Am I dirty?

[HouseyNousey]

Over at a friend's house the other day when dish cloths came up in the conversation (I know!). She said '"well no one keeps them for more than a few weeks before they have to be replaced,do they?"

Well .. er yes! I disinfect mine every few days and keep them for months.

Am I dirty?

Eek! Absolutely!

Yes I DO use Zoflora - I've always liked it - nothing to do with Mrs Hinch.

I wash mine every time I do a wash. So every day really. If I have to clean up something nasty like sick or poo I use paper towel (well, two bits or cardboard for “solids”).

Your friend is a loon. No wonder the planet has problems. Disposable/single use cloths are one problem but throwing reusable cloths away after a few uses is even worse.

@stuffingball
Wow I feel like a slattern. I use those washing up sponges until they wear out (could be months)

Are you cleaning and disinfecting regularly? I hate these sponges so don’t use them, but there is a disinfecting trick involving a microwave I believe?

I use bleach every week or sooner and let it soak overnight. I prefer the smell of zoflora. Which is best? Bleach gets the stains out but if the cloth isn't too stained, would zoflora be ok?

I chuck the dish cloth (used to wipe down the kitchen sides etc into the dishwasher when I put it on) then cloths get chucked in the washing machine too when I’ve got a pile (dusters and tea towels etc)

I dont actually disinfectant my sponges 🤷‍♀️ I might shove it in the dishwasher but I never disinfectant them the get thrown when they smell or fall apart

My cloths have lasted for years

I keep dishcloths until they have a hole in them, but put them to soak in a Milton solution every couple of days.

but there is a disinfecting trick involving a microwave I believe?

Yep. Put the damp sponge in a microwave and zap for two minutes. I do the same with dishcloths. I also put them through the washing machine when I am putting a wash on.

I prefer to wash up using a sponge. I don't think dishcloths are as practical or get things as clean as a sponge does. I know that sponges can be a bacteria trap, which is why I regularly zap them in the microwave.

Wow I'm a slattern I even reuse "disposable" cloths

I still have a nappy bucket (eldest is now 36) and put all the white cotton cloths I use into a bleach and water solution after use, dishcloths every day. Then when the bucket is full I put all the cloths into a boil wash, along with any t towels whose stains have not washed out on a 60 degree wash. Any cloths that have become holey or past their best are used for more dirty jobs and are then thrown away. All are stored in a long sausage shaped bag that hangs on a hook behind the door. They last for ages. Works for me.

@Guacamole no I don't clean them at all apart from running them under the tap, and them getting filled with washing up liquid when I clean I have one for washing up and one for scrubbing the kitchen sides/hob down

To be fair though I do live fairly slatterny all round, so it's not just the sponge issue