What do you do with wet dishcloths waiting to be washed?

[ThingsCouldBeEasier]

Also wet towels. And flannels. We have a wetbag for the bathroom for flannels as we use a lot but it feels like we always have manky old dishcloths hanging around waiting to be washed. I'm sure there must be a better system than our non-system.

I have loads of cleaning cloths/dusters so change them frequently. I wait for them to get dry and pop them in a cloth bag which hangs on a hook inside a cupboard in the kitchen. When the bag is full I put them all in the washing machine. The cloth bag gets washed with them about once a month so it stays fresh-smelling!

I do a washing load most days,so I just throw into the washing machine ready for the next load to get turned on. I am a heathen though, but have lots of children and work full time so I feel I am excused for cutting out all the steps in the gold star laundry process.

I put them in a plastic box next to the washing machine with used tea towels, then wash every few days on a separate hot wash. If they are particularly manky, I soak them in cleaning spray first

Dishcloths, washing up sponges and brush go in the dishwasher every couple of days. Dishwasher repair man told me that.

Tea towels with sheets/towels as and when, changed every few days or chucked in washing machine until enough for a load, depending on who is home. Sometimes just me, sometimes all of us. Adult dc and dh who come and go.

I just bung them straight into the washing machine and they get done with the next batch

Also chuck into machine along with whatever is about to be washed. If there is a wash running or waiting to be transferred to dryer, they get chucked into the utility sink if it's not in use (and it usually isn't) and then go in with next wash that is going to be hot (60 degrees)

Mine go on the floor of the utility room, by the washing machine, but I’m now on the hunt for a metal/wire basket so they can look tidier.
Towels get left in the owner’s room on a hook whilst in use (all adults now), then rounded up and put straight in the wash with the rest.
Btw, towels, teatowels, dishcloths are meant to be washed at 60°; bacteria grows and they get smelly otherwise.

Mine all get washed on 40° & do not get smelly.

I don't think it's very hygienic throwing dish cloths onto the floor, irrespective of whether that's a kitchen or utility room.

@ThingsCouldBeEasier they get put to dry on either the outside line or a Rail in the kitchen. Once they're dry, they get put in a little caddy until there are enough of them to do a load of just cloths and tea towels. I don't wash them with clothing or bedding or bath towels. (it's an old argument on here that's been done 1 million times, yes I know washing machines are meant to get things clean etc etc but I wash mine the way I do and this girl is not for turning 🤣)

I don’t use them because they’re horrible. I use sponges - pan scourers for washing up and flat sponges for wiping surfaces - and throw them away when I’ve had enough of them.

Don’t use flannels either, just soapy hands.

They go in the washer or on the floor next to the washer ready for the next wash, they really aren't there too long as I use the washer multiple times a day.

Flannels get washed after one use (I use them for removing makeup) and things like tea towels every few days. Actual towels go in the heated towel rail and are washed once a week. We have a big counter in the utility above the washing machine and things sit on there before being washed.

I do the towel wash on 60 but am generally pretty free and easy otherwise and only really separate out things like new jeans which might bleed colour. In winter I do a wool wash once a week for mainly my knitwear.

Usually I just put them in the washing machine and they get washed whenever the next load of washing gets done. I try and put them in with towels, but I’m not particularly bothered if they go in with clothes

All dislodge hung over edge of dirty washing basket and go in next hot wash (60 deg) with towels, sheets and pillow cases.

You may be right about the floor; I’ll start using the sink instead while I look for a basket/cintainer. But the 60° thing is correct; cloths do harbour bits of food and dirt on which bacteria grows, whether you can smell it or not.
I soak the cloths used for bathroom cleaning in green bleach before putting them in the machine. Also, slightly off-topic: pink for the sink, blue for the loo. 😀

Interesting about the dishwasher. What sort of dishcloths. I use microfibre.
I definitely never wash dishcloths, tea towels and aprons with anything else. Don’t know why but it makes me cringe thinking about it.

Dishcloths for washing dishes, wiping counter and stove get soaked in a large bowl with a bit of dishwashing liquid and about 1/4c of vinegar with boiling hot water from the kettle. I leave overnight and do this once a week. I sometimes add a bit of bleach. Rinse well the next day. Obv rinsed well after use and hung up.
Dish towels get changed every day and multiple times a day depending on what they've been used to dry or wipe.
Towels and washcloths are hung up or hung over a drying rack if poss then put into the laundry basket dry to avoid mildew. I wash towels and washcloths every 2nd day and use bleach every other wash (only have white bath towels). Beach/coloured towels get vinegar in the rinse.

This is what I do.

I throw them in the washing machine where they sit and wait for the next wash.. Everything done at 30. Don’t wash them that often anyway! After a few weeks I bin and buy new, they’re cheap as chips. We don’t use flannels.

No germs/bacteria are killed by a 30 wash. The coolest wash for this is 60. That's why you should wash bedding, pants, towels, face cloths, dish cloths, tea towels, oven gloves at 60.

Why are people drying them before washing them?

We fling ours in a bucket and when the bucket is full they all go in the same boil wash.

Surely washing something like this at 30 is gross? And buying them new every few weeks seems so unnecessary and wasteful. We’ve had the same dishcloths for about 7 years

Another who just bungs them into the machine for the next wash.

@Fiddlesticks1 if you never wash anything like dishcloths, tea towels and aprons - what do you do with them?

I use colour catchers in my wash as have so little in whites and lights I would probably not have a whole load for a good few weeks. They work brilliantly.

Hang them up to dry, which happens very quickly at this time of year, then chuck them into a washing basket until there’s enough for a wash. I wait for them to dry before they go in the washing basket so they don’t go mouldy before they’re washed.