Another important dh-dw issue:

[Peela]

We never resolved that argument in our house so we have a cloth (for me) AND a sponge with a scourer on the back (dh) AND several types of brushes AND a stainless steel scourer.

The brushes stay under the sink- or at least thats where I keep putting them :)

I throw the cloths in the wash regularly and have several of them so they are in rotation. DH thinks they are unhygienic yet the sponges can be used for weeks before anyone throws them out and gets a new one. Dh might disinfect a sponge a few times a year at most.

I am not a germ phobic person by any means, and dh tends to be, so I cant understand this one at all. To be fair though I think he likes the soft scourer on the sponge because of his favourite teflon coated frypan, which I wont use. I liek my heavy cast iron pans, which can handle a heavy duty stainless steel scourer, and/or a cloth.

I am glad we are not the only married couple with this ongoing unsolvable issue :)

[gardening momma]

We use Scotch-Brite-type scrub sponges. I think that washcloths are probably more sanitary, but I hatehatehate using them (I keep trying, but still hate them), and I prefer the scour power of the scrub sponges .... They've not made anyone I know noticeably sicker.

:iagree: I squeeze out the sponges as much as I can so they dry out more quickly. I keep a washcloth out for wiping counters. Dh tends to use a washcloth for washing dishes, when he does wash, but he doesn't do as good of a job. I'm sure it's partly him and partly the washcloth's fault. I don't like the scour-washcloths. I think that side is useless, and gives me one less side to use when I want to wipe a counter or table.

[Mrs Mungo]

We have a brush and a sponge, but I run them both through the dishwasher every night.

 

Eta: I wipe down counters with a dishrag. I replace it a couple of times a day. Those get washed with the other towels. All towels, washcloths and dishcloths (mine look totally different) get washed on hot with color-safe bleach.

Edited February 14, 2011 by Mrs Mungo

[redsoxwife]

What do you use to wash dishes in the sink?

 

There are sponges, washcloths, & brushy-scrubber things--like a hairbrush.

 

One of us thinks one is unsanitary beyond belief; the other feels exactly opposite. One of us thinks that washing washcloths in the washing machine (hot water & vinegar & soap) is sufficient; the other thinks washing scrubbers/sponges under hot, running water w/ dish soap is sufficient.

 

We had to temporarily drop the issue because we were both so red in the face & SURE we were right. :001_huh:

 

An acceptable compromise/alternative would be welcome. (Along w/ scientific evidence that I am right.) ;)

 

TIA

 

We use a scrub brush most of the time. I have sponges too and I usually pop them in the microwave (wet) for two minutes to sanitize them (I think I read about that in Real Simple as a way of killing germs).

[Slartibartfast]

I use sponges on the counters and such. I run them through the dishwasher or every now and then I boil them with a bit of oxyclean. :lol:

 

The reason I don't like washclothes to be use isn't that I think it is icky on the dishes, we have a dishwasher. I don't like to wash my face with things used to wash dishes. That is what I think is gross. :lol:

[momofkhm]

What do you use to wash dishes in the sink?

 

There are sponges, washcloths, & brushy-scrubber things--like a hairbrush.

 

One of us thinks one is unsanitary beyond belief; the other feels exactly opposite. One of us thinks that washing washcloths in the washing machine (hot water & vinegar & soap) is sufficient; the other thinks washing scrubbers/sponges under hot, running water w/ dish soap is sufficient.

 

We had to temporarily drop the issue because we were both so red in the face & SURE we were right. :001_huh:

 

An acceptable compromise/alternative would be welcome. (Along w/ scientific evidence that I am right.) ;)

 

TIA

 

I grew up using wash clothes. But then we went to the beach with friends who use sponges. Now we switches to sponges. They go in the dishwasher every so often. Supposed to be a couple times a week, but I don't think they make it that often.

[Aubrey]

We never resolved that argument in our house so we have a cloth (for me) AND a sponge with a scourer on the back (dh) AND several types of brushes AND a stainless steel scourer.

The brushes stay under the sink- or at least thats where I keep putting them :)

I throw the cloths in the wash regularly and have several of them so they are in rotation. DH thinks they are unhygienic yet the sponges can be used for weeks before anyone throws them out and gets a new one. Dh might disinfect a sponge a few times a year at most.

I am not a germ phobic person by any means, and dh tends to be, so I cant understand this one at all. To be fair though I think he likes the soft scourer on the sponge because of his favourite teflon coated frypan, which I wont use. I liek my heavy cast iron pans, which can handle a heavy duty stainless steel scourer, and/or a cloth.

