Dish rags are handy for all sorts of cleaning tasks in the kitchen. Unfortunately, with exposure to so many food crumbs, spills and residue, they can quickly develop an odor. Frequent cleanings will help, and following the steps below will ensure they are germ and bacteria free and ready for their next turn at the sink.
Boiling Method
You Will Need:
- Large pot
- Water
Steps to Clean the Dish Rags:
- Fill a pot with water.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Add the dirty rags to the boiling water.
- Boil for 15 minutes. The boiling water will kill any mold, mildew, bacteria and germs that may be on the cloths.
- After boiling, wash and dry as normal. The cloths will be sanitized and smell fresh.
Sanitizing with Bleach or Vinegar
You Will Need:
- Bleach or
- Vinegar
- Laundry detergent
Steps to Clean the Dish Rags:
- Add the soiled dish rags to the washing machine.
- Add ½ – 1 cup of vinegar, depending on the size of the load, along with your regular laundry detergent. Use hot water to wash.
- For bleach, add ¼ – ½ cup of bleach, again, the amount depends on the size of the load.
- Hot or cold water can be used to wash a load with bleach.
- Do not use both vinegar and bleach. They both do the same thing, so only one is needed.
- Complete the wash cycle as normal.
Additional Tips and Advice
- To keep rags from developing a smell, rinse them thoroughly and hang to dry after each use.
- Avoid leaving rags balled up or sitting in water for extended periods of time.
- Use a new dish rag each day to keep them fresh. Keep a supply on hand so they can be replaced as needed.
- Thinner dish cloths will dry faster which can prevent mold. Although thicker rags can be great, they also hold moisture and need to be cleaned more frequently.
Place the wet dishcloth in the microwave on high for 60 seconds. Be careful when taking the rag out because it will be very hot. Your dishcloth can be used over and over again without having to launder it often because the microwave kills the germs, therefore sterilizing the rag.
When I’m finishing doing dishes, wiping counter-tops, stove, sink, etc., I put rag in a dish with warm water and Oxi-clean. Most of the stains disappear, Oxi-clean sterilizes, and the rag smells better. I used to use dish rags only once or at most once a day. Now, I don’t have to throw them in the laundry so often.
I always alternate two cloths or sponges from dishwasher to sink whenever I do a load of dishes (at least once a day). I place the soiled one on the bottom rack by preference. It seems to dry better and the idea of it not dripping soil onto the bottom dishes just makes me feel better.
Between loads I rinse it out with a little bleach or Oxy-Clean . I rarely have that lingering smelly rag scent. And when I do there’s usually a load of dishes to do , or its time to start with a new set of cloths or sponges…
When done washing the dishes, rinse cloth in hot water from the tap, wring out well, then rinse well with cold water, wringing it well again. When your kettle is boiled for any reason, pour the extra boiling water over the cloth. Let it cool and wring it out. The cloth will not smell and will stay quite clean for a long while. Throw it in the washing machine with some bleach if it really needs a good cleaning.
I would like to see a disposable wipe the size of a bath cloth that dispenses like a baby wipe. Once used it would be thrown in the trash. This would solve the problem of dirt rags hanging around and causing odor and bugs.
After using, soak dirty rags in a solution of bleach and water (overnight, weekly, whatever works). Rinse well and reuse. Change your bucket/pail of bleach solution weekly.