# Do you use dish cloths?



## baileyann3 (May 12, 2008)

Just wondering..

I recently, within the last month, switched from sponges to cloths. I am still not used to it. I still bust out the sponge for big really messy things, like a pot of red sauce of something. Also, do you use that same wet cloth to wash the counters around the sink? or do you use a different one?


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

I generally use one dish cloth a day & I use it on everything. On really busy, messy days I may use more. Having them sit around wet/damp grosses me out.


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## deditus (Feb 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *baileyann3* 
Just wondering..

I recently, within the last month, switched from sponges to cloths. I am still not used to it. I still bust out the sponge for big really messy things, like a pot of red sauce of something. Also, do you use that same wet cloth to wash the counters around the sink? or do you use a different one?

I use dish cloths, usually 2 a day since I have to do lots of dishes by hand. I usually wash dishes with a fresh one and then use it on the table, counters, and sink, then it goes in the dirty pile (actually we hang them on a towel bar in our kitchen closet so they dry then put them in a former diaper pail and wash once a week).


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## rosie29 (Aug 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lifeguard* 
I generally use one dish cloth a day & I use it on everything. On really busy, messy days I may use more. Having them sit around wet/damp grosses me out.

Same here. Never used sponges in the kitchen. A couple years ago I switched from thin store-bought dish cloths to hand-knit (by DH's aunt) dish cloths. It took some getting used to, but now I love them!


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## SuzyLee (Jan 18, 2008)

I use a dish cloth mostly for wiping up messes. I use 1 a day (or maybe 2) then hang it to dry before I put it in the laundry, so that they don't get musty.

I use a plastic scrubby thing to scrub pots and pans. I use the same one for months, throwing it in the dishwasher as needed if it gets gross.


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

i'm also a daily dish cloth user.

ok, here's the actual deal.

i have a whole pile of simple wash cloths (ikea) in a little basket in the kitchen. i use these for baby messes, cleaning dishes etc, and countertops and what not. so, i usually use 3-5 a day.

they go in with everything else in the wash--clothes, dipes, etc. i just toss them in, fold them up, and back out into the kitchen they go.


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## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

I use dishclothes to wash dishes. I use a sponge to wipe down the counters, tables, etc. The sponge sits on the sink and I send it through the dishwasher to clean. I use 1 dishcloth a day for dishes.


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## EricaDoula (Apr 23, 2009)

I use dishcloth to do all the dishes, and then I use lysol and paper towel to docounter. Or I have one cloth labeled COUNTERS for the lysol and counters. I don't usually use a sponge, but I have a few under the sink, just in case!


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## sunshineafterrain (Jun 19, 2008)

I use dishcloths for everything. Everyone seems to grab a new one, so there's always a bunch used by the end of the day...but they beat using paper towels ~and I have read too many germ-y stories about sponges


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## sunnysandiegan (Mar 5, 2008)

I use one dish cloth a day to wash dishes --> counters --> stove top --> the floor near the stove/sink - corner where food prep is done - (in that order), then it hangs to dry. Once it is dry, it goes into the laundry area and gets washed with whichever load is next. (If I am starting a new load of laundry, I will grab the dish cloth and towels from the kitchen, but the timing is generally the way I first described.)

I use a green scrubbie or stainless steel ball to clean the pots and pans first and then wash in the soapy water with the dish cloth.

We have this nifty magnetic box ($2-3 at Ross/Marshalls/TJ Maxx) that is on the side of the dryer where we keep a handful of clean rags for anyone to use for anything. (We have another small pile in the upstairs linen closet. The main stash is above the dryer in a cabinet.) In most cases, used rags get used once and are hung to dry, then washed like the dish cloths. If a rag is used for a greasy or otherwise flammable mess (very rare), then I toss it in the trash. Super messy and/or gross (but not flammable) messes get cleaned up with rags, which are then rinsed WELL and hung to dry, and then sit on the powder room counter until I wash an appropriate load or they accumulate enough for a load of their own (like today








).


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## Vancouver Mommy (Aug 15, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lifeguard* 
I generally use one dish cloth a day & I use it on everything. On really busy, messy days I may use more. Having them sit around wet/damp grosses me out.