I am glad we are not the only married couple with this ongoing unsolvable issue :)

 

Exactly!

[In2why]

I love these boards. This is an example of things I just never gave any real thought to.

 

I use dishcloths. They are only for dishes and I launder them every couple of days. In between it dries on the sink divider. I also use the same cloth to wipe the counters, and I use Clorox-Cleanup to sanitize them. I don't use sponges because they get caught in the Disposal. I have a green scrubbie that I use on the stove and pans.

 

I haven't ever thought about the sanitization part of using a cloth before, and in many many years we rarely get sick, and we have 5 kids that are rarely sick. So maybe if there are germs they strengthen our immune systems. Oh and I almost never use the dishwasher, because by the time I rinse the dishes, wait for them to wash and then put them away, I might as well just wash, dry and put them away.

[Aubrey]

The funniest part is that we're both so ADAMANT about our POV. I could see one of us caring, usually the wife, but both?

 

I'm not allowed to say publicly what he did w/ his dishes before we married, but I can guarantee you've never heard of such craziness. But when I point that out as proof that my way must be better? It falls on deaf ears.

 

And then we look up & realize that the whole passionate conversation has happened in front of our wide-eyed children. Not wide-eyed because they're scarred, mind you. Wide-eyed because they're about to bust out laughing. AT us. :glare:

[laundrycrisis]

I solve the problem by being the only one who is allowed to wash dishes at our house. I want them done right, meaning they end up clean, with no grit attached, so I do it myself.

 

But since I enjoy giving my opinion, :lol:, I think sponges that sit around went and dirty are generally disgusting. I use a Dobie once when I need it and then it goes through the dishwasher for sanitation.

 

I use white washcloths as kitchen rags once, and then hang them to dry on the edge of a bucket until I wash them in hot water with Oxy Clean.

 

My favorite dish brush is an Avent Bottle Brush. The skinny curved shape is perfect for getting inside little things, and not breaking thin glass items like the coffee pot. (I once punched a dish brush right through the bottom of a coffee pot. Having kids and finding the Avent Bottle Brushes was life-changing :tongue_smilie:).

 

I run the dishwasher once a day and the dish brush goes through it every time it runs.

[8circles]

dishrags & sponges equally. new one everyday. both washed on hot/sanitary cycle with other towels & dried in the dryer - sponges too.

[ondreeuh]

The funniest part is that we're both so ADAMANT about our POV. I could see one of us caring, usually the wife, but both?

 

I'm not allowed to say publicly what he did w/ his dishes before we married, but I can guarantee you've never heard of such craziness. But when I point that out as proof that my way must be better? It falls on deaf ears.

 

And then we look up & realize that the whole passionate conversation has happened in front of our wide-eyed children. Not wide-eyed because they're scarred, mind you. Wide-eyed because they're about to bust out laughing. AT us. :glare:

 

There's a British show on BBC America called, "How Clean is Your House?" and the hosts have uncovered some seriously nasty habits. One guy used his worn socks to wash dishes (figuring the dishsoap got his socks AND dishes clean!). It can't be worse than that ... right?

[sbgrace]

I hate threads like this because it makes me not want to eat out at anyone's house! :tongue_smilie:I stopped reading after a bit so you may be settled anyway!

 

Hot wash and hot dry will kill stuff (google..they've studied it...there is research to back up that position) in the washer. Cold or warm water won't.

I can see how someone wouldn't want a wash cloth for reasons of preference. I don't see how one washed on hot is unsanitary and, if you or your husband thinks it is, I wonder how you/he's drying his hands to eat?

 

I think sponges are unsanitary--the worst on the list. There have been tons of articles on that if you google. So if that's your "against" position you shouldn't have trouble proving they are breeding grounds for all kinds of nasty bugs that can make you sick. I think, though, microwaving (wet) will kill the yucks. So if your husband or you really need a sponge to clean I'd just microwave after every use myself.

 

I don't know about a brush. I can't imagine getting all the dishes clean with only a brush?

Edited February 14, 2011 by sbgrace

[LidiyaDawn]

I've never known so many people to be anti-dishcloth! :001_huh:

 

Someone mentioned dishcloths vs washcloths.. I'll admit, they do sometimes get mixed up & swapped here - clean ones, of course! I don't care - they've been through the washer & dryer, they're clean.

