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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Do you wash your cleaning cloths?

150 replies

winterrabbit · 21/04/2025 17:54

Our cleaner asks us to wash the cloths she uses to clean our house (dusters, j-cloths, large clothes cloths she uses to clean the loo etc). I'm all for recycling but it feels a bit gross to be washing clothes she cleans the loo with and a bit of a waste of water and electricity to wash j-clothes and pointless to wash dusters every time, not to mention the hassle of hanging them. What does everyone else do?

OP posts:
Movinghouseatlast · 21/04/2025 21:22

Of course I do. I wash at 60 degrees with Napisan or dettol

ItsCalledAConversation · 21/04/2025 21:24

Hoppinggreen · 21/04/2025 18:14

I chuck my microfibre clothes in the machine with clothes etc but I don't use them to clean toilets

This. My cleaner brings her own cloths. In the past I’ve had cleaners who wanted 15 large microfibre cloths washing per clean. I loved those guys, they were excellent. I can’t imagine trying to clean with a dirty cloth. And the thought of throwing them away after one use would simply never have crossed my mind!

PickAChew · 21/04/2025 21:26

You can't clean stuff with a dirty cloth! Of course they get washed.

Copernicus321 · 21/04/2025 21:27

I throw away j-cloths and spontexs, I wash my micro-fibre cloths every week.

user2848502016 · 21/04/2025 21:27

Yes of course I wash them! Do you seriously throw them away each time?
I keep certain cloths for loo only and then have separate ones for kitchen and bathroom - but yeah just wash in the washing machine with laundry sanitizer

ThePoshUns · 21/04/2025 21:29

I wash them with my towels at 90 degrees .

AutumnLeaves24 · 21/04/2025 21:33

Nanny0gg · 21/04/2025 18:40

Of course!

I don't' wash them with my clothes., but tea towels and cleaning cloths on a very hot wash.

You can't keep using them if they're grubby!

Show quote history

Cleaning cloth and tea towels in the same wash do you mean???

no way.🤮

RosesAndHellebores · 21/04/2025 21:34

Yes of course I wash them. The cleaner uses about 10 microfiber cloths a week and the towelling thing that goes over the head of the stream mop. They go in a 95° wash with a bio aerial tablet every week.

Cleans the cloths and gives the machine a hot clean with a bio capsule. Two jobs done at once.

lurchermummy · 21/04/2025 21:34

Yes I do, but I dont use my cloths to clean the toilet - I spray it then wipe it dry with loo paper and then flush the paper. I also use a - gasp - toilet brush to clean inside the bowl.

SausalitoSue · 21/04/2025 21:34

Ha I thought ‘ew, who doesn’t wash their cleaning cloths?!’

Didn't even occur to me some people would just chuck them!

SausalitoSue · 21/04/2025 21:35

lurchermummy · 21/04/2025 21:34

Yes I do, but I dont use my cloths to clean the toilet - I spray it then wipe it dry with loo paper and then flush the paper. I also use a - gasp - toilet brush to clean inside the bowl.

Same!

And if anyone’s loo brush is gross, it’s because you’re using it wrong 🤢

AutumnLeaves24 · 21/04/2025 21:35

Bonniethetiler · 21/04/2025 20:25

I used to do some cleaning for a few people for several years. A very experienced professional cleaner I knew swore by cleaning with cotton face cloths. I cleaned all the houses with them and have never used anything else in my own home since. No microfibre, no yellow dusters, nothing. Just face cloths.

No matter where the cloth is used (toilet or kitchen), they get put into a bag and once a week I put them in the washing machine on a 90'C cotton cycle, along with my tea-towels, floor mops, and anything else like it. The hot water and washing powder should be more than enough to clean the items. I tumble dry them after washing. I also used to wash the cloths when I was cleaning houses as it was too much to expect the client to do it, but this was covered in the price I charged.

As the client, it's up to you to decide what you want your cleaner to use in your home. If you are giving her disposable cloths for the bathroom and asking her to reuse dusters without washing, that's up to you, but as someone who only ever damp-dusts surfaces, I can't imagine how you could use a dirty damp cloth again without washing - goodness knows I sometimes use two or more in one room if I'm having a good clean, as they get too dirty to keep on using.

