to wipe the table/countertops with the dishcloth?

[TanglednotTamed]

I use the same cloth that I wash up dishes with to wipe the table/table mats and the kitchen counter-tops.

I change the cloth regularly and microwave it most evenings too.

I always thought this was normal (after all the only surfaces I wipe with it are 'eating' ones), but a friend came round the other day and was shocked.

Do you have a separate table/counter-tops cloth to the dishcloth? AIBU for not doing that?!

I am a slattern in many,many ways but it drives me mad when DH washes up before bed and leaves the dishcloth in his washing up water until the next morning I hate fishing through 'left-over' soup for the slimy dishcloth.

You get through 4 kitchen rolls a week? All that money and waste just because you believe your own household germs are going to harm you if they come into contact with a cloth that can be disinfected and reused?

I use kitchen roll, after spaying the surfaces with disinfectant. I can stand when OH uses the dish cloth covered in dirty washing up water.

Washing up sponges in the dishwasher? Tell me more! I use the small ones with a scratchy side then chuck them when they're grubby. Can they be dishwashed?

My mil gets through at least 4 rolls of kitchen roll a week, it drives me bonkers.

I be willing to bet good money the ops never made anyone sick through using a dishcloth to wipe a table.

Microwaving the cloth sounds like a great idea I'm so going to start doing that, I might chuck it in the dishwasher too.

Yes, they come out a treat wherebethatBlackbirdto (love the name and, incidentally, I know where he be )

This is how effective it is.

It is extremely counter-productive to eliminate all bacteria from our lives! I am really genuinely astonished at the level of ignorance about this. Also makes me fume re. the waste and the landfill.

You microwave the dishcloth but are worried about not having two cloths?

I'm at a complete loss. The moment u said microwave a cloth you lost me entirely.

I uses an ecloth every day..then it goes in the washing machine.

I use sponges with scourer backs on for washing up (they last ages and are biodegradable and expensive), but like you I use a cloth for wiping surfaces. I don't sterilize them daily tbh, just rinse them, I always think the fact they're regularly doused in anti-bacterial spray does it for me . I can't stand the waste of using kitchen roll for wiping things down.

Microwave cloths? I've never heard of that in my life!

Interchangeable sponges for me. I use cheapy ones so they go in the bin when they are a bit grubby. Hardly ever ill in this house.

I wouldn't want to put a dirty cloth in my nice clean microwave.

Dackyduddles,I microwave dishcloths,sponges,the brush and tea towels after a quick wash.Just be sure they are damp.Lovely steamy clean and no smells.Dont know if this is bad,but my hands are too arthritic to rub and scrub anything.

Valium!!!...sniggers!

Tea towels? Why wouldn't you just bung them in the wash?

Come on everyone must at least put tea towels in the washer. Steamy clean... I have realised my house proudness is in fact not there. I am disgusting.

I don't know why tea-towels shouldn't go in the washing machine?! Is this another no-no?

I use a kitchen sponge - the small one with the white abrasive side for dishes - changed daily (rinsed in very hot water & dried between uses).

I have a stack of dishcloths that get used for wiping down the benches (with bleachy water) - they are used once, then dried out and put in the 'kitchen washing bag'.

A tea towel is used once - for drying dishes & or lifting things out of the oven or whatever, then it is dried and put in the 'kitchen washing bag'.

None of these things go near the floor - At All.

(The floor is hoovered & steam mopped - any interim spills are dealt with using paper towel.)

The 'kitchen washing' goes in by itself on a hot wash.

No-one is sick here either :)

microwave - unless you have the cloths in there for a very long time, with an appropriate amount of water you will merely be multiplying the bacteria - is is a heath hazzard not a way of cleaning them. It's also not great to cook in there afterwards. Machine wash them or throw them out.

There's more bacteria on a dishcloth & a tea towel that hangs around than a public toilet.

Tangled, my Mum used to say that we put all our underwear and dirty clothes in the machine so why would you wash your tea towels in there? I can't really be arsed to wash them by hand anymore, but I have to hide the fact I wash them in the machine from my family, especially my sister, as no one would want to eat in my house if they found out! We're a weird bunch. Well they are, I'm not.

Hand wash tea towels?! Oh what a joyless task

Reading some of the responses on here makes me wonder if people want their kids to have immune systems.

Of course tea towels go in the washing machine.

People are bonkers. I've read on here before that you can't put cloths, towels and clothes in the same wash because of poo germs on things like pants.

Personally I use cloths. I have lots of them. A few get chucked in the wash machine every night and get done next time there's a load. There's a huge tub of new clothes under the sink so we never run out. If you chuck it in the wash machine it's also not hanging about looking untidy.

I am surprised we all still alive.
I do wash the dog blankets separately though

Actually, up until 18 months ago I used to do exactly what my mum used to do and that was: boil the tea towels in a pot with washing up powder for about 20 mins, then throw them into the sink and scrub in water until all the froth disappeared and wring them and dry them on the outside line (no putting tea towels on radiators because that was disgusting). I feel guilty for not doing this anymore. I even dry them in the tumble drier now. My mum must be turning in her grave!

It only takes 1-2 minutes in the microwave to kill 99.9% of bacteria on a damp sponge.