Aargh! The stink! Make it stop!
June 7, 2024 3:18 PM Subscribe
It seems that no matter what I try, no matter what sponges/dishcloths I buy, they end up really stinky in a very short time. So stinky that they transfer the stink to my hands and whatever was wiped with them. I've gotten to the point that I avoid using them at all and opt for a paper towel instead, which isn't the most environmentally sound solution. Help?
We gave up on cellulose sponges a long time ago because even microwaving them for a minute didn't completely remove the stink. We switched to Swedish dishcloths which I really like but they had the same problem. Just recently, we've converted to Geometry dishcloths which get run through the washer and dryer but still get stinky really fast. Like, within several hours they're so bad I can smell them across the room. Granted, I have a sensitive nose, but this is getting ridiculous.
What am I doing wrong? After use, they are rinsed and the excess water squeezed out, then spread out over the edge of the sink to dry. I will acknowledge that Mr. DrGail doesn't squeeze them out quite thoroughly enough, but that habit isn't going to change anytime soon and it's not really the problem.
We gave up on cellulose sponges a long time ago because even microwaving them for a minute didn't completely remove the stink. We switched to Swedish dishcloths which I really like but they had the same problem. Just recently, we've converted to Geometry dishcloths which get run through the washer and dryer but still get stinky really fast. Like, within several hours they're so bad I can smell them across the room. Granted, I have a sensitive nose, but this is getting ridiculous.
What am I doing wrong? After use, they are rinsed and the excess water squeezed out, then spread out over the edge of the sink to dry. I will acknowledge that Mr. DrGail doesn't squeeze them out quite thoroughly enough, but that habit isn't going to change anytime soon and it's not really the problem.
Diluted bleach will solve that ,problem
posted by Czjewel at 3:31 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Czjewel at 3:31 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
After doing the dishes, I squeeze out the soapy water and store the sponge on the warm surface of our gas stove. It quickly dries out and lasts pretty much until the sponge falls apart, a few weeks anyhow. I've never had one get stinky this way. SO is a super smeller, so I would definitely hear about it. Electric stove? Can't help ya.
posted by Carlo at 3:33 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
posted by Carlo at 3:33 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
Here is what I do that helps:
- Absolutely forget the microwaving plan, it does not help
- Get compostable pop-up cellulose sponges and be willing to toss them in the compost when they get stinky.
- Always always rinse the sponge in cold water at the end of using, not hot.
- Place them to dry on a little holder that gets air circulation.
- When I think of it, spray them with the hypochlorous acid-based disinfectant surface cleaner I have around (unscented, smells like bleach for a minute or so, does not bleach things, breaks down into water -- I use this one.)
posted by redfoxtail at 3:35 PM on June 7 [5 favorites]
- Absolutely forget the microwaving plan, it does not help
- Get compostable pop-up cellulose sponges and be willing to toss them in the compost when they get stinky.
- Always always rinse the sponge in cold water at the end of using, not hot.
- Place them to dry on a little holder that gets air circulation.
- When I think of it, spray them with the hypochlorous acid-based disinfectant surface cleaner I have around (unscented, smells like bleach for a minute or so, does not bleach things, breaks down into water -- I use this one.)
posted by redfoxtail at 3:35 PM on June 7 [5 favorites]
The Trader Joe reusable “sponge cloths” are somehow magic in this respect. I pair it with a dish brush (the kind with the long handle) that is nonporous and cannot get stinky.
posted by haptic_avenger at 3:39 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
posted by haptic_avenger at 3:39 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Try hanging them where there’s more air circulation, once you get some non-stinky.
posted by warriorqueen at 3:46 PM on June 7 [7 favorites]
posted by warriorqueen at 3:46 PM on June 7 [7 favorites]
Wash your dishes with a brush, ideally plastic but if you really want to use wood and bristle go ahead. I justify plastic because I demote my plastic brushes from dishes to non-dish kitchen cleaning, then non-toilet bathroom, then toilet, and I might then bleach it and put it in my garden tools or in the car for undefined emergencies.
Dry with cotton towels or washcloths.
My mother just goes straight to cotton bath washcloths as dish-washers, which I do use for household cleaning but I cannnnnnot touch a sopping wet sink rag so that's a nope for me. It's cotton so it does all the right cotton things, she has a version of this she made herself. And she lives in the swampass part of Texas so they barely dry being left out but she hangs the too-used ones on the rim of a little mesh wastebasket in the laundry room to dry as much as possible and washes them in a lingerie bag (so they don't rough up her clothes) whenever she does laundry.
(This post gave me the sensory huhs so bad I had to get up and walk in a little circle.)
posted by Lyn Never at 3:49 PM on June 7 [9 favorites]
Dry with cotton towels or washcloths.
My mother just goes straight to cotton bath washcloths as dish-washers, which I do use for household cleaning but I cannnnnnot touch a sopping wet sink rag so that's a nope for me. It's cotton so it does all the right cotton things, she has a version of this she made herself. And she lives in the swampass part of Texas so they barely dry being left out but she hangs the too-used ones on the rim of a little mesh wastebasket in the laundry room to dry as much as possible and washes them in a lingerie bag (so they don't rough up her clothes) whenever she does laundry.