 

Of course, I don't really separate laundry either. It all just gets tossed in together and washed clean.

[Aubrey]

There's a British show on BBC America called, "How Clean is Your House?" and the hosts have uncovered some seriously nasty habits. One guy used his worn socks to wash dishes (figuring the dishsoap got his socks AND dishes clean!). It can't be worse than that ... right?

 

Some would think it's worse. Some would think it's equal. I'm pretty sure no one would vote "not as bad," though. :lol:

[McKay]

:svengo: I *never* mix bathroom & kitchen towels OR washcloths. The ones in one room are a *completely* different color & texture from the ones in the other room. Mixing is not possible, funny, or allowed!

 

(Why, though, I'm not sure.)

 

I totally agree......we have separate hot loads here.

 

For dishes we use a brush from IKEA, and then put them in the dishwasher. For other items we use a brush, dobie,stainless steel scrubber or sos type pad - whatever works. They don't get sanitized or tossed as often as they should be.

[Aubrey]

I totally agree......we have separate hot loads here.

 

For dishes we use a brush from IKEA, and then put them in the dishwasher. For other items we use a brush, dobie,stainless steel scrubber or sos type pad - whatever works. They don't get sanitized or tossed as often as they should be.

 

Shoot. I only wash them separately by chance. My kitchen towels & washcloths are red, so they go in the red load. Bath towels & washcloths are white, so they get bleached.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I use cloths that have the scrubby side. You can put them in the microwave WET for 1 minute and it will kill bacteria. I have one of those very abrasive sponges for glass pyrex dishes or whatever needs extra scrubbing, but I put them in the dishwasher after using.

 

Also, I don't use the same cloth on my dishes that I wipe my counter tops with.

 

I have a handle brush that we use to clean off dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I put the brush in too on the top rack with each load.

[RoughCollie]

I use a sponge with a rough side. I nuke the wet sponge in the microwave for 2 minutes before and after I use it.

 

If I use a scrub brush, I wash it in the dishwasher, top rack.

 

I don't use dishcloths or washcloths in the kitchen. If I did, I'd wash them in hot water, with detergent, and dry them on the hottest dryer setting. I'd add vinegar to the wash water if the jug were already in the basement -- I'm too lazy to go back upstairs to retrieve it. Any germs who live through that, deserve to live.

Edited February 14, 2011 by RoughCollie

[melissel]

PS - the toilet paper should hang under, not over.

 

What?! Now this is just crazy talk here...

[kamom]

I've never known so many people to be anti-dishcloth! :001_huh:

 

Someone mentioned dishcloths vs washcloths.. I'll admit, they do sometimes get mixed up & swapped here - clean ones, of course! I don't care - they've been through the washer & dryer, they're clean.

 

Of course, I don't really separate laundry either. It all just gets tossed in together and washed clean.

 

Dish clothes here. They are NOT to be mixed with washclothes! One is for the dishes and one is for the body. NO mixing. Dish cloth is used to wash dishes, wipe counter and table. They are changed most days, sometimes more then once a day. They are NOT to be used on the floor either. I hang them over the empty laundry basket to dry and then washed and dried on hot.

 

 

I think sponges are gross! Really gross. I use a steel scrubber for hard to clean dishes.

[SnowWhite]

Dishcloth gal here, and I wash 'em with only dish towels and a table cloth or two. They MUST be hung to dry after each load of dishes and washed frequently. I can't stand sponges for anything, except maybe washing a car. I use the ones with the scrubby side, too. I also use a stainless scrubby and a plastic scrubby on occasion. They are washed in hot water and dried regularly as well.

[min]

Sponges that get washed and line-dried in the sun for an extra dose of germ-killing.

 

Min

[Heather in Neverland]

I have to laugh because you (or he) would die here. No one has hot water in anything except the shower. That means all of our dishes are washed in cold water and so are our clothes. :D Of course, sanitary standards here are much lower than in the U.S. (as evidenced by the stray cats that wander through restaurants).

 

We use sponges and I change them frequently. But I just resigned myself to the idea that we are building our immune systems. :tongue_smilie:

[FO4UR]

Anything that washes my dishes must be able to survive HOT washes (with a splash of bleach), and HOT drying. I'm pretty uptight about it.

 

Yet...I haven't mopped my kitchen floor in...idk...I'm selectively sanitary.

[Sherry in OH]

Dishcloths for dishes, wiping countertops, appliances, and tables. Washcloths for wiping children's hands and faces. Cloth diapers or old towels for mopping up spills and other messes.

