How many cleaning cloths?

lostinrates

I'm wondering how many cleaning cloths ( of various types) other people keep.

I'm just a bout to do a sort out and, gulp, bish some out, because I think I now have too many, so its time to get rid of some holey old ones that hang around for roughest cleaning jobs. As a bit of a hoarder this is a bit against the grain.

My cleaning cloths/house hold cloths roughly divide into:

Dish cloths ( not for dishes, but I like them for some cleaning jobs)
Microfibre ( colour coded for job)
Nappies ( I love terry nappies, some of these are mine from when I was a kid, I'm in my thirties, others I've bought since)
Hand towels that are disreputable to be hand towels. But they aren't as good as nappies for household cleaning

'Dog towels' ( for drying dogs mainly, but also some times , like hand towels, get employed to dry floors)

Dusters ( I hate these but we still end up with them).


I have tea towels and kitchen towels too, which end up in the cleaning drawer when ragged ( dog towels are in a separate trunk) but now my cleaning cloth draw will not close easily I have to take action I think.

I use a lot of cloths because I change cloths every day in kitchen/utility and when I am cleaning like to change cleaning clothes a lot, not clean with a dirty cloth ( really grubby house , dogs, cats, building work)


I have no idea how many I have, but its a deep dresser draw, and I've never seen it empty. Or anything like. So that's too many, right?

DomRavioli

Hi OP,

You sound like you have a little problem with that.

You don't need dusters if you have microfibres. I have 3 microfibres, one for the bathroom, one for the rest of the house, and one for the kitchen. That is all you need.

Not a clue why you need terry nappies - I find that a little weird, especially 30 year old ones - its creepy.

I have OCD on cleaning and my cleaning kit consists of:
1 bottle flash with bleach
1 bottle diluted CIF cleaner in spray bottle
1 bottle thin bleach
3 microfibre cloths
1 steam mop
1 vac

And that is it - as long as you wash your cloths regularly (mine are done at least 3 times a week in a hot wash in the washer), then there's no issue with using them for more than one job or room. They are clean.

Linda32

I use microfibre cloths. If you google Kent car care you will see the different colour. Red are dish cloths, blue for the loo, yellow as floor cloths or dusters. Use for a day or two then they go in the washing machine.

I have had the same cloths for at least 4 years now.

lostinrates

DomRavioli wrote: »

Hi OP,

You sound like you have a little problem with that.

You don't need dusters if you have microfibres. I have 3 microfibres, one for the bathroom, one for the rest of the house, and one for the kitchen. That is all you need.


i really do need more than that, like it said, grubby house, but I do know I need to cut down
Not a clue why you need terry nappies - I find that a little weird, especially 30 year old ones - its creepy.
lol, I I just find them useful.
I have OCD on cleaning and my cleaning kit consists of:
1 bottle flash with bleach
1 bottle diluted CIF cleaner in spray bottle
1 bottle thin bleach
3 microfibre cloths
1 steam mop
1 vac

And that is it - as long as you wash your cloths regularly (mine are done at least 3 times a week in a hot wash in the washer), then there's no issue with using them for more than one job or room. They are clean.

I wash mine less frequently. I keep a big bucket in the utility room and chunk them in there till I have a bucket full then wash them on hot as my 'washing machine cleaning wash' when its full.

good_advice

Hiya, my cleaning clothes are microfibre.
Bathroom = pink for sink and bath. Blue for loo.
Kitchen = washing up cloth and separate cleaning cloth for washing down diffrent area's , painteds walls etc...window/door frames...

All my tea towels are microfibre and most hand towels.

ava_adore

I feel woefully inadequate! I have:

3 dishcloths - bathroom, kitchen and cat stuff

2 yellow dusters

2 cat towels (old raggedy towels for drying carpet after hairball incident etc)

I buy £1 kitchen starter packs with various sponges and pads once a month, I'm more likely to use those then throw them out, which isn't very money saving :-/

andygb

We have loads of different cloths, so that we can chuck them in the wash EACH day to stop germs and the like.
We have a mixture of fluffy and smooth microfibre (drying and polishing), old cotton cloths, terry towelling cloths.
I also have a load of different cloths for cleaning the car, but that is a whole different kettle of fish, and one which my OH does not understand.
You can never have enough cloths - except when they take over the kitchen of course:D

vansboy

I've got too many as well, but mine also get used on the car. You need special ones for different areas there, too.

Dont forget, though - no fabric softner on the microfibre, as it upsets the fibres it seems.

And on glass, doesnt anyone else use newspaper instead of cloths, for cleaning - then maybe microfibre to buff after?

VB

meritaten

I am almost ashamed to say this - my cleaning cloths are J-cloths for Bathroom and Kitchen, and the rest of the house is cleaned using old Tshirts, cotton knickers too disreputable to be worn and old threadbare towels and sheets. I do have a packet of microfiber cloths - its about ten years old and never been opened.

Torry_Quine

Wow some of you have so many cloths.

I have a dish-cloth for the dishes and use a j-cloth and kitchen roll for the bathroom and another cloth for the kitchen. A floor cloth for the bathroom and another for the kitchen. I have dusters somewhere but they rarely get used!!

lostinrates

meritaten wrote: »

I am almost ashamed to say this - my cleaning cloths are J-cloths for Bathroom and Kitchen, and the rest of the house is cleaned using old Tshirts, cotton knickers too disreputable to be worn and old threadbare towels and sheets. I do have a packet of microfiber cloths - its about ten years old and never been opened.

I don't like j cloths. I find the particular value dishcloths I like and microfibre cloths fit my hand just right ( as do terry nappies for rougher jobs) old t shirts I find too thin, old towels too thick.

Cleaning might as well be as comfortable as possible! Old Towels do get used here a lot, drying dogs is several times daily in winter, floors often, and covering dog beds/ seats in cars when we're taking dogs out to minimise dog washing of bigger things.