(This post gave me the sensory huhs so bad I had to get up and walk in a little circle.)
posted by Lyn Never at 3:49 PM on June 7 [9 favorites]
Try this type of sponge (no idea about that particular one, it's just an example)
I've used Swedish dish cloths and never liked them because they always developed a smell. Sensory memories is right.
That said, laying them out on the side of the sink seems less effective than hanging them such that every side is exposed to air. Also, sometimes rotating between a few can help give them more time to dry out before use.
Do you end up having to clean a lot of sticky, mushy food off dishes? You might try doing a first pass with a brush or silicone scrubber and only use the sponge for a final pass if needed. And try not just rinsing the sponge or cloth when you're done with it but adding a bit of dish soap or vinegar first and working it through before rinsing.
posted by trig at 3:58 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
I've used Swedish dish cloths and never liked them because they always developed a smell. Sensory memories is right.
That said, laying them out on the side of the sink seems less effective than hanging them such that every side is exposed to air. Also, sometimes rotating between a few can help give them more time to dry out before use.
Do you end up having to clean a lot of sticky, mushy food off dishes? You might try doing a first pass with a brush or silicone scrubber and only use the sponge for a final pass if needed. And try not just rinsing the sponge or cloth when you're done with it but adding a bit of dish soap or vinegar first and working it through before rinsing.
posted by trig at 3:58 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
Cotton dishcloths and oxyclean in the laundry are my solutions to this problem.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 4:00 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 4:00 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
We throw out our sponges every Sunday. After using, rinse with cold water and squeeze out thoroughly. Leave in a rack with air on all sides (we have a little grate that suction cups to the inside of the sink). I'm a super smeller and this works.
posted by twelve cent archie at 4:00 PM on June 7
posted by twelve cent archie at 4:00 PM on June 7
Oh noooo, stinky dishcloths are also one of my top kitchen gross-outs!
I use a dishwasher for most of my dishes, but I do wash some things by hand. I use pretty standard sponge/scourers like this, and they last until they fall apart without getting smelly. I squeeze them out and leave them to dry on the bottom level of my dish-drying racks (so that there is airflow all around them).
I also use dishcloths, but only for occasional drying of dishes, surfaces or hands (mostly I leave handwashed dishes to air-dry), so they seldom become saturated with water. They hang on hooks on the other side of my kitchen. I have some microfibre cloths which I sometimes do saturate with water to wipe down my counters; afterwards I squeeze them out and hang them on one of the drying racks (again with airflow all around). I rotate dishcloths frequently, and wash them in a separate load (sometimes with towels) with no softener, so sometimes damp cloths lie in a pile near my washing machine for some time, but generally don't go stinky, even though I live in quite a damp area.
(Sometimes I get a bad load of washing, and all the cloths come out smelling a bit... not fresh. I think this generally happens when I try to cut corners with a faster cycle. Lately I've tried to be consistent about using a long cycle with pre-wash for this, and also to add a splash of oxygen bleach, and I don't think it's happened in a while.)
I think that when you use cotton dishcloths for washing dishes, food particles become deeply embedded in the fibres, and just rinsing and squeezing is not enough to flush them out. Then laying the cloths directly on a surface, with no air circulation underneath, maintains a welcoming, moist environment for them to decompose in.
Ideally I would immediately machine wash cloths that were used like this (on the hottest possible setting, preferably with prewash), but since that's not practical to do for one cloth at a time, as a stopgap I would also recommend soaking them in some kind of cleaning agent which is going to break down that residue: chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, maybe even just vinegar, and the hottest water that is recommended for that cleaner (possibly boiling, straight out of a kettle). Then squeeze the cloth out thoroughly, and hang it up somewhere with good air flow. I would probably still not reuse that cloth, and wait for it to be machine-washed (once there are enough used cloths to run the washing machine).
posted by confluency at 4:07 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
I use a dishwasher for most of my dishes, but I do wash some things by hand. I use pretty standard sponge/scourers like this, and they last until they fall apart without getting smelly. I squeeze them out and leave them to dry on the bottom level of my dish-drying racks (so that there is airflow all around them).
I also use dishcloths, but only for occasional drying of dishes, surfaces or hands (mostly I leave handwashed dishes to air-dry), so they seldom become saturated with water. They hang on hooks on the other side of my kitchen. I have some microfibre cloths which I sometimes do saturate with water to wipe down my counters; afterwards I squeeze them out and hang them on one of the drying racks (again with airflow all around). I rotate dishcloths frequently, and wash them in a separate load (sometimes with towels) with no softener, so sometimes damp cloths lie in a pile near my washing machine for some time, but generally don't go stinky, even though I live in quite a damp area.
(Sometimes I get a bad load of washing, and all the cloths come out smelling a bit... not fresh. I think this generally happens when I try to cut corners with a faster cycle. Lately I've tried to be consistent about using a long cycle with pre-wash for this, and also to add a splash of oxygen bleach, and I don't think it's happened in a while.)