 

Dishcloths are changed at least daily. The others are changed as needed. All get washed regularly.

[Desert Rat]

I use a scrubber and a washcloth. I only use the washclothes once, then they get washed. I have a lot of them. LOL

[Tap]

Wash cloths are washed in the dishwasher.

 

Scrubbie sponges are washed by hand and microwaved daily.

 

We have one scrub brush, but I rarely use it. It gets washed in the dishwasher. I use it on super greasy pans (like the broiler pan) that would make a dishcloth too gross to use again.

[SonshineLearner]

I use a sponge or if I want a dishcloth, only for one day, and then throw it under my sink. I was ALL my kitchen towels and also the sponges etc.. in the "sanitizer" cycle of my washer. I put the scrubbies in my dishwasher on the "sanitizing cycle" each day, too. I don't wash dishes that we'll use for "us" after I wash animal dishes....

 

My house isn't really "tidy" but I am very clean with the "cleaners". :)

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I use the scrubbie sponges for dishes and either put them in the dishwasher or nuke them in the microwave. For the counters and tables, I use white washcloths that I bleach and use a new one every day.

[Tarreymere]

I use these, too! They are great on all kinds of pans, not just stone bakeware. I bought 2 or 3 more at the last Pampered Chef party I went too, because somehow they're always getting lost.

 

 

You can also use a plastic putty knife from the hardware store, they cost less than a dollar. They sell them around here as 'Amish pot scrapers' for about seven bucks. Between that and the dishcloths I handknitted from rug yarn I don't need to use steel wool or any other scrubbies.

[justasque]

And where do you put all those wet cloths to mildew until you have a load to throw them in? That's what would happen here at least.

 

Dishcloths here. Different ones than the people-washing-cloths. Different than the cloth napkins. Different than the dry-your-hands kitchen cloths.

 

I've never had a problem with mildew - the cloths are swapped often and not put away wet.

 

Dishcloths are changed frequently - used for a day or less. When swapped out, the old ones are wrung out and hung on the stove handle to dry out. (Everyone knows NOT to use these again, as they may have been used on something icky.) When dry, they are put in a pretty bag hanging in the basement stairwell. (Other (dry) items destined for the laundry go in the bag also. It's a kind of "fast track" for frequently used or "need washing ASAP" items.) When I go down to the basement laundry area, I take the stuff from the bag with me, and put it with the other items that need washing. Cloths are washed on warm or hot, and dried.

 

That said, if your dh is doing dishes, count your blessings.

[Unicorn.]

Washcloth with scrubbie back. Toss them in the laundry each day and get a fresh one for the next day. :D

 

This, and wash in hot water w/ a vinegar rinse.

 

Oh, I just thought of something. You know those little brown plastic scrapers that you get when you buy stonewear from Pampered Chef? I use those on ALL my dishes.

 

And this

[Tylianna]

Dishcloth here. I use white cloths only so they can be bleached. I have separate clothe for dishes and the floor. The floor ones have a different pattern to it. They get put away dry into a bucket and they soak in hot bleach water in the washer. Then they get rinsed and washed in hot water with soap and bleach with the white towels. I refuse to get pretty colors for my dishes because they HAVE to get bleached.

 

We don't use cloths for our bodies, we use loofahs.

 

And tp goes OVER ;)

[sbgrace]

Anything that washes my dishes must be able to survive HOT washes (with a splash of bleach), and HOT drying. I'm pretty uptight about it.

 

Yet...I haven't mopped my kitchen floor in...idk...I'm selectively sanitary.

 

This made me laugh out loud! Selectively sanitary--now I know how to describe myself when my husband is looking at me like I'm the most confusing creature on the face of the earth.

[laundrycrisis]

I tried switching to dish cloths but I hate them. They are too big and unwieldy. And where do you put all those wet cloths to mildew until you have a load to throw them in? That's what would happen here at least.

 

I don't use cloths for dishes, I use them for wiping counters/table instead of paper towels. I keep a bucket under the sink and hang them over the side of the bucket to dry. I rotate the bucket as the day goes. They are usually bone dry by the next day, then they go in the bucket. The kitchen cloths are all white. When I have a load of white laundry ready, they all go together for hot water and oxyclean. Nothing mildews as long as DH doesn't put a wet rag in the bucket.

