Kitchen and bathroom clothes - how do you clean?

[NurtureGrow]

Would love to know how and how often you clean kitchen clothes and bathroom cleaning clothes?

Do you wait for them to dry, store them and then wash together. Ie maybe 20 at once?

I want to ensure they are truelly clean!

Also, do you wash all bathroom clothes alone in the washing machine? (Clothes that have cleaned the sink, floor, toilet etc!

Thank you!!

Do you mean cloths op?

I presume you do. I have a little bucket/tub thing in my laundry area. I put all my dirty cloths in there and wash them on a hygiene wash weekly (hygiene wash is a 60c) I use non bio Tesco liquid washing machine stuff. I dry them in the tumble dryer to kill off the extra bugs. I then fold them and have shelves that they go on. I use separate cloths daily for the kitchen and bathroom.

I was confused too - thinking special cleaning outfits??
I use sponges for the bathroom so chuck em when they are worn. I use sponges for dishes and cleaning (not the same ones) and antibacterial wipes for counter tops. Dish towels probably every week unless they get grease or food stuff on them. They get chucked in with regular wash.

I cleaned the hob in my Oodie yesterday?

Thank you, yes I mean cloths!

Have confused that spelling before!! 🫠

I throw cloths and tea towels in with a bedding or a towel wash at 60 degrees
Anything particular manky I clean up with kitchen roll anyway

I use a sponge scourer and typically use it once as I buy low quality and get concerned about germs lingering. If I'm cleaning the bathroom, I'll use the one I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen with. If it's not the kind of clean I'll probably use toilet roll.

Re the kitchen, if the sponge doesn't look worn or grimy it gets a reuse. I can't stand going to someone's house and their kitchen sponge looks like it could start a new virus. I don't have a dishwasher.

I use kitchen roll because it gives me the ick having cloths around. Or indeed clothes. 😉

Just add them to whatever wash is going on.

I've got an old pair of cargos and a t shirt which I use when I clean the bathroom, as I've ruined too many clothes with bleach. Then they just go in the hot wash with the towels

Oh I see, sorry cloths!

As far as I understand it, cloths are more hygienic than sponges in the first instance, and then you can also wash the cloths and reuse. Seems a better choice for your pocket than buying sponges and only using them once? ( I get there is a cost to washing though too, and haven’t done the maths to truly compare)

@Clafoutie do you have an example of the cloth or type of? I don't like the waste if I'm honest - it's my sustainability flaw. I don't get on with doing the dishes with a cloth so I'm not sure it's for me but every little helps.

@YourFlawIsLava microfiber cloths is your best bet. Pop your dishes in hot water with a touch of washing up liquid (I use supermarket own) let it steep for a minute then wash with a microfiber cloth. Tbh I don't even steep the bits I hand wash as the cloth washes everything away. I then rinse with cold water as this gets everything sparkling.

Do you not get scratches with a scourer? Also by cleaning the bathroom with the same kitchen sponge you are cross contamination bugs.

I used to be use sponges and kitchen roll until a lovely mumsneter on a thread questioned why I did. To be honest I done it because I always had and didn't think of it. I changed to her microfiber ways and have saved £ over the years.

I use white cotton dish cloths in the kitchen, the thin cheap ones. I keep them fresh by pouring boiling water over them at least once a day, wringing out well and making sure they can get dry. I wash them, about 10 at a time, in my 60 degree white bedding and towels and tea towels wash. If they get stained they get soaked in a little bit if bleachy water.

Don't use microfibre because = microplastics in the water system.

I use scourers in the kitchen to wash up with + microfibre cloth for cleaning down counters (with anti bac spray). Scourers get binned very 3-4 days, kitchen cloths and tea towels are chucked in with main clothes washes (wondering now if I should do these on a separate wash, but don't like running machine half full?).

Bathroom I use old clean rags (cut up old towels), generally use them once for a good clean, sink / floors etc then bung in the wash. Old toothbrush to get into difficult gaps. Clean toilet with bleach / toilet brush, then toilet paper and anti bac spray to do the toilet seat etc.

Find posts like this really interesting (I probably need to get out more)

Putting a wet cloth in the microwave for 2 minutes on high gets rid of germs I have been told.

I have lots of microfibre cloths for the kitchen and change them out several times each day. I also use them on the bottom of a Flash flat mop to clean the floor. The kitchen hand towel and tea towel that are used each day are put with the cloths into a plastic tub in the utility which has a lid. It is an IKEA Sortera promoted by them for recycling, I do have a matching set which the other is used for the recycling.

Bathroom I also use microfibre but these ones are much bigger and I use car detailing towels for drying and buffing. Again I have an IKEA Sortera inside a cupboard and put used cloths in there. These are also used for cleaning the front door or car windows and mirrors.

Kitchen towels and cloths are washed weekly and bathroom ones when I am running out. Separate washes always with Dettol laundry detergent for killing germs and tumble dried too.

Search on Google because Mumsnet search is bad, for the ask me anything laundry detergent thread because a person who helped develop laundry detergent talks about germ killing temps.

I throw them in a tub in the utility and then in the next wash, no separation from other washing - everything goes on at 60° apart from delicates which have their own wash.

I use, wash and reuse kitchen sponges in the same way.

I just have a pile of dishcloths and they get used for kitchen counters, floor spills, bathroom cleaning, damp dusting or whatever and then into the wash and back into the pile. Don't have specific cloths for specific jobs.

Thank you all so much, this is all very helpful!! 🙏

This is the thread @CouldYouMindThatBaby mentioned:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/AMA/3308661-I-developed-laundry-detergents-AMA?page=2

Lidded tub ontop of washing machine. When it’s full in a 60 wash and add tea towels, washable napkins etc. Small child uses washable napkins with most meals so after about 3-4 days I have a cloth, napkin, tea towel wash.

I wash the bathroom cleaning cloths with the bathroom floor mat and the shower curtain at 60 degrees. I might also wash the dog's towel with these.

I throw tea towels and kitchen cloths in with ordinary towels at 60 degrees.

Yes, micro fibre are probably worth a go. I like them as they don’t get water logged like cloths of old used to.

Mine just go in the latest wash. I wash them after every clean.