I think that when you use cotton dishcloths for washing dishes, food particles become deeply embedded in the fibres, and just rinsing and squeezing is not enough to flush them out. Then laying the cloths directly on a surface, with no air circulation underneath, maintains a welcoming, moist environment for them to decompose in.
Ideally I would immediately machine wash cloths that were used like this (on the hottest possible setting, preferably with prewash), but since that's not practical to do for one cloth at a time, as a stopgap I would also recommend soaking them in some kind of cleaning agent which is going to break down that residue: chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach, maybe even just vinegar, and the hottest water that is recommended for that cleaner (possibly boiling, straight out of a kettle). Then squeeze the cloth out thoroughly, and hang it up somewhere with good air flow. I would probably still not reuse that cloth, and wait for it to be machine-washed (once there are enough used cloths to run the washing machine).
posted by confluency at 4:07 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
The way I learnt things, a cloth or sponge should only be used for one day, and then laundered. I do not adhere to this rule, but I also don't have stinky cleaning items, so I just wanted to mention it as an option.
The cause of the smell is bacteria. If your sponges and cloths are smelly you can't use them, because you'll just be spreading the bacteria rather than cleaning anything.
What I do is: soak and rinse them in soapy water after use. Then rinse them in clean water. Then squeeze and dry. They are changed once a week and laundered when I have enough to justify using the washing machine. Sponges go in the washing machine though I have thoughts about microplastics, maybe some mefites know more about this issue. I wash everything at 60 C regardless of what it says on the package. I do not use a dryer. I do not mix cleaning items with clothes or bathing towels. My plastic brushes go in the dishwasher.
If you live in a humid climate, you need cloths and sponges that dry easily, which means either synthetics or open/light weaves of cotton. Knitted cloths or fancy organic "sponges" are not for you, though real sponges from the ocean are.
You might also think of the soaps you use for the cleaning processes where you use the cloths and sponges. Are you using enough soap or detergent?
Maybe, like redfoxtail says, you need a special rack for drying them. I do have such a rack, but I don't use it much. I use the dish rack, when the dishes are done and gone.
On preview, sort of what confluence said.
posted by mumimor at 4:10 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
The cause of the smell is bacteria. If your sponges and cloths are smelly you can't use them, because you'll just be spreading the bacteria rather than cleaning anything.
What I do is: soak and rinse them in soapy water after use. Then rinse them in clean water. Then squeeze and dry. They are changed once a week and laundered when I have enough to justify using the washing machine. Sponges go in the washing machine though I have thoughts about microplastics, maybe some mefites know more about this issue. I wash everything at 60 C regardless of what it says on the package. I do not use a dryer. I do not mix cleaning items with clothes or bathing towels. My plastic brushes go in the dishwasher.
If you live in a humid climate, you need cloths and sponges that dry easily, which means either synthetics or open/light weaves of cotton. Knitted cloths or fancy organic "sponges" are not for you, though real sponges from the ocean are.
You might also think of the soaps you use for the cleaning processes where you use the cloths and sponges. Are you using enough soap or detergent?
Maybe, like redfoxtail says, you need a special rack for drying them. I do have such a rack, but I don't use it much. I use the dish rack, when the dishes are done and gone.
On preview, sort of what confluence said.
posted by mumimor at 4:10 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
How often are you washing them, like when they're new, before the stink arrives? Like every few days? I don't think anything that holds water should be sitting at the sink for more than a few days before going in the wash.
Also, sometimes synthetics and polyester can have a sort of perma-stink to them. This was a common problem in athletic clothing like capilene and polypropolene before the manufacturers figured out something different. The solution then was to put a capful of bleach in the wash.
Also, I think it might be better to hang them up to dry, rather than tossing them in the dryer. If they are synthetic, they'll dry quickly hanging and then the smell won't get so locked in.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:16 PM on June 7
Also, sometimes synthetics and polyester can have a sort of perma-stink to them. This was a common problem in athletic clothing like capilene and polypropolene before the manufacturers figured out something different. The solution then was to put a capful of bleach in the wash.
Also, I think it might be better to hang them up to dry, rather than tossing them in the dryer. If they are synthetic, they'll dry quickly hanging and then the smell won't get so locked in.
posted by bluedaisy at 4:16 PM on June 7
Hang them on something with more air circulation? Get a metal suction cage for the sponge, and hang the rag over the oven handle?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:28 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 4:28 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
Rinse sponge thoroughly with cold water, squeeze as much as possible, store on its side in a wire sponge holder (or some other holder in which air can circulate all around). More water drains out of things tipped on their side than laying flat. I have a big problem with stinky sponges and ours rarely get stinky before they start to fall apart. This is harder to do with towels, but they need to be hung in an airy place, not over the side of the sink.
posted by oneirodynia at 4:57 PM on June 7
posted by oneirodynia at 4:57 PM on June 7
Silicone scrubbers are great for dishes. Have you tried cleaning sponges in the dishwasher?
posted by oceano at 5:02 PM on June 7
posted by oceano at 5:02 PM on June 7
Last dish, fill with water, dunk sponge/ cloth, squeeze out, repeat 2 more times, at least. Any retained food causes the stank.
posted by theora55 at 5:19 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 5:19 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
Pressure cook them on high for 5 or 6 minutes.
