# How to keep dirty rags until washing?



## sora (Oct 7, 2006)

I usually do cleaning little bit a day. So I usually have one or two dirty rags, and mop head to wash so I don't run a washer just for a couple of rags. If I collect the dirty rags for a week, then there will be just enough to do a small load. I rinse them out excessive dirt and hang them in the bathroom but I usually run out of room to hang these and also they look ugly! And I hate hand washing them.

How about kitchen rags? Do you wash them every day? Where do you keep them before washing them in a washer?


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## buttercups.nest (Jul 2, 2009)

I don't very often use bleach or anything like that but I still don't like my rags touching my good shirts or jeans....I have kept a small garbage can underneath the sink (and then empty that into a laundry basket in the laundry room)...currently I keep a small wicker laundry basket at the top of the stairs for towels and rags.


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## kirstenb (Oct 4, 2007)

I have a mesh laundry bag I hang on the door in our laundry room where I toss all of our rags. I do a small load about once a week. I'm like buttercups.nest, I don't like them with the rest of my dirty laundry.


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## staceychev (Mar 5, 2005)

I don't like them with the rest of my dirty laundry, either!

Anyway, we've got one of those hanging mesh storage things from Ikea (I think they actually sell them in the children's section as toy storage). It's hanging in the closet in our mudroom, right across from the washer/dryer. On top, we've got plastic bags, in the middle, we've got clean rags, and the bottom section holds dirty rags.


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## ABrez (Apr 4, 2007)

I have a steel trash can in the kitchen. It has a diaper pail liner in it. Wet rags get laid across the top until dry then they go in the pail. But we don't use paper products so napkins, flour sack cloths, everything goes in this pail so we have a good sized load about once a week.


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## lifeguard (May 12, 2008)

I have a small laundry basket on a shelf by the kitchen sink.


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## sora (Oct 7, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *staceychev* 
I don't like them with the rest of my dirty laundry, either!

Anyway, we've got one of those hanging mesh storage things from Ikea (I think they actually sell them in the children's section as toy storage). It's hanging in the closet in our mudroom, right across from the washer/dryer. On top, we've got plastic bags, in the middle, we've got clean rags, and the bottom section holds dirty rags.

Love this idea!


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## Tilia (Nov 18, 2006)

I keep a small garbage can in the laundry room. I hang wet rags over the side until they are dry, then toss them in. Once it is full, it makes a medium sized load.

You just have to be careful of mildew in the bottom. There is no way for wet rags to air out if you toss a bunch in at once.


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## fruitfulmomma (Jun 8, 2002)

I keep a 5-gallon bucket in my kitchen and throw them in as they get used and wash when it is full.


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## moobiegirl (Sep 10, 2007)

I hang dry the rags after using them, then they get thrown in a small can in the kitchen. I wash them about once a week.


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## broodymama (May 3, 2004)

I have a small wicker basket with a liner and lid in the kitchen. All napkins, bibs, placemats, rags, dishtowels, mop covers, random cloths used to wipe up whatever all get tossed in here. Whenever the basket starts to fill up or we start to run low on dish towels or napkins I start a load.


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## PenelopeJune (Jan 22, 2008)

Now I think maybe I am gross.







I just toss all the rags into our regular laundry. None of them ever seem to be terribly smelly or dirty, and I do laundry 1-2 times a day, so I just toss the rags in.


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## deditus (Feb 22, 2006)

I am lucky enough to have a kitchen closet so I hang them on a towel bar in there to dry, when dry I put them into our former diaper pail, and I also wash once a week. I used to hang them on a towel bar on the inside of the cabinet door under the sink (when I lived someplace w/o a closet).


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## texmama (Jun 4, 2005)

I just hang the rags on the door of the washing machine until they are dry, and then toss them in the washer to wait until there is a full load - I don't mind them going in with the rest of the laundry.


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## earthmama369 (Jul 29, 2005)

I don't mix rags with our clothing laundry because if I've wiped up oil or grease, they can stain our clothes. (I learned that the hard way, although not with rags -- a friend washed a shirt for me with his waiter's uniform and my new shirt got stains all over it.)

I keep a 5 gallon bucket in the kitchen for rags and I wash them when it gets full, usually every couple of weeks. I sprinkle the bottom of the bucket with baking powder to keep things dry and to absorb any odors and wash the rags on hot with hydrogen peroxide (works like bleach without the chlorine smell) and regular detergent.


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## obscureepiphany (Jan 24, 2008)

I use a milk crate inside a base cabinet next to the sink. I drape the wet rags over the edge to dry, then I put them in. Because a milk crate has such open sides, they don't smell musty (they don't smell like anything at all). Then I wash them with our other towels.


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## annethcz (Apr 1, 2004)

I also don't wash rags with clothing because of possible stain issues.

I toss used towels and rags into a laundry basket I keep on top of the washing machine. We go through enough towels and rags that I wash them every 2-3 days. I wash kitchen and bathroom towels all together.


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## nathansmum (Nov 13, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *PenelopeJune* 
Now I think maybe I am gross.







I just toss all the rags into our regular laundry. None of them ever seem to be terribly smelly or dirty, and I do laundry 1-2 times a day, so I just toss the rags in.

This is me too! I wash every day, so I just hiff it in the machine or over the side so it's not sitting with other dry clothes in the washer and making them stinky or mildewy until I wash them.


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## mosesface (Jul 25, 2006)

i wash a load of towels/washcloths/napkins/rags every other day. i keep a hamper in the laundry room for them and just toss them all in together.

i don't bother airing them out or anything and i've never had a problem. in my experience, towels/rags only stink if i don't get them all the way dry before putting them away.


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## hopefulfaith (Mar 28, 2005)

I keep a dry bag in the corner of my kitchen - it's the old bummis one we used when we cloth diapered. I use it to line a small garbage can and I throw all of my kitchen cloth in there. If it's just food-stuff all over the cloths, then I'll throw it in with the clothes laundry (same as washing kids' clothes with food all over it, right?). If it's worse, I'll save it for the towel-wash every week (which I wash in hot).


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## koofie (Sep 23, 2003)

I have a mesh bag hanging on a hook inside my basement door (the side that faces down). The rags can air out easily, so I only hand them dry when they are really soaked. I throw them in with diapers, towels or anything else that gets washed on hot. Cloth napkins get thrown in the same bag.


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## Karamom (Mar 26, 2007)

I keep a gallon bucket on top of my washer for wet rags. It never even occurred to me to dry them out first- but I've never noticed a smell.


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