This.


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## EdnaMarie (Sep 9, 2006)

I use one dish cloth a day, and one for drying / shining the sink, and then I have a scrubby (um, don't know how to describe it... it's not a sponge, it's made of woven plastic) for when necessary.

I use the same cloths for wiping the sink and table. It's all "clean" food stuff, it's not like I'm sharing between, say, the living room windowsills or the bathtub or something.

I do, however, use the kitchen cloth to wipe down the bathroom sink and bathtub and the toilet (in that order) before it's retired to the laundry basket. But obviously that never goes in the reverse order (bathroom to kitchen) 'cause that would be nasty.

I have never used paper towels, and sponges feel gross to me.


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## Gingercat (Sep 3, 2009)

Talking about dishclothes, is anyone using the woolen ones? I keep seeing some lovely handmade woolen ones on Etsy but I'm hesitant buying them as I do not have a clue how they perform in terms of hot water, drying, washing etc.


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## bjorker (Jul 25, 2005)

I can't stand sponges, they really squick me. I use dishcloths and rags. We have lots of rags so I'll use as many as I feel is needed. I wash all rags and cloths with towels.


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## vm9799 (Feb 1, 2007)

i use one dish cloth & dish towel each day just for dishes (i do them twice a day....no dishwasher). we have a huge stack of bar mop dish cloths and all purpose dish towels from williams-sonoma. for really nasty dishes that need scrubbing i use a scrub brush from ikea. for my stainless steel cookware i use barkeepers friend and a scrubby sponge.......but in general i can't stand sponges.

for spraying down the counters, stove, etc. i use seventh generation all purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth (got a stack of these from target).

each evening all the cloths/towels go down the laundry chute and once a week i run a load.


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## greenmansions (Feb 16, 2005)

I use a sponge, a dish brush and dishcloths. Dishcloths are for everything - wiping counters, doing some quick dishes (tho we use the dishwasher for everything that can go in it), wipe up the kids, wipe tables, spills, the floor. I go through usually 4 a day. My sponge has a scrubby side and I use that when it's needed and I often end up washing cookie sheets and the like with it, and I use a brush for scrubbing inside pots and stuff. I hate getting my hands in the greasy icky water. The brush is long handled.

Dishcloths are hung to dry after use and go into the wash. The sponge is squeezed out and put up to dry after every use, and it and the brush go into the dishwasher at least several times a week.

It took me a long time to train DH to ring out the cloths and sponge and leave them where they could dry, rather than dropping them back into the sink to get musty and gross.


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## vm9799 (Feb 1, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *greenmansions* 
= I hate getting my hands in the greasy icky water. The brush is long handled.

i'm this way too.....and am a HUGE fan of gloves!


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## lisa0416 (May 10, 2007)

We use dish cloths to clean dishes, then at the end of the night one is used to wipe down the counters really well. I also have rags in the kitchen to sop up spills. NO sponges here, they gross me out. We use at least one dish cloth a day, and they get washed either that day or the next. They go in with our regular laundry. I usually throw them in the washer first and let them hang out the longest in the soapy water before adding the rest of the load.


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## sunnysandiegan (Mar 5, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *vm9799* 
i'm this way too.....and am a HUGE fan of gloves!


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## SophieAnn (Jun 26, 2007)

No sponges here (except to clean the bathroom). We use dish cloths, and a scrubbie (plastic or steel wool) for the really stuck-on bits. After dishes are done I use the same dish cloth to wipe counters, stovetop, rinse and hang to dry for the next day. We both work full time so dishes are only done once per day... so a dishcloth lasts 2-3 days, depending.

Hubby is terrible about leaving the dishcloth in a wet heap at the bottom of the sink (yuck!) but if it's hung over the tap to dry properly then I feel better about reusing it another day.

The discloths we use are all handknit (half by myself, half from my grandma) from Handicrafter Cotton. The pattern is very simple garter stitch and is printed on the yarn labels, or available on the website:
http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=2328


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## Teenytoona (Jun 13, 2005)

Funny, we've been using sponges alot lately. I grew up using dishcloths and have plenty of them in the house, we just never use them. I reckon we'll get back to that. Sponges end up costing after a while.