If that solves the problem, you’re dealing with a pretty tough microbe.
If it doesn’t, you probably are a super smeller, which Oliver Sacks has linked to adrenal insufficiency.
posted by jamjam at 5:21 PM on June 7
If that solves the problem, you’re dealing with a pretty tough microbe.
If it doesn’t, you probably are a super smeller, which Oliver Sacks has linked to adrenal insufficiency.
posted by jamjam at 5:21 PM on June 7
Just in case you’re having the same bizarre problem I had, I was convinced this was happening to me for ages, right down to “we just bought/washed this and YET I CAN SMELL THE BACTERIA!” and switching to fragrance-free dish soap fixed it. It turns out it was the soap, not the cloths/sponges I was smelling, and for some reason my brain decided to process that smell as Bacteria Stink.
That or the fragrances soap did actually hold stink in more, idk.
posted by brook horse at 5:31 PM on June 7 [5 favorites]
That or the fragrances soap did actually hold stink in more, idk.
posted by brook horse at 5:31 PM on June 7 [5 favorites]
My mom who lived in Hawaii for a long time where nothing ever fully dries out, swears by the yellow mesh covered Dobie pads. I can sort of see why they might work better, they don't actually hold water for very long.
Another option is to maybe just switch to a big pile of white cotton washcloths? Use one of two for the day, throw it in a vat of water with a little bit of bleach and then wash them weekly on hot with or without a bit of bleach.
posted by vunder at 5:35 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
Another option is to maybe just switch to a big pile of white cotton washcloths? Use one of two for the day, throw it in a vat of water with a little bit of bleach and then wash them weekly on hot with or without a bit of bleach.
posted by vunder at 5:35 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
I haven't tried them, so I don't know if they really work as well as they say they do, but I keep getting instagram ads for these "reusable paper towels", which specifically claim to not get that gross wet dishcloth smell. Maybe worth a try?
posted by peperomia at 5:57 PM on June 7
posted by peperomia at 5:57 PM on June 7
I use this type of scrubby dishcloth, hang it from a little stand I have on the side of the sink, and use unscented detergent, and don't have much issue with smell.
posted by rivenwanderer at 6:04 PM on June 7
posted by rivenwanderer at 6:04 PM on June 7
Best answer: Boiling the dishcloths - in a big pot on the stove for an hour or so - with a little dish soap might help correct the already stanky ones.
posted by janell at 6:07 PM on June 7
posted by janell at 6:07 PM on June 7
1. use cleaning gloves
2. rinse and squeeze out the sponge after each dishwashing session
3. discard your sponge every few weeks or so
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:29 PM on June 7
2. rinse and squeeze out the sponge after each dishwashing session
3. discard your sponge every few weeks or so
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:29 PM on June 7
I use a generic non scratch scrub sponge, and am in NY where it is hot and humid in summer. Since I got rid of my ex-husband, who did not adequately rinse and wring out the sponges, I have never had an issue; I only need to throw them out when they start to fall apart.
posted by metasarah at 6:53 PM on June 7
posted by metasarah at 6:53 PM on June 7
Angus woven cotton dish cloths; cut them into quarters; wring them out viciously and hang over the sink tap so they’ll get the most air on them.
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:57 PM on June 7
posted by toodleydoodley at 6:57 PM on June 7
Are you on well water or city water? If you're on a well, perhaps it's the water itself that's making the cloths smell bad so quickly.
posted by ashbury at 7:01 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
posted by ashbury at 7:01 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
I use cotton/linen blend dishrags (for washing dishes), and I have the same issue. I also have a very keen sense of smell.
The culprit in my house is milk. I clean the frothing attachment on my espresso machine every morning. No matter how well I rinse the dishrag afterward, it gets funky quickly, especially in warmer, humid weather.
To combat the problem, I change the dishrag daily along with the cotton dish towel I use to dry the dishes. I launder them in hot water and line dry, weather permitting. Sometimes even that doesn’t seem to help.
At that point, I soak all of my dishrags (clean and dirty) in bleach water and launder them again. Boiling them works as well, but that takes time and energy while the bleach soak is less effort.
Begone foul stench!
posted by ReginaHart at 7:31 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
The culprit in my house is milk. I clean the frothing attachment on my espresso machine every morning. No matter how well I rinse the dishrag afterward, it gets funky quickly, especially in warmer, humid weather.
To combat the problem, I change the dishrag daily along with the cotton dish towel I use to dry the dishes. I launder them in hot water and line dry, weather permitting. Sometimes even that doesn’t seem to help.
At that point, I soak all of my dishrags (clean and dirty) in bleach water and launder them again. Boiling them works as well, but that takes time and energy while the bleach soak is less effort.
Begone foul stench!
posted by ReginaHart at 7:31 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
I notice that everything you link to is synthetic. AFIC, synthetic = stank.