You may think that washing a toilet cloth in your washing machine is gross, but I'm of the mindset that cleaning your home with dirty cloths is much, much worse.

But as before, if your cleaner is providing clean cloths as part of the service, then it's your house and your call.

Edited

Cleaning cloth and floor mop heads in with tea towels 🤮

SapphireOpal · 21/04/2025 21:36

AutumnLeaves24 · 21/04/2025 21:35

Cleaning cloth and floor mop heads in with tea towels 🤮

Show quote history

You understand what a washing machine is for, right?

SausalitoSue · 21/04/2025 21:38

AutumnLeaves24 · 21/04/2025 21:35

Cleaning cloth and floor mop heads in with tea towels 🤮

Show quote history

Doesn’t your washing come out clean? That’s a problem!

Bonniethetiler · 21/04/2025 21:40

AutumnLeaves24 · 21/04/2025 21:35

Cleaning cloth and floor mop heads in with tea towels 🤮

Show quote history

Yes, that's right. All washed together at 90'c on a long cycle. I've highlighted the important words in relation to this practice.

Bugbabe1970 · 21/04/2025 21:44

Devilsmommy · 21/04/2025 17:56

Bucket of bleach and boiling hot water. Wouldn't fancy putting them in my washing machine

Bleach stops working in boiling water

Bonniethetiler · 21/04/2025 21:49

Bugbabe1970 · 21/04/2025 21:44

Bleach stops working in boiling water

Show quote history

It's actually a lot less than boiling point, to be pedantic (although I can't recall what temperature range it is). The bleach may still whiten, but its ability to disinfect will stop. And things should only be bleached once cleaned, so I guess if anyone is worried that hot water isn't enough, then it should be that cloths are washed in hot water then bleached in cold.

This is one of the reason that for infection control cleaning the bleach solution has to be made from tablet form, using cold water. This way the solution is deemed to be known to be fresh and effective, and has not be affected by temperature during storage.

Nanny0gg · 22/04/2025 08:56

AutumnLeaves24 · 21/04/2025 21:33

Cleaning cloth and tea towels in the same wash do you mean???

no way.🤮

Show quote history

You do realise that very hot water and detergent kills germs?

And your tea towels probably have way more bacteria on them than dusters do!

Nanny0gg · 22/04/2025 08:57

FGS, some of you!

What do you think washing machines are for!!

Nanny0gg · 22/04/2025 08:58

OperationalSupport · 21/04/2025 18:03

I have a load of microfibre cloths that get used for all cleaning/dusting jobs, then get washed and reused. I don’t have specific ones for certain jobs. I hang them on an airer to dry and they’re dry very quickly. We don’t use j-cloths (would they even survive the washer?).

I agree with you but J cloths can be reused quite a few times

MoistVonL · 22/04/2025 09:04

We use cotton facecloths from IKEA, the packs of 10 they sell in the kids’ department. After use, they go in a bucket by the washer until there are enough, then go on a 60° wash. They last years.

Throwing things away after one use is irresponsible and wasteful.

SunflowersVanGough · 22/04/2025 10:59

This / all cleaning cloths in mesh bag and in washing machine on a very hot wash with washing powder and line dried.

Toilets are cleaned with a toilet brush which is rinsed thoroughly and bleached with bleach and air dried at least once a month via outside tap!

AutumnLeaves24 · 22/04/2025 11:09

Nanny0gg · 22/04/2025 08:57

FGS, some of you!

What do you think washing machines are for!!

FGS all you like

But I will never wash dish cloths or face cloths and toilet cloths in the same wash. A separate wash with fresh water is hardly an onerous task and in my opinion far more hygienic.

No way, do I want my face cloths and dish cloths swelling around in the same water as cloths that have been used to clean floors all the toilet

Your detail may have more bacteria, but mine certainly doesn't

I think putting cloth you have used to wash floors and toilets in with other cloths and clothes is disgusting.

Bigearringsbigsmile · 22/04/2025 11:10

Yes I wash cleaning cloths! They go on a hot wash with towels.

WinterFoxes · 22/04/2025 11:14

Yes, I wash them together with the mop head cloths and bath mats on a hot wash with bio powder and a bit of zoflora. Never occurred to me to throw cloths away. Leaving them dirty would be gross. Can't clean with dirty cloths.