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'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^

I use the same sponge to wash everything and the counter surfaces too. I replace it about one a week, when it starts looking manky.

The only thing that gets washed on its own is anything about two inches deep in mud or poo (baby poo, I should add, DP and I don't have some sort of weird problem)

Blimey, sometimes I grab whatevers close to hand be it a cloth, wipe or dog or cat, they all go in the same wash as well. I think washing machines these days can cope with cleaning things properly, its not like using a twin tub and mangle.

We need some bacteria to build up our immune systems, being overly zealous is not good for the kiddies.

I use one cloth, bleach regularly and change frequently. The only time I use a different cloth is when I bleach the work tops cos I don't want to wash the dishes with a bleachy cloth.

Hand washing tea towels???

I thought I'd inherited some bonkers washing regulations from my mum but that is lunacy!

Anyway - is there not a flaw in that plan?...how can the water be hot enough if you're only hand washing?

Sponge for washing up, cloth for wiping.
Perfectly normal

I consider myself a clean and hygienic person (work in hospitality so food and personal hygiene is paramount) but this thread has made me giggle. I just put towels, tea towels and microfibre cloths in washing machine together on a 60 wash. I'd love to have the time and energy to handwash tea towels... but I still wouldn't do it haha

Fake book-the easy way would be to just bung then in the machine on a hot wash

Btw twin tubs get things really clean.

"We use kitchen roll 4 a week to wipe down kitchen and bathroom surfaces not a cloth or spongs boak that way there thrown straight in the bin no lingering germs."

Really!!! That's a bit OTT.

Microwaving damp dishcloths and sponges for 2 minutes kills off 99% of living pathogens. It is easy to tell because sometimes they smell manky - that is the bacteria. After 2 minutes in the microwave they don't smell at all.

You do need to be careful that they are damp enough when you put them in because there is a fire risk.

I never hand wash tea towels or dishcloths BTW. I have a perfectly good washing machine, and as I have no babies/toddlers in the house there are no pooey nappies or pants in the wash either.

I use the same one for non-dishwashed dishes & surfaces but not DSs face unlike DH til I caught him

I'd never even heard of hand washing tea towels before this thread. I have better things to do, and by that I mean anything.

We use Vileda yellow cloths and they get put in the washing machine every day.

I have a colleague who is obsessed with cleaning and bleaching and will happily use 6 kitchen rolls per week to avoid using a cloth.

She is always ill and so are her children.

I use scourers/sponges to wash up, a couple a week (depends if there have been any really mucky pans to scrub) and the last job before they get binned is wiping down the bin with bleach.

I use kitchen roll and bleach for the work surfaces, wet soapy dish cloth for the table.

MIL has one manky cloth for the surfaces, sink, floor!