I use cheap white cotton dishcloths and tea towels. They get changed out every three or four days. I keep a spray bottle with a bit of bleach to spray on cutting boards or in the sink. When it's hot in the summer I spray a little bleach water on them, then rinse and hang over the sink, as Mr. BH has a habit of wadding them up and leaving them in the bottom of the sink after he wipes the counter. I have a thing about washing dishcloths and dishtowels with other clothes, so I have a big drawer full, and when I get enough of a small load, they all get washed together with bleach.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:39 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
I use cheap white cotton dishcloths and tea towels. They get changed out every three or four days. I keep a spray bottle with a bit of bleach to spray on cutting boards or in the sink. When it's hot in the summer I spray a little bleach water on them, then rinse and hang over the sink, as Mr. BH has a habit of wadding them up and leaving them in the bottom of the sink after he wipes the counter. I have a thing about washing dishcloths and dishtowels with other clothes, so I have a big drawer full, and when I get enough of a small load, they all get washed together with bleach.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:39 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
These microfiber kitchen cloths worked for me (thin; dry faster than anything else I've tried). Hang with plenty of air flow after use, launder in hot water with detergent and maybe Oxi Clean, dry in the dryer (no fabric softener). Dishes are left to air dry on the rack.
Seconding that, weirdly, unscented dish soap seems to be better at avoiding bad smells.
posted by adventitious at 7:53 PM on June 7
Seconding that, weirdly, unscented dish soap seems to be better at avoiding bad smells.
posted by adventitious at 7:53 PM on June 7
Nthing brook horse. What soap are you using? There's a combo of Palmolive or similar and a "general" sponge that makes this smell immediately and I go into a fit of rage when I forget and buy the wrong one.
I get the light brown sponges and 7th generation or Method scented dish soaps from Target, squeeze after use, and use a lil stainless steel open grate holder in the sink.
posted by paradeofblimps at 8:32 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
I get the light brown sponges and 7th generation or Method scented dish soaps from Target, squeeze after use, and use a lil stainless steel open grate holder in the sink.
posted by paradeofblimps at 8:32 PM on June 7 [1 favorite]
I cannot abide the smell of stinky sponges. I purchased silicone sponges like these in 2021 from Cooks Warehouse and am still using the same ones today - we just throw them in the dishwasher every time we run it for sanitizing purposes, but I have never had an issue with stink.
posted by gollie at 9:04 PM on June 7
posted by gollie at 9:04 PM on June 7
I buy big multipacks of cheap microfiber cloths from Amazon. They dry quickly so they don't get stinky as long as you wring them out, but if someone leaves them wet and they do get stinky, I just run a bleach load in the washer. Simple. They also are really great at wiping down counters without leaving a bunch of water behind, and are also surprisingly good at scrubbing dishes, despite feeling smooth to the touch. People who stay with me always comment after using them. And they're cheap so I have very many of them and feel free to change them as often as I like.
posted by HotToddy at 9:20 PM on June 7
posted by HotToddy at 9:20 PM on June 7
I solved this problem by rotating my dish cloths and tea towels much more frequently, daily at a minimum.
posted by third word on a random page at 9:58 PM on June 7
posted by third word on a random page at 9:58 PM on June 7
Best answer: In my experience, it has a lot to do with the type of dish SOAP you use. Dawn is extremely prone to becoming stinky, compared to Mrs. Meyers or Seventh Generation. I don’t know if it’s a Dawn thing specifically or a common ingredient.
posted by acidic at 11:13 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
posted by acidic at 11:13 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
Buy washable cloths and wash frequently. Always wash on the hottest setting possible, which will ideally be close to 100 degrees C (my washing machine goes up to 95 degrees C).
posted by kinddieserzeit at 1:14 AM on June 8
posted by kinddieserzeit at 1:14 AM on June 8
Forget this sponge nonsense! Get a euroscrubby. Much more effective at scrubbing and zero smell issues as it doesn’t retain water.
https://www.epicurious.com/shopping/this-colorful-scrubby-cloth-can-replace-all-of-your-dish-washing-tools
posted by leedly at 5:29 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
https://www.epicurious.com/shopping/this-colorful-scrubby-cloth-can-replace-all-of-your-dish-washing-tools
posted by leedly at 5:29 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
Do you use fabric softener in your wash? Sometimes the waxy deposit from fabric softener can just hold on to stink. Once I stopped using fabric softener, I found a lot of my towels and dishcloths stay fresher for much longer.
posted by eekernohan at 7:18 AM on June 8
posted by eekernohan at 7:18 AM on June 8
I have finally solved this problem myself. I now use scrub buddy sponges at the sink and dishcloths to wipe down the counters. The dishcloths get a bleach solution soak before they get washed so I let them accumulate until I have about ten of them in the hamper.
posted by eleslie at 7:26 AM on June 8
posted by eleslie at 7:26 AM on June 8
They need to dry completely before being used again, at the very least. They have to be rinsed really thoroughly. I wring them out really hard. They need to be hung in a place where air can circulate on all sides. If that's not happening, I'd tackle that before more complicated stuff.
