You grab the kitchen dish cloth to wipe up a spill, bring it close to your face, and involuntarily recoil. It’s the unmistakable odour of something funky.
The smell of a dish towel that’s seen too much and been left to wallow in its own dampness is not what you want associated with your kitchen. Double yuck.
Opting for reusable options like Swedish dishcloths is a brilliant move for your home and the planet. But these eco-friendly alternatives to paper towels and sponges do require a bit of TLC to stay on the fresh side of things.
If you’re ready to win the war against stinky, unhygienic kitchen cleaning, you’ve come to the right place.
How often should you change out your kitchen dishcloth?
Grab a fresh cloth every 2-3 days. If you’re doing a heavy duty cleaning job, that’s also a good time to reach for a clean one.
This doesn't mean you need to run a load of laundry that often. Let the dirty cloths dry completely before tossing them into a laundry basket to wash in a batch later on.
8 tips for cleaning and maintaining reusable dishcloths
Keeping your cloths clean and effective is easier than you think. These simple habits will help you get the most out of them for the long haul and reduce your reliance on traditional paper towels and wasteful kitchen sponges.
1. Rinse and wring it out after every use
Think of all the tiny food particles your cloth wipes up. If left to linger, they become a veritable buffet for bacteria. Rinsing with warm water and wringing it out thoroughly after each use washes away the grime before it causes a stench.
2. Give it a proper place to dry
A crumpled, wet cloth is a recipe for mildew. Bacteria and mould love dark, damp environments, so leaving your cloth in a sad heap in the sink is a big no-no.
Drape it over the tap or dedicate some counter space where air can circulate freely and dry it out completely between uses.
3. Wash your dishcloths regularly
For a proper clean, your dishcloths need a good wash. Tossing them in with your regular laundry on a hot cycle is a great option.
For an even faster method, you can place them on the top rack of your dishwasher to get sanitised along with your dishes.
6. Avoid the dryer at all costs
As tempting as it is to toss them in the dryer, these cloths are meant to dry au naturel.
The high heat of a dryer damages the fibres and shortens their lifespan. Instead, let them air dry and embrace the stiff shape they take on. Don’t worry, they’ll be soft again as soon as you run them under the tap.
5. Don’t use fabric softener
While fabric softener might seem like a good idea for freshness, it actually coats the fibres of your dish cloths and reduces their absorbency over time. It’s best to skip it altogether to keep your cloths working at their best.
6. Banish stubborn smells with a deep clean
Sanitise your dishcloth by soaking it in a solution of one part vinegar to two parts water for about 30 minutes to get rid of bad odours.
Alternatively, carefully boil the cloth in a pot of water for a few minutes to kill lingering bacteria.
7. Separate dishcloths by cleaning task
Have a few dishcloths in rotation and assign them different jobs to avoid cross contamination.
For example, designate one for wiping down counters and cabinets, one for washing dishes and another for soaking up spills. This helps keep things more hygienic all around, and makes sure you’re only using paper towels when necessary. (Psst…we have an eco-friendly suggestion for kitchen rolls, too).
8. Know when it’s time to say goodbye
Even the best Swedish dishcloths don’t last forever. But a good quality reusable one can last for many months with proper care.
What are the signs that a reusable cloth has reached its limit? If it has permanent stains, still smells after a deep clean or is falling apart — it’s time to retire it for good.
A reusable dish cloth that makes cleaning a dream
Part of Who Gives A Crap’s Kitchen Collection, Dream Cloths are designed to be effective and incredibly easy to maintain. Think of them as the eco-friendly love child between a kitchen sponge and a towel. They are 100% plant-based, yet boast the best qualities to tackle tough messes and dirty dishes.
They’re super absorbent and quick drying.
A Dream Cloth can hold 13x its weight in water, but the real magic is how quickly it dries. Super fast drying prevents it from becoming a damp, smelly mess, so it’ll stay fresh between washes.
It’s easy to keep them clean and hygienic.
Dream Cloths are both machine washable and dishwasher safe, so keeping them clean and sanitised is a breeze. Just toss it in with your preferred wash, and it’s ready to go again after it dries.
You get your money’s worth.
There’s nothing worse than buying a Swedish dishcloth for its reusability, and then watching it fall apart after a few cleaning cycles. Ours are built to last up to a year — or at least 50 washes — so get used to seeing those funky, colourful patterns in your kitchen.
They’re an earth-friendly choice.
When your Dream Cloth has finally reached the end of its life, you can say goodbye without guilt. It’s fully biodegradable and compostable, so it can return to the Earth instead of lingering in a landfill.
Customer reviews say it all
We know our Dream Cloths are a great addition to your sustainable kitchen products, but that doesn’t mean you have to take our word for it. Check out what customers have to say about them in the online reviews below.
These cloths really are a dream. They are super absorbent, strong and we put them inside the dishwasher to clean them thoroughly every other night! To keep them clean and sterile. Wouldn’t buy any other cloth!
– Sian, ★★★★★
Was fed up with wet, stale smelling dish cloths and saw your ad for these brilliant environmentally friendly, quick drying dish cloths substitutes. They're not cheap but live up to all promises and would recommend them :) thank you!
– Isobel, ★★★★★
Love, love, love these cloths! They are so handy, I keep one in the shower, one in the kitchen, and the other in the bathroom. Pick up spots and debris better than a paper towel AND. With no waste!
– Emily, ★★★★★
Conclusion — Victory smells so sweet
Keeping your kitchen dishcloths clean and fresh doesn’t have to be a chore. With a few simple habits – rinse after every use, make sure they dry completely, and wash them regularly – funky smells and bacteria don’t stand a chance.
Of course, starting with a high quality reusable product makes the job even easier. You don’t have to work quite as hard to maintain a Swedish dishcloth when it’s designed to dry quickly and withstand machine washing.
Washing dishes and wiping down tabletops aren’t exactly dream scenarios, but they definitely shouldn’t become kitchen nightmares.
Make these tasks easier — and a lot more pleasant to your olfactory senses — by adding Dream Clothsto your next Who Gives A Crap order.