Question if you don't use paper towels

[Deleted]

We stopped using paper towels for a while, instead using face cloths and dish towels. However I find unless I machine wash them in hot water almost daily, they end up stinky. Maybe it's because my kids spill milk? I've recently started using paper towels for dairy clean up but I think most of the damage has already been done because wet cloths still smell bad. I don't think the daily hot bleach wash is good for the environment of my pocket book either.

Tips? Am I doing something wrong?

[dbsk8dance]

Vinegar! Run it through with just vinegar and it usually takes the smell out. We use the microfiber cloths from Costco and they don't usually stink.

[Deleted]

I don't notice an odor. I usually try to wash them on the white setting and I used Tide.

[rubytue]

Do you rinse them out after you clean up spilled milk or let them dry out before washing? If you leave them in a wet pile, they will get stinky (like towels left in the washer overnight).

We don't have kids, so we don't go through them as much. But I wash out rags once a week. I just always rinse them and leave them hanging (on the side of the slop sink) between "dirty" and "wash."

[badtzmaru22]

We have a basket for clean and a basket for dirty. I make sure they are dry before throwing in the dirty basket, and then when it's full, I wash them on hot and add vinegar.

[thatgirl2478]

I don't notice an odor on ours - and we clean up milk etc with them.

I would wash in hot water with vinegar as suggested by others.

[aurora]

We use vinegar, too (in the fabric softener part of our washer), and also rinse them out if they're used for something potentially stinky like dairy. Line drying in the sun is very good for preventing odors.

Also, what kind of fabric are your cloths made from? Most of our rags are old 100% cotton t-shirts cut into pieces, and cotton doesn't hold an odor as well as many synthetics.

[af1212]

We don't use paper products either. We use about 4 cloths a day and then leave them to dry overnight on the sink spout. In the am we throw them in a wet bag and wash about once or twice a week. No smell. We wash on hot with method unscented.

[Deleted]

Yup, like others we use vinegar when we wash them, and quickly rinse them off if they wipe up something really yukky.

[M]

After the dishes are done I'll wash the towels with Dawn then hang dry. I do hang them somewhere open like on the stove handle so they aren't covered on one side. I soak it in bleach about once every 3 months when I can't wash out the stains by hand anymore.

[Deleted]

Thanks. I do ensure they are rinsed & dry. Haven't tried vinegar though, Thought nothing could beat bleach but I'll give it a shot. The clothes smell fine when they are dry but as soon as they're wet they are immediately stinky.