But I question why dish cloths for the active dishwashing. I don't really use them anymore, just dish brushes. If you can't rely on other family members to deal with the dish cloths, I'd stop using them.
posted by lookoutbelow at 7:37 AM on June 8
But I question why dish cloths for the active dishwashing. I don't really use them anymore, just dish brushes. If you can't rely on other family members to deal with the dish cloths, I'd stop using them.
posted by lookoutbelow at 7:37 AM on June 8
Best answer: Seconding the Euroscrubby suggestion -- my 5-person household uses the similar Skoy scrubs and they have never gotten smelly. Plus you can use them on non-stick surfaces, and they're biodegradable!
posted by Pwoink at 7:53 AM on June 8
posted by Pwoink at 7:53 AM on June 8
These things (adhesive backed rubber plugs that can easily accept the corner of a dishrag) solved my ongoing issue with there being no one-handed afterthought place to hang the microfiber dishcloths I prefer.
Before that, using a scrubber first for food reduces my dishcloth needs significantly, but hanging them to air dry seems to help massively (also a smell sensitive person who can't understand how everyone else can tolerate the stink of a dishcloth left to moulder).
posted by Lenie Clarke at 8:47 AM on June 8
Before that, using a scrubber first for food reduces my dishcloth needs significantly, but hanging them to air dry seems to help massively (also a smell sensitive person who can't understand how everyone else can tolerate the stink of a dishcloth left to moulder).
posted by Lenie Clarke at 8:47 AM on June 8
Best answer: I will acknowledge that Mr. DrGail doesn't squeeze them out quite thoroughly enough, but that habit isn't going to change anytime soon and it's not really the problem.
I'm betting that it really is.
If Mr. DrGail isn't squeezing them out thoroughly there's every chance he's not rinsing them thoroughly either, which means they're just sitting there loaded up with lovely nutrients for microbes to make their living off. It only takes about a day for a fair sized colony to get established in an unrinsed, unsqueezed sponge, and once that's happened it will coat every part of the sponge's considerable interior surface area with a biofilm that strongly resists all future rinsing and squeezing.
If you get yourself a pair of new sponges, and get an agreement from Mr. DrGail only ever to use his and not yours for the duration of this experiment, and you're assiduous about doing a squeeze, rinse, squeeze, rinse, squeeze, sit up on edge to dry cycle with your sponge every time you use it, I will make a confident prediction that his sponge will stink within three days and yours won't stink at all.
Same for washcloths, except that drying those is best done by hanging them over something that lets air get to both the hanging sides instead of sitting them up on their edges. I hang ours over the kitchen tap.
posted by flabdablet at 8:53 AM on June 8 [5 favorites]
I'm betting that it really is.
If Mr. DrGail isn't squeezing them out thoroughly there's every chance he's not rinsing them thoroughly either, which means they're just sitting there loaded up with lovely nutrients for microbes to make their living off. It only takes about a day for a fair sized colony to get established in an unrinsed, unsqueezed sponge, and once that's happened it will coat every part of the sponge's considerable interior surface area with a biofilm that strongly resists all future rinsing and squeezing.
If you get yourself a pair of new sponges, and get an agreement from Mr. DrGail only ever to use his and not yours for the duration of this experiment, and you're assiduous about doing a squeeze, rinse, squeeze, rinse, squeeze, sit up on edge to dry cycle with your sponge every time you use it, I will make a confident prediction that his sponge will stink within three days and yours won't stink at all.
Same for washcloths, except that drying those is best done by hanging them over something that lets air get to both the hanging sides instead of sitting them up on their edges. I hang ours over the kitchen tap.
posted by flabdablet at 8:53 AM on June 8 [5 favorites]
By the way, my standard method for de-stinking the intolerable washcloths I occasionally find when staying over at my friends' houses is to squeeze them hard to get out as much of the foul brew they've been marinating in as I can, then squirt a lot of washing-up detergent into them and give them a thoroughly violent knead and squeeze, then continue to knead and squeeze them under a stream of the hottest tap water my hands will tolerate until I've stopped squeezing out foamy suds, then squeeze them as dry as possible, then give them a sniff, then do all of that all over again if I can smell anything other than residual washing-up detergent, then hang them over the kitchen tap to dry. Successive dilution is a nifty thing - I don't recall ever having needed to do more than six rounds.
Frankly I do not care if my friends find this practice invasive or patronizing or judgemental or whateverthefuck. Failing to clean washcloths properly after using them is just disgusting.
posted by flabdablet at 9:06 AM on June 8 [2 favorites]
Frankly I do not care if my friends find this practice invasive or patronizing or judgemental or whateverthefuck. Failing to clean washcloths properly after using them is just disgusting.
posted by flabdablet at 9:06 AM on June 8 [2 favorites]
Oh, yeah: if you've just used a washcloth or sponge on anything remotely greasy, then squirting a blorp of detergent directly into the sponge afterwards and kneading that through before rinsing it out will definitely pay off. Otherwise, just the thorough knead and squeeze under hot running water is plenty good enough. But the main thing is to squeeze them as dry as you can and get as much air through them as you can between uses, because most of the funk-making microbes are anaerobes.
