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

poohzee

when you have the baby you'll probably have a load of washing everyday! :rotfl:

lil_me

Nappy bucket with either borax and water or disinfectant/bleach and water in, then do a cloth wash with soda crystals only (which is also my hot wash to keep washing machine free of nasties) when it's full. I use several clean ones a day for different things. Mine get washed until they pretty much dissappear, I have loads of cloths and sponges so I don't need to use kitchen roll etc.

painted_lady

I too use reusable nappies, wash them at 60 degrees and usually pre soak them in napopy soak. I wash dishcloths and tea towels at 60 too, dishcloths get pre soaked in disinfectant.

filigree_2

Ellidee wrote: »

I still find the idea of underpants, knickers and teatowels in the same wash rather ' yuck ' or is it just me ?

I'm puzzled - are you worried that "something" on the underpants will make the teatowels unhygienic, or are you worried that "something" on the teatowels will contaminate the knickers?

I don't usually mix undies with towels but it's because my undies all go in a cool, coloured wash and the towels all go in a hot, white wash. I don't find it yucky to mix them, but each to their own

pigpen

I'd be more worried about my sons socks contaminating everything in the washer than a couple of tea towels.

My tea towels are used mainly as hand towels, oven mitts and occasionally I'll dry a cup!

I've mopped up baby pee with my tea towels.. flung them in the WM with the usual wash load and it's all come out clean..

not sure what would be worse.. bum germs on my clean tea towels or floor/worksurface/hand germs on my kecks.. I'll have to contemplate that now!

Cloths in the DW I don't like... I think they come out dirtier than when they went in and soggy as they don't dry they just hold the smelly water.. and STINK!!!

I never even thought about it.. eveyrhting goes in the WM.

I washed DD5's bestest most loved eeyore in the WM with undies and 2 tea towels today.. then.. I tumble dried it.. is it clean??? Well.. DD is complaining it smells 'yuk' (meaning it doesn't smell like sick and biscuit!)

HariboJunkie

kethry wrote: »

This may come across a bit preachy (and i'm trying very hard not to be), but its not only not very moneysaving, its also not very environmentally friendly!! i do understand the need to be hygienic, could you consider disposing them in alternative ways, perhaps cleaning them first with boiling water and soap, then drying and putting them in the cloth recycling banks (as opposed to putting them in landfill). Some cloths you can even compost, if they're made of natural materials.

I personally wash mine (in the washing machine, on the highest temp setting) until they're falling apart. The high temp setting plus soap and vinegar (as a conditioner) kills enough bugs for my taste. The other way to kill off the bugs is to put them, wet, into a microwaveable bowl (use the same one each time and only for that purpose) and zap em in there for a few seconds. be warned though, you can only do that with certain materials.

HTH - and apologies in advance if it came across a bit holier-than-thou...

keth
xx

I don't think that's holier than thou at all Kethry I personally couldn't throw stuff away like that. I wonder how long sponges and dish cloths take to degrade??

I bung my cloths in the washer when it goes on. Why oh why is it yucky to wash cloths and clothes or knickers and cloths?

I'm a bit lost.

MoJo

This knicker thing is intriguing me What's the logic? Do undies cross-contaminate other stuff in the washer?

kethry

HariboJunkie wrote: »

I don't think that's holier than thou at all Kethry I personally couldn't throw stuff away like that. I wonder how long sponges and dish cloths take to degrade??

I bung my cloths in the washer when it goes on. Why oh why is it yucky to wash cloths and clothes or knickers and cloths?

I'm a bit lost.

thanks, hon!! i'm trying not to preach with regard to environmental stuff cos no one likes a bore, but its something i've been working at for a few months now. No idea how long cloths and stuff take to degrade. It'll depend very much on what they're made of, and if there's any of the really bad stuff in it. Natural materials will degrade relatively quickly in a compost heap, especially if cut/ripped up a bit, but plastics..? I know the experts reckon that dispoable nappies will take around 500 years to decompose. Which is a lovely thought.

Personally, I'm trying to keep as much out of landfill as possible, and something that i'm stepping up now that i've seen that "Dumped" programme on C4 (which made me cry, to be honest). I'm only just really getting going with it, as i try to start small and build up (the old basis of walking before you run, as it used to be a really bad habit of mine, that running thing when you can't walk!) but i like to think i'm doing quite well with the reducing, reusing part. Not so good with the recycle/compost part - no recycle bins in the flats (we have enough trouble with the regular bins round here) and i don't have a compost heap. yet. i will! eventually!

btw, I'm the wrong person to ask about why its yucky to watch cloths & clothes and knickers and cloths... prompted by Beansprout's blog (she runs monthly challenges and one month a while ago was "cut the disposables challenge") i even asked OH if he would consider not using toilet paper, but using dampened flannels instead, which, after use, could be popped into a soaking bucket like nappies are. His look of horror is unprintable, and his reply was something along the lines of "I love you, and i support the green thing but that's a step too far!". So we're still buying loo roll. I do try not to use other disposable stuff though!

sorry i went a bit OT there.. hope all this helps someone though.

keth
xx

grunnie

Teatowels go in the hot wash every night and then ironed. Dish cloth gets soaked in the basin with 1 of those baby bottle bleach tablet thingies - can never open a bleach bottle - childproof top:rotfl: and when it is past it I knit another one and this one becomes a bathroom cleaning cloth. You don't need dishcloth yarn as long as it is 100% cotton. With all that bleach it will soon be white anyway. Been doing this for 34+ years and haven't killed anyone YET

rach

i just chuck them in with the towels and bedding wash, or another wash sometimes. change the dishcloth most days and the teatowels every couple i guess.