What do you use on your pots and pans?


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## littleplum (Jul 18, 2009)

I use two a day. We do dishes in the evening after supper. I use one to wash dishes, and another to wipe down counters and tables. Then they hang to dry out, and they go into the laundry bin the next morning.


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## es1967 (Oct 31, 2007)

First I always use a brush and hot water to remove all food. Can't imagine not using a brush. I use a scrubby sponge to wash the dishes if I do anything by hand. Usually, dishes go right into the dishwasher after I rinse them. I use a dishcloth to clean counters only. Try to use a new one every day but somedays its 2 days. If I had my own washing machine i'd be changing it everyday but in my condo its downstairs. What totally grosses me out is when people use a scrubby sponge to remove food off their dishes and then wash dishes w it. My MIL does this and its disgusting. That wet sponge sits in the sink all day and looks so nasty. I can imagine the nasty germs growing. My husband also leaves clothes and sponges wet in the sink alot of the time.


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## BfBobby (Jan 19, 2010)

i don't think I've ever used anything other than a dish cloth. My parents always called them "washin' dish rags" and "dryin' dish rags" lol. That applies to any and all rags/cloths/whatever. I go through 3 or 4 per day, one for dishes, one for counter/stovetop, one for general messiness.


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## inkedmamajama (Jan 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *vm9799* 
i use one dish cloth & dish towel each day just for dishes (i do them twice a day....no dishwasher). we have a huge stack of bar mop dish cloths and all purpose dish towels from williams-sonoma. for really nasty dishes that need scrubbing i use a scrub brush from ikea. for my stainless steel cookware i use barkeepers friend and a scrubby sponge.......but in general i can't stand sponges.

for spraying down the counters, stove, etc. i use seventh generation all purpose cleaner and a microfiber cloth (got a stack of these from target).

each evening all the cloths/towels go down the laundry chute and once a week i run a load.

we use bar mops too, though I get a pack of 20 for 7 bucks at restaurant depot-you can even get a pack of 24 at a costco/sams club type store for 20-25 bucks. they are all 100% cotton, and wash up great. I have about 40 right now, but i plan on buying more. we keep them on a shelf in the kitchen and have a bummis wetbag hanging by our brooms for the dirty towels-we use them to clean up the counters, wipe up spills, pick up hot things, etc...and for washing dishes i have a scrub brush with a long handle that I throw in the dishwasher every few days. to clean i have two spray bottles, one filled with hydrogen peroxide and one with white vinegar, and a box of kosher salt and a box of baking soda for other cleaning needs.


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## ms.shell (Jul 25, 2008)

yes, we use dishrags. I get in trouble from dp because I dont like to reuse one that I have cleaned anything with. If there was germs on the counter, I wouldnt want to transfer them to the table or vice versa. We have a cabinet full and I get a new one for every application. I usually do drop them wet into the empty sink and then take them all to the wash at the end of the day, but dp does hate this. But he will scrub dishes, the stove, the counter and table with the same rag and then try to use it to "wash" the baby's hands!!! I have him finally trained to get a new one for the baby at least, and he has me trained to get the dirty rags out of the sink before he comes home and sees them. I probably go through 6-10 or more in a day. For pots or anything that really needs a hard scrubbing, I use loofah sponges that I grow myself. They are awesome because you can wash them and they are tough and hard for hard scrubbing.
Also, btw, we use wash cloths as napkins, too. DP was used to paper towels and he really complained about my cloth napkins, as he felt they werent "absorbant" enough. So one night I gave him a dishrag instead and he liked this much better, and so did ds. SO now we save my pretty handmade cloth napkins for company and we just use clean dishrags for napkins on a daily basis.


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## earthnut (Jan 1, 2010)

I grew up using sponges only, and we still use them regularly, mainly for the scrubby side. Most dishes go in the dishwasher without much preparation, but for those dishes that need scrubbing, we use sponges.