Undiluted washing-up detergent actually does a fairly good job of lysing open bacteria and destroying their biofilms.
posted by flabdablet at 9:25 AM on June 8
Undiluted washing-up detergent actually does a fairly good job of lysing open bacteria and destroying their biofilms.
posted by flabdablet at 9:25 AM on June 8
Stink means damp festering. So you need to stop the damp festering.
For me that means lightweight microfibre dish cloths that dry fast but can withstand regular washing in a hot wash.
I hang them over the tap to dry between use. They have to be dry when they go in the laundry basket.
Sponges rest on something that facilitates air circulation when they are not in use and get replaced frequently. But also, plastic dish brushes. Nothing to hold on to moisture and they can go in the dishwasher to keep them sanitary.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:42 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
For me that means lightweight microfibre dish cloths that dry fast but can withstand regular washing in a hot wash.
I hang them over the tap to dry between use. They have to be dry when they go in the laundry basket.
Sponges rest on something that facilitates air circulation when they are not in use and get replaced frequently. But also, plastic dish brushes. Nothing to hold on to moisture and they can go in the dishwasher to keep them sanitary.
posted by koahiatamadl at 9:42 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I always thought my friend was just gross and never squeezed out her sponges but then I bought Dawn soap one day too and immediately had the same problem. The blue/green regular soaps, I will never use them again. The “eco” soaps, no problem.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:41 PM on June 8 [1 favorite]
posted by jeweled accumulation at 9:41 PM on June 8 [1 favorite]
Okay, so you are starting with a nice clean, freshly laundered dishcloth, starting at 7:30 AM when you clean your breakfast dishes, and within several hours - say when you are cleaning the kitchen the same day to go to bed, or perhaps the next morning when you want to clean your breakfast dishes, the dishcloth reeks so bad you can smell it across the room?
I'm going to assume that you are actually cleaning the dish rag after you use it, because that's obvious. You're not just giving it a cursory rinse or no rinse at all and leaving it wadded up on the edge of the sink.
If your dishcloth is stinky that quickly, in that short a time perhaps it is picking up noxious bacteria somewhere in your kitchen. It's the same principle as when you keep changing your socks and powdering your feet and at the end of the day your feet just reek. In the case of your feet, they are picking it up from your shoes. In the case of the dishcloth, it could be picking up the bacteria from something it gets in contact with during normal use. I'd try sanitizing the hell out of my sink, my drains, my dishwasher and my counters. And I would sanitize the hell out of them all several days running. You're supposed to let bleachy water air dry on your counters surfaces in the kitchen every day if you are cooking in a commercial kitchen preparing food for people outside of your household. It might be worth trying that.
I'd also throw out all my previously used dishcloths, because they might be picking it up from each other when you launder them together. Sometimes kitchen linen can get a nasty stale grease smell from being washed together and the smell never leaves the fabric after that. Once it stands wet you can smell it.
If super sanitizing and replacing the dishcloths doesn't work, I'd get a job lot of used cotton fabric, cut it into squares and use one a day, throwing each one out at the end of the day. Old cotton is biodegradable and if you make them out of a couple of bed sheets that have thin patches in them that ripped you're probably not adding a lot to the burden we are placing on our planet.
Another option is to make boiling your dish rag a part of your daily routine. A good rolling boil for five minutes every day in a pot on the stove goes a good distance toward discouraging bacteria.
And finally... you could maybe consider both trying a different technique for squeezing out your dishcloths? You see, you're not supposed to squeeze out dishcloths. You're supposed to wring them out. Wringing out means no squeezing, just twisting as far as it it possible to twist the thing. Squeezing doesn't actually work very well even when you have strong hands, and you don't need strong hands to twist them until they can't be twisted any tighter.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:47 PM on June 8
I'm going to assume that you are actually cleaning the dish rag after you use it, because that's obvious. You're not just giving it a cursory rinse or no rinse at all and leaving it wadded up on the edge of the sink.
If your dishcloth is stinky that quickly, in that short a time perhaps it is picking up noxious bacteria somewhere in your kitchen. It's the same principle as when you keep changing your socks and powdering your feet and at the end of the day your feet just reek. In the case of your feet, they are picking it up from your shoes. In the case of the dishcloth, it could be picking up the bacteria from something it gets in contact with during normal use. I'd try sanitizing the hell out of my sink, my drains, my dishwasher and my counters. And I would sanitize the hell out of them all several days running. You're supposed to let bleachy water air dry on your counters surfaces in the kitchen every day if you are cooking in a commercial kitchen preparing food for people outside of your household. It might be worth trying that.
I'd also throw out all my previously used dishcloths, because they might be picking it up from each other when you launder them together. Sometimes kitchen linen can get a nasty stale grease smell from being washed together and the smell never leaves the fabric after that. Once it stands wet you can smell it.
If super sanitizing and replacing the dishcloths doesn't work, I'd get a job lot of used cotton fabric, cut it into squares and use one a day, throwing each one out at the end of the day. Old cotton is biodegradable and if you make them out of a couple of bed sheets that have thin patches in them that ripped you're probably not adding a lot to the burden we are placing on our planet.
Another option is to make boiling your dish rag a part of your daily routine. A good rolling boil for five minutes every day in a pot on the stove goes a good distance toward discouraging bacteria.
