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 do wash all of those in together but in a separate wash never with anything else.

They go in the utility room sink with a bit of hot water and zoflora to stop them smelling sour. I have occasionally just left them draped over the washing basket and put them in with the next coloured wash but the whole wash always smells a bit musty, even on 40-60 degress and line dried, so I try to avoid that.

And me 😂

with crockery and cutlery? It would never occur to me to do this. I might try it. Why would you need to wash them again afterwards?

I do 2 loads of washing every day so they'd only be waiting an hour or 2 so put in laundry basket in utility room.

My mum always did this - and I do know if one has been left wet and got stinky. Otherwise they are left to dry on utility sink and put in washing machine when I've next got a suitable load to do. Husband for some reason won't put the clean ones in the tumble dryer to dry "in case it makes things smell' (but will put unwashed wet dog towels in the tumble dryer to dry...go figure).

Put them in the washing machine .

Dishcloths should go in dishwasher as it is a hotter wash

Throw them in the machine and wash them with whatever goes in next.
Whites only get done once a week so if there is a stray cloth in the machine then I just take it out.
But we have quite strict laundry days so never have a back log.

Never thought of doing this. Do you wash them in the machine after or is the dishwasher enough?

This is what I do

I use sponge cloths not dishcloths so they just go in the bin. We don’t have flannels as we shower every day. The towels and tea towels go in washing baskets.

Is it? Most of my dishwasher's programs are under 60C.

Because they might sit in a cloth bag for over a week whilst I wait for enough to accumulate to justify a wash. I wash them at 60 so don’t just bung them in with clothes as I do those on 40. They would start to smell if damp
cloths were kept in a confined space so I let them dry first. They dry quickly if they’re squeezed out and hung over the tap so it’s not an issue- I’m not pegging them out on the line!

Put them in the washingachine or the utility room sink if the machine is on. Our washing machine is on at least once a day so they are never having about long. I keep different colours for bathrooms / kitchen / general cleaning. They all go in on a normal wash which is usually an eco wash 2.5 hrs. Everything comes out very clean. Then they either go on the line any remaining bacteria will be blitzed by sunlight or they go in the tumble in the depths of winter.

We have a nappy bucket by the back door (outside) for reusable baby wipes; dishclothes, bibs etc

We accumulate a bucket of cloths to be washed once a week. All in the machine on the hottest setting. Have never noticed any need to do otherwise. I can’t be bothered adding multiple steps to chores like this.

I dry them on the line. Otherwise they'll climb out of the washing machine.

I own 32 tea towels and 15 dish cloths. I use them for everything and anything. When I’m done with one I hang them outside to dry and then put them in a dedicated bin in the kitchen. Once a month, I wash the lot in their own wash twice, with two different washing powders and then off we go for a full drawer of clean cloths. I can never understand folks who wash dishcloths and tea towels with their clothes and eurghhhh even their underwear, this is how thread worms prevail. Yuck. I take great pleasure in folding them all nicely and stocking them in the drawer. I never buy paper towels and enjoy new tea towels every day.

Sad I know, but it makes me happy and no thread worms here!!! :)

I just stick them in the washing machine to go with next wash but importantly (for me) i clean toilets with toilet roll that I flush way so nothing really gross on them and I do tend to use a laundry sanitizer in most washes too

I put them with pots and pans which I wash on a 65+/70. Currently on so can’t check.

As I said upthread it was dishwasher repair man, that told me dishcloths, washing up sponges and brushes, should go in dishwasher and not washing machine. He did tell me why, but can’t remember, probably to do with heat. Or filter.

Tea towels obviously go in washing machine but with two dishwashers I don’t use very often (I’m disabled before anyone says I’m lazy - I’m that as well 😉)!

We have never had threadworms from tea towels because we don't wipe our arses with them. 🤷‍♀️

I wash whites together and woollens on a wool wash. Everything else goes into the same wash on 40 degrees. Very rarely ill and never had thread worms. In the summer everything is line dried in the sun . UV light kills bacteria.
I used to wash bedding and towels on 60 degrees but I found high quality bedding shrank .

Well they’re only wiping round the cooker and kitchen worktops, which I don’t find gross. Have always washed at 30 and we’re all fit and well. We can live with a little bacteria. Dishcloths are about £1 a pack of six in Tesco, hardly wasteful. I’m not into overthinking this tbh. If it ain’t broke..

I’m not saying it’s wasting your money. I’m saying it’s wasteful to buy something like that every few weeks. Like throwing all your pants out once a fortnight and buying all new. It’s just as wasteful as that.