I've always had a clean cloth on a handle for drying hands. I had built up a collection of dish cloths from gifts (I never bought one myself) and they were pretty much unused until our housemate, who uses them for everything. At first it drove me up the wall that he was using so many (and staining them terribly), and using and not replacing the clean one for hands. But I have taken to using cloths for counters and the floor (though now I have a cloth pad mop, and use that on the floor usually instead).

I'll keep a clean one out for drying hands, this usually lasts for weeks. When I need a new one for the counters, I'll use the hand drying one and replace that with a new one. The one for the counters hangs over the side of the sink, and usually lasts for weeks too. When one is needed for the floor, I'll use the existing counter one and replace the counter one with the hand drying one and the hand drying one with a new one. The floor one usually just goes through one use and then is wrung and hung over the side of the hamper. When the counter one is deemed too funky for cleaning, it also goes on the side of the hamper. The cloths go in with the general laundry.


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## redvlagrl (Dec 2, 2009)

We use dishcloths that I knit from handicrafter cotton. I have about 10 so I can toss them in the wash whenever. This isn't once a day, though. Generally I have two on the go - one for dishes, one for counters, but DH doesn't really keep them separate. I figure that if they are rinsed out with some dishsoap and left to dry promptly that they are pretty clean.

Call me strange, but apart from obvious nasties (raw chicken etc) I don't mind spreading our own family's germs around the place too much.

I only use these cloths in the kitchen/dining room. Each bathroom has its own chux and scrubbies for cleaning.


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## RainbowTurtle (Sep 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bjorker* 
I can't stand sponges, they really squick me. I use dishcloths and rags. We have lots of rags so I'll use as many as I feel is needed. I wash all rags and cloths with towels.


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## *bejeweled* (Jul 16, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lifeguard* 
I generally use one dish cloth a day & I use it on everything. On really busy, messy days I may use more. Having them sit around wet/damp grosses me out.


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## Kailey's mom (Apr 19, 2007)

We do, my family has always just used a dish cloth for the kitchen. We clean everything, rinse it with hot water, wring it out, and hang it over the faucet. Dishsoap and hotwater keep it clean.


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## jimmyjapjap (Dec 17, 2010)

I think they are very dirty. They spread the germs around. How come when my parents and in laws are over they insist on putting one on the kitchen sink. What are they weird or something?
BU!


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## NikonMama (Jan 8, 2008)

We only use dish cloths, no sponges here. I think sponges are gross, they harbor so many germs. We use a scrub brush to get all of the food and whatever else off of the dishes before cleaning them.  We have separate cloths for washing dishes (we usually put most in the dishwasher, but occasionally I'll wash some by hand) and others for cleaning things like counters and whatnot. One style for each, so they look different and easy to tell them apart. Then I also have tea towels that are used for drying dishes and drying clean hands, and other regular dish towels are used for drying the counter and other things. I'm super picky about this stuff, maybe too much. lol I also don't like them to sit in the sink, so once we use a cloth or towel, it goes into a bucket next to the washing machine and the next time we need one we use a clean one. We never reuse any of our wash cloths once they have already been used. Might as well use a sponge. The cloths and towels build up in the tub when they are dirty, and once I have a full tub I wash them. I wash them by themselves and I use bleach (the only thing I use bleach with) and I have never once had a problem with them smelling, even if I leave them in the bucket for a long time. They just smell clean. I don't have a problem with mold or anything else either.

My towels/cloths in their home:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/ShyGecko/71db7ccc.jpg

The bucket I put them in, in between the sink and the washer:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/ShyGecko/8deb7d40.jpg


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## coyotemist (Aug 23, 2007)

We have dishclothes for dishes and counters, and bigger towels for bigger messes or drying. Everything gets washed several times a week, and I go through 2 to 3 a day. Haven't bought a sponge in years, although, like others we have plastic scrubby things and also steel wool for stainless.


