Dirty cloth storage

[TwoDrifters2]

Possibly the most boring post ever written, however…

I was just wondering what others do with their cleaning cloths after using them, and before there are enough for a full washing load.

For example, when you’ve cleaned the bathroom, and you’re left with a wet, dirty cloth. Where does that go?

Or after having wiped down all the kitchen surfaces last thing in the evening. Where does that cloth get put?!

I don’t like putting them in the wash together with bedlinen or clothing, so I usually wait until I have enough cloths for a load and then I can put them on a fairly hot wash.

But where do they go in the meantime? Does anyone else have this issue and have they come up with any original or creative ideas?!

I used to use a drawstring bag which would get wet and dirty, and then I washed it together with the cloths. But it was an eyesore in the kitchen.

I realise this is utterly a non issue and there are bigger things in the world to worry about. But every time I use a cloth, I face this conundrum, and it niggles at me.

Please someone tell me they have a good solution!

I keep mine in a small plastic tub next to the washing machine and they go in with the towels when I boil them.

I like the idea of keeping them in dilute bleach in the sink overnight. Two jobs done in one.

I have a plastic tub that all the cleaning cloths, flannels, tea towels and hand towels get chucked into. When there's enough of them I wash them on 60 with no softener. I dont like adding them into a regular wash as they're not as effective when they have softener on them.

I wash them with other things and they are always fine. So they just go in the normal washing basket or straight in the machine to be included in the next load.

I have a cotton bag that hangs on the inside of a tall cupboard door in the utility room. Cotton bag means they don't get smelly and the whole thing goes in the machine on 60 once its full.

I put them in a bucket, then when I have quite a few I soak them with my dirty cloth napkins and tea towels with an anti bac wash liquid. Then wash in machine on 60 once they’ve had a good soak.

I have a towel rail type radiator beside my washing machine so they air on there and then get thrown into the laundry pile when dry, and washed when there’s enough.

Kitchen cloth - in the dishwasher as we run it overnight. Bathroom, mostly I clean it once a week and do the towels then too on 60 wash so they go in with that. We also have a bag on the back of the door in the kitchen for tea towels, so often they just go in there and I wash about once a fortnight I guess on really hot.

Plastic tub under the sink, then washed when full at 90c.
These are all of my cloths, teatowels big flat sponges, and sometimes tableclothes.

I rinse mine out then keep them in a lidded nappy bucket until it is full, then wash them on a very hot wash.

I’m with you, OP, I don’t like to wash these with other things either, and agree they’re an eyesore while you wait for a full load. I have two of these - one in the bathroom for bathroom/household cloths, one in the kitchen (I wash kitchen towels and tea towels with the cloths). Hangs on the wall, keeps them nicely out of sight. They have various sizes.

Brabantia Sort & Go Kitchen Recycling Bin (12L / Grey) Stackable Waste Organiser with Handle & Removable Lid, Easy Clean, Fixtures included for Wall/Cupboard Mounting www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E6QZEH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_M6PP09A1X1G75W2FSV96?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforu03-21 @

Thanks everyone! Lots of suggestions to choose from!

I have a fabric bag which helpfully says 'laundry' on it, which hangs in the back lobby. Cleaning cloths, dishcloths, used mopheads, dusters, all get chucked in there after use, and the bag and contents go in a 60 degree wash on a saturday evening.

@Mamette

I put them in a plastic basket under the sink in the utility room.

Yep this. There is on under sink in kitchen for kitchen cloths, one in cupboard in bathroom for bathroom/other dirt cloths

I have 2 buckets, one for bathroom cloths and mop heads and one for kitchen cloths. I line the bucket with a canvas bag which stops the bucket going mouldy and it's easy to pick the bag up out of the bucket and Chuck the whole thing in the machine. I have a lot of kitchen cloths, I tend to chuck them in the bucket after one use, so it soon gets filled up.

They get thrown immediately into the washing machine, wiping the kitchen side is hardly likely to contaminate the clothes.

@Angel2702 It’s not so much dirt contamination that concerns me, more the chemicals used for cleaning that I’m worried about coming into contact with nice clothes and fading the colours or worse. (I realise I am probably way overthinking things!)

I just wash them with everything else but I don't like putting wet stuff in the laundry basket in case I don't do a wash for a few days (hope rather than experience) so I have a waterproof bag which hangs off the corner of the washing basket to keep everything damp separate also have one in the bathroom for my washable sanitary towels.

I needed this thread.

It depends really what they are used for, and I also worry about bleach transfer, that is why I rinse in sink and then hang on washing line so they don't touch other stuff and possibly bleach it

Mine are a mix of old t shirts and some flour sack towels. Used for dusting and wiping kitchen and bathroom floors between proper washes.
I rinse them and dry them on clothes dryer. Then they go in my cleaning bin (has most used cleaning stuff in). Around once a month they get washed maybe with kitchen rugs or similar ‘dirty things’.

@TwoDrifters2 If you search Jotties Journal on Google and find her Instagram (you don't need to be on Insta - I'm not and it still works), she did a post on making reusable cloths in a jar. Its basically just diluted zoflora in a jar, i think. Could that be an option to keep them from smelling before you have enough for a wash?

If they're not too bad I just chuck 'em in the washing machine with everything else. If they're really manky they go in when the dog towels and blankies go through. If they need to wait for a dog load then I use one of those netting bags that you get in supermarkets for fresh veg, and it hangs up on a hook in the utility beside the washing machine.