[Mallory]

We use dishcloths, the ones with the scrubbie backs. They are blue and or green for the kitchen sink. We also use a plain cheap-o plastic ice scraper for scraping pans. We just get a new one (a dish cloth, not a scraper) everytime we do dishes, so often two or three a day.

 

Yellow cloths are for baby butts.

 

And anything that is white (except for currently in use diapers) are rags (because they get bleached occasionally).

 

Bathroom washcloths are various colors, but also don't have the scrubbie back.

 

So my dish rags don't get bleached, or washed on hot, or even dried on hot because I usually hang outside.

 

Sponges are gross. I wouldn't use sponges or paper towels anyway because I try not to use things that have to be thrown away.

Edited February 14, 2011 by Mallory

[LidiyaDawn]

 

I tried switching to dish cloths but I hate them. They are too big and unwieldy. And where do you put all those wet cloths to mildew until you have a load to throw them in? That's what would happen here at least.

 

I'm trying to imagine a dishcloth that is "too big" and I keep picturing people washing with towels or something. :p

 

As for the wet dirty ones, they get tossed into mount laundry - the pile downstairs by the laundry room door. It's not gonna hurt anything for them to sit there for a day or two - and usually they don't anyway, since I do a few loads every day.

[Rebecca VA]

Our dish cloths are about 10" square. Dish towels that are used for drying are bigger than that.

 

I change dish cloths out at least once a day and usually bleach them. Since I do several loads of laundry per day, they get laundered and dried within hours.

 

I used to buy the KMart Martha Stewart white dish cloths. Those have been discontinued and I only have a few left, so I'm on the look for cloths that will work as well. Name-brand suggestions, please?

 

Edited to add: I gave my last package of KMart dish cloths to a friend for Christmas. It was a terrible sacrifice for me to do that (sob), but she was an extreme case. I was over at her house a week or so before Christmas helping her clean, and she had NO dish cloths! She used a scrubby sponge for dishes and paper towels for wiping counters. She must have gone through a world of paper towels, but I didn't ask her about that. As I helped her clean, I kept wishing I had my Martha Stewart cloths available! And in a burst of generosity, I gave her my very last ones. She never sent a thank-you note (glare).

Edited February 14, 2011 by Rebecca VA

[laundrycrisis]

We buy big packs of white washcloths at Costco.

[~Tara~]

I buy white cloths, so they're completely bleachable and do the 'bucket under the sink' thing too. I generally use a cloth a day, unless it gets especially dirty, really nasty dishes. The cloth is rinsed well after each use and draped over the side of the sink til it's too dirty for another use or the end of the day. If especially dirty I will soak it in a sink full of bleach water, shining my sink at the same time ;) Then draped over the bucket to dry under the sink. I never have a wet, stinky, mildewy issue...unless a child has put a wet cloth in there. Or used a towel to sop up spilled water and tossed that in there. :glare: But my normal method causes no such issue.

 

I have a sponge for periodic bleaching of the counters/tables. Though hubs tries to use it for dishes. He also dunks the entire Brillo pad in the water, thus rendering it practically useless for another wash! (I use just the corner and one little pad lasts me for.ev.er. :) )

[mo2]

I tried switching to dish cloths but I hate them. They are too big and unwieldy. And where do you put all those wet cloths to mildew until you have a load to throw them in? That's what would happen here at least.

 

 

If they are too big, couldn't you just cut them in half? As for the wet cloths, I just hang them over the sink until they dry and THEN throw them in the laundry pile (like the next morning).

[PinkInTheBlue]

I use a combination of the yellow sponge with scrubby green back and a baby bottle brush for different things. I go through the sponges pretty readily and keep them clean and dried out. They also get a run through the microwave periodically. All this is for rubbing dishes before the dishwasher or things I hand wash. A clean cleaning rag is used each day for counters and spills. There is also a pretty hand towel hanging on the oven for drying clean, washed hands ONLY. Got all that straight? Oh, and anything washable goes through the washing machine every day.

[cindyinTexas]

My granny used to give my dad the dishcloth out of the dirty dishwater to suck on when he was teething. My dad will be 70 this year!!! He always adds that it gave him extra nutrition when he was hungry. Makes me want to gag every time he tells the story....enough said!!!

[mo2]

My granny used to give my dad the dishcloth out of the dirty dishwater to suck on when he was teething. My dad will be 70 this year!!! He always adds that it gave him extra nutrition when he was hungry. Makes me want to gag every time he tells the story....enough said!!!

 

:ack2:

[NanceXToo]

Sponges here.