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## Jackies Ladybug (Jun 19, 2008)

we dont have a single sponge in the house, i think they are SO gross. my mom uses them and i can smell that sour sponge smell as soon as i walk into her house.

i use green scrubby pads that i cut down to 1"x2" strips for any scrubbing and terry cloth 6"x6" towels for just about everything. i have some bigger towels for drying or cleaning up big spills.

i go through about 4 small cloths and 1 big cloth a day. sometimes 5 if my husband leaves one wet in the sink (eeewwww...... i cant handle it and put it right in the wash even if its just cold water on it)

i use those 6x6 cloths for everything, wiping tables, floors, sinks, counters, all sorts. but i work them top down. so a cloth can go from the counter to the table to the floor but not the other way around. even if rinsed in between.


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## lapoli (Dec 5, 2010)

We have a big stash of hand knitted tawashi. We use them once and then toss them in the laundry. Sponges creep me out and dishcloths are often too bulky to fit into crevices nicely.


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

I don't use sponges. I have cotton washcloths, the best are hand-crocheted. I get a fresh one every other day or so, and wash a load of towels at least once or twice a week. I've just gifted myself with some lovely brushes hand-crafted with birch and natural bristles that almost make me want to wash dishes, they are so nice to use. I have one for glass/bottle cleaning and another for scrubbing pans. They have been made in Sweden by visually impaired craftsmen for over 100 years. The quality is wonderful.


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## wannabesmc (Dec 27, 2010)

Right now I live with my parents so I have no say in what is bought or used. sigh. But, once i get my own place, hopefully this summer I intend to use cloths for everything. I will not have paper towels or paper napkins in my home and sponges skeev me out. No idea how I'll manage the specifics, but I'll probably use one for everything for a day or until it gets gross, whichever comes first. Ollyoxenfree: where did you get those brushes? They sound awesome. Do they have any that can be used on baby bottles?


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## ollyoxenfree (Jun 11, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *wannabesmc*
> 
> Ollyoxenfree: where did you get those brushes? They sound awesome. Do they have any that can be used on baby bottles?


Yes, they have bottle brushes. The glass brush that I have is great for cleaning glass milk bottles, and it might fit baby bottles, but if it doesn't there is a slender bottle brush available too. They are really awesome. A little pricey, but the craftsmanship is obvious and I expect them to last a long time.

I bought them at a lovely little shop that imports all sorts of goods from Sweden and other places around the world, so you could look locally to see if there is something similar where you are. They are made by Iris Hantverk.

Hmm, I just did a google search, and in the U.S., it looks like they are available at Brook Farm General Store. I don't know anything about that retailer though.


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## mkksmom (Mar 24, 2008)

I go through at least 5 dishcloths per day because I like to grab a new one for washing the tray to the highchair, counters, baby hands, etc. I found that the microfiber towels I bought didn't end up using as diaper inserts work really well cut up in quarters. You can get a whole pack in the automotive dept. at Target. Smaller cloths make less laundry and still allow me to grab fresh ones all day.


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## JollyGG (Oct 1, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *bjorker*
> 
> I use dishcloths and rags. We have lots of rags so I'll use as many as I feel is needed. I wash all rags and cloths with towels.


this


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

I use a scrubby sponge for pots and things that need to be scrubbed. Everything else I use washcloths. I change them as needed, like if I clean up something icky. I just run hot water and a bit of soap and rinse really well and hang to dry until the next use. It's as clean as it was when I started.


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## littleplum (Jul 18, 2009)

I use them LOTS! I love them! I love using them, and making tons of them, and when they come out of the dryer, seeing the great big stacks of color! I have a whole drawer stuffed full.

I use 3 or 4 a day. I'll use one for dishes in the morning, one for dishes in the evening, and one or two for wiping down counters and tables. On days that I am doing my deep house cleaning, I might use lots more, for wet dusting, or scrubbing down walls, switches, and doors.


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## The Imp and I (Feb 14, 2011)

Cloths. Im a cloth hoarder. I have big bar towels for hot things and drying things and soaking things up. microfiber ones and little walmart dish rags for dishes and counters. washcloths for soaking up things or washing kids and wiping down anything oh and linen teatowels for drying glasses and whatnot (my grandma gave me those.) my problems is i still havent kicked the massive paper towel habit this family has. i had never owned a roll till i married! That and he'll leave three inches of scum water in the sink with the cloth all sad and ghastly in the corner.... i use tongs to get it because it makes my skin crawl!


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