probably a daft question... but what do you do with dirty dishcloths/tea towels?

Pitlanepiglet

Hmm dunno FB, I tend to soak manky t-towels, tablecoths etc. in a solution of soda crystals and gets this pretty clean. Worth a try I guess?

meritaten

I suspect that your dirty teacloths etc dried out a little before washing and the smell got ingrained. Happens to me too! I just soak them overnight in Biotex (Napisan works well here too) and boil wash them. seems to sort out that horrible stale smell. Works on sweaty smelling sheets too.

spendingmad

A bit off topic but none the less....

can you tell me why we should have kitchen hand towels AND tea towels. My auntie came for christmas dinner and made some comment about me not have a hand towel in the kitchen :mad: and it got me wondering WHY?

I wash up - most items are drainer dried but I may dry my hands on the tea towel.

If its because of germs on my hands then I have justed washed the dishes with them - if its because of germs on the dishes then we are going to eat off them - I just don't get it.

If I need to wash my hands I generally use the downstair loo 'cloakroom' and wash my hands in a nice sink - where I have a hand towel )which is changed regularly!

Sorry if this has turned into a rant I just dont understand!!

BitterAndTwisted

These days tea-towels appear to be used for all sorts of jobs except for actually drying clean dishes so perhaps that explains your auntie's discomfort. I can't say but I do keep both a tea-towel and a hand-towel in the kitchen just like my mum and my granny did. Old habits dies hard and all that

Morganarla

I can't believe how often some of you wash your teatowels... *slinks off to stick teatowel in washing machine*

Valli

I keep a hand towel in the kitchen because I sometimes use the kitchen sink to wash my hands (because I have no other washing facility downstairs)
Mind you I would wash and dry my hands before picking up pots to dry with a tea towel. And I will get through a few tea towels in a week - although I don't, normally, change the hand towel!
I wash them (and my dishcloth, and floorcloths, and towels) in a VERY hot wash!
But then they go on the line to dry - I don't suppose that's too hygenic,really...*rubs chin*

heretolearn_2

I chuck mine on the stairs and whoever goes up takes them up and puts them in the laundry basket. They don't get smelly though - I don't wipe up anything nasty with them. They just get a bit damp and crumby.

valk_scot

frugalbrunette wrote: »

This thread isn't really the same as the question I need to ask but it's about tea towels and cleaning them

I've taken a teatowel out of the drawer, all cleaned and pressed (slighty lol) but it smelt a sickly off milk smell. I went through the drawer and found a further two teatowels smelling like this. Is there anything I can do to prevent them going in the bin? What have I done to cause this foul smell?

ANy help would be fab

My guess is that they've gone a bit rancid before you washed them. Either soak/wash them straight away or let them dry if you save them up for a weekly whites wash. Damp dirty teatowels left scrunched up in the laundry bin will not only go sour they'll cause any laundry they touch to sour too.

Give them a soak in bleach solution then wash and they'll be fine.

valk_scot

Valli wrote: »

But then they go on the line to dry - I don't suppose that's too hygenic,really...*rubs chin*

Many folk air dry dishes, which is generally regarded as being more hygenic than using a teatowel. But I don't see how an air dried teatowel would be less hygenic than say a tumble dried one, unless of course your garden has a lot of pigeons?

Fruball

Mine just go in a normal towel wash at 30c with 2 tbsp of washing powder Nobody has died yet.

For those who are fed up with family leaving soggy dishcloths on the side to fester and grow germs... This is what I did to the ex, who I had been asking for 7 years not to do it... I dished up his dinner... Then when he was half way thru it I said "You know i've been asking you for about 7 years NOT to put dirty, minging dishcloths in the sink and leave them there?" He rolled his eyes and carried on watching TV.... "WELL!!!" I said "I gave your plate a good wipe with it before I dished up your dinner" :eek:

Amid some VERY colourful language he stormed out and threw the dinner in the bin.

I never had to mention it again :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: I only wish I had done it 7 years previously!!!

(I actually hadn't done any such thing as I was too scared of him passing on any resulting stomach bug to me and the kids, but he still doesn't know that now I wonder if his new woman has to nag him about that!!! hahaha)