they go straight in the bin.

[DeathMetalMum]

I do a cloth and tea towel wash every couple of days or so. I use the white dishcloths. If they start to look a bit grubby even after the 60° wash I will either chuck if they are also tatty or put them in a bowl of water/sterilising fluid mix and leave them for half a day then rinse and wash again. Come out like new.

[ceres]

i wash cloths in with towels, bedding and tea towels on a 60 wash.

i use cloths once and then they go in the wash so they don't hang around and get manky i.e kitchen cloth gets changed daily along with tea towel and hand towel. when cleaning the bathroom i use a fresh cloth each time and then chuck in the wash.

am completely non-neurotic about bathroom germs - i can't see the difference between toilet germs and bum germs....i don't wash underwear seperatly to other clothing. and underwear gets washed with clothes at 40.

[GemDoll]

What does everyone else do with cloths used to clean the toilet?
I use a cheap blue supermarket cloth cut in half with one disposable glove and then both get binned immediately. I clean the toilet with one hand so it's not quite so wasteful....
Wiping down cloths for kitchen and sink, bath to in with normal coloured wash.

[educatingarti]

I wash mine with anything else I do on a 60 degree wash, so towels, bedding or underwear!

[orchidee]

GemDoll I live in a soft water area. The inside of the toilet bowl is cleaned with a brush, I didn't know people used cloths inside til reading this site! For the outside of the bowl, seat etc I use something disposable, usually a cloth or sponge that's been demoted and ready for the bin, or something from my rag bag. Sometimes wipes or kitchen paper but if so, I don't flush them down the toilet. My mum bought me those so-called flushable wipes, I find they're ok but wouldn't buy them regularly.

[orchidee]

DM alert- this is interesting about washing machine hygiene, especially regarding illness.
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2050239/How-washing-machines-familys-health-risk-Low-temperatures-mixed-loads-spreading-dangerous-bugs.html

[wewereherefirst]

I will normally wash mine with nappies at 60. I use them on mirrors, kitchen sides and tables, kitchen roll is used to soak up spills and clean DS2's highchair tray and drinks bottle.

[echt]

Like an upthread poster, I change cloths every day, along with tea towels and scrubby green things. The mucky stuff is stored in a string bag in the laundry, and when it's full, goes on a 95 wash, with bicarb of soda. Manky oven gloves go in the mix. No other material goes in this wash.

Lavatory bowl is cleaned with a brush, the exterior with cloths which go directly into the string bag after one use.

[Bunbaker]

I zap wet dishcloths in the microwave for 2 minutes as it kills the bacteria. It works - a smelly dishcloth comes out with no smell.
Then I throw it in the washer along with what ever else I am washing - usually towels.