And finally... you could maybe consider both trying a different technique for squeezing out your dishcloths? You see, you're not supposed to squeeze out dishcloths. You're supposed to wring them out. Wringing out means no squeezing, just twisting as far as it it possible to twist the thing. Squeezing doesn't actually work very well even when you have strong hands, and you don't need strong hands to twist them until they can't be twisted any tighter.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:47 PM on June 8
Thirding the "Dawn dish soap makes things smell bad faster" experience. So even if you're not using Dawn specifically, trying a different soap might fix the problem.
posted by soundguy99 at 4:05 AM on June 9
posted by soundguy99 at 4:05 AM on June 9
I swear by these Crown Choice dish scrubbers -- I may have actually initially read about them on MF. Zero smell ever, and I can use each one for 6-12 months before having to discard. I don't wash them, I don't boil them, I don't microwave them. I just make sure I hang them over either the faucet or the sink divider after use so they dry out a bit.
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 5:36 AM on June 9
posted by leftover_scrabble_rack at 5:36 AM on June 9
I can personally attest that microwaving does work to de-stink sponges. But you need to do it for four minutes, not one.
- Get the sponge good and wet (almost but not quite dripping).
- Place it in the microwave on a small dish.
- Run the microwave on high for 4 minutes.
- Open the door to let out the steam, but leave the sponge and plate to cool for a minute or two before you try to handle it.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:52 AM on June 9
- Get the sponge good and wet (almost but not quite dripping).
- Place it in the microwave on a small dish.
- Run the microwave on high for 4 minutes.
- Open the door to let out the steam, but leave the sponge and plate to cool for a minute or two before you try to handle it.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:52 AM on June 9
Response by poster: Your answers have been very edifying. I marked as best the ones that were most relevant to my specific situation.
Here's what I did: First, I took all of the Geometry dishcloths and gave them a good hard boil. Mr. DrGail does the cooking clean-up and really likes using these dishcloths so switching to something else is only a last resort. (Since they're made from recycled plastic bottles, they can't go in the microwave.)
Once the boiling was done, I laid them out on a laundry drying rack until they were completely dry, then washed them with the other towels on the hottest temperature available.
Finally, we put a Command hook on the side of our cabinet where the dishcloth hangs to dry, after Mr. DrGail wrings it out thoroughly.
So far, we have had no return of the stink! Yay! If we have further problems, or when we run out, we will switch from Dawn to a different dish detergent.
posted by DrGail at 9:49 AM on June 16
Here's what I did: First, I took all of the Geometry dishcloths and gave them a good hard boil. Mr. DrGail does the cooking clean-up and really likes using these dishcloths so switching to something else is only a last resort. (Since they're made from recycled plastic bottles, they can't go in the microwave.)
Once the boiling was done, I laid them out on a laundry drying rack until they were completely dry, then washed them with the other towels on the hottest temperature available.
Finally, we put a Command hook on the side of our cabinet where the dishcloth hangs to dry, after Mr. DrGail wrings it out thoroughly.
So far, we have had no return of the stink! Yay! If we have further problems, or when we run out, we will switch from Dawn to a different dish detergent.
posted by DrGail at 9:49 AM on June 16
Since they're made from recycled plastic bottles, they can't go in the microwave
I can't think of any way that boiling a dishcloth in the microwave could possibly damage it more than boiling it on on the stovetop would, unless it incorporates metallized or otherwise electrically conductive fibres, which plain polyester isn't, regardless of whether it used to be bottles or not.
Boiling a polyester (aka PET) bottle will certainly shrink it, but only because it's been blow-moulded and retains enough internal stress from that process not to hold its shape when softened by temperatures much above about 70°C. Polyester fibre might also shrink a little for the same reason, but the type of heat delivery process that gets it to boiling point should have no bearing on how much.
I would have no hesitation in microwaving any dishcloth that I had already managed to boil on the stovetop without damaging. And if I was wrong about the microwave, which I would strongly expect not to be, I'd only be out the cost of one dishcloth.
posted by flabdablet at 11:25 AM on June 16
I can't think of any way that boiling a dishcloth in the microwave could possibly damage it more than boiling it on on the stovetop would, unless it incorporates metallized or otherwise electrically conductive fibres, which plain polyester isn't, regardless of whether it used to be bottles or not.
Boiling a polyester (aka PET) bottle will certainly shrink it, but only because it's been blow-moulded and retains enough internal stress from that process not to hold its shape when softened by temperatures much above about 70°C. Polyester fibre might also shrink a little for the same reason, but the type of heat delivery process that gets it to boiling point should have no bearing on how much.
I would have no hesitation in microwaving any dishcloth that I had already managed to boil on the stovetop without damaging. And if I was wrong about the microwave, which I would strongly expect not to be, I'd only be out the cost of one dishcloth.
posted by flabdablet at 11:25 AM on June 16
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We have issues with accumulated moisture in our sink and added a little fan that runs while the dishes are drying or after we use it and that solved the problem. Perhaps add a little clip-on fan to move the air where they hang.
posted by blnkfrnk at 3:23 PM on June 7