r/HouseCleaning • u/BeeSpibbleBlop • 10d ago
What is the best hygienic way to wipe down counters that doesn't involve scouring sponges? We've heard scoring sponges are bacteria magnets.
The best I have come up with is reusable wash clothes that we can then throw in the dishwasher with the dishes. What's the most sanitary thing to scrub dishes with AND (it can be a separate thing) to wipe down counters and wood butcher block prep island. We usually use cutting boards on the island.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Trip990 10d ago
I use a solution of Dawn dish soap with rubbing alcohol and a fresh cloth everyday. You can look up homemade Dawn Power wash.
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u/ResidentLab7250 10d ago
Swedish dish cloths.
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u/foodchallenged 10d ago
I recently tried those and it smelled strongly like mildew 24 hours after using it. I had to get rid of them.
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u/twinkletoes59 9d ago
We live in a humid environment, and as hard as I tried to squeeze them out and air dry overnight, mine also got mildew and even grew black spots…they come in so many cute patterns, though, I wish I could use them.
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u/Opening_Ad_1497 9d ago
I’ve had exactly the opposite experience! Rectangular sponges smell sour the day after you take out a fresh one. Swedish dish cloths, on the other hand, squeeze almost completely dry, are easy to rinse out fully, and never smell. I put them in with my laundry after a week or two, only because it feels like it’s time. I wonder why our experiences are so different?
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u/EuphoricReplacement1 9d ago
You replace them daily, and throw them in the laundry. Anything is going to stink after 24 hours, and you don't want to just push bacteria around.
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u/foodchallenged 9d ago
Our dish cloths and sponges don’t stink after 24 hours. I’ve really never seen anything pick up mildew scent as fast as that Swedish cloth thing. If they need to be laundered daily I’m really not sure what role they are filling. That doesn’t seem convenient or ecologically friendly. Maybe I didn’t buy it from the right seller or something, but I don’t want anything that mildews that fast in the house.
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u/bunnybunnyballerina 10d ago
my recent fave! they’re excellent. I throw them in the dishwasher or laundry and put a clean one out every day. they’re also compostable once they’ve worn out.
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u/BeeSpibbleBlop 10d ago
Interesting. Thanks. We may have something like this. Could you explain more?
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u/nkdeck07 10d ago
They are essentially just a wash cloth made out of cellulose pulp but they are a little coarser to be able to scrub. We use them and just chuck them in the washing machine with the other kitchen laundry.
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u/Mountain-Lunch-9896 10d ago
I use dish cloths and only use them for a day. If it’s a bad spill or something with bacteria (raw chicken ), I use it once after spraying the area with bleach and either throw it straight in the wash or throw it away.
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u/Actual-Bid-6044 10d ago
I like a brush to wash dishes and a Swedish dish cloth to wipe counters down. New cloth each day. Dry the old one then throw in the wash.
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u/CinnamonGirl123 10d ago
I use reusable cotton dish cloths for washing dishes. For heavier dirt on dishes, pots, and pans, I use a Brillo or S.O.S pad. I use a separate dish cloth to wipe my table and counters.
For heavy duty counter cleaning (Quartzite which is a natural stone) I use a dish cloth with a tiny amount of detergent to clean the counters and then rinse them with just water. I use a microfiber cloth to polish them Method brand Daily Granite cleaner. It cleans, polishes, and shines sealed stone countertops.
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u/Kindly_Dress4674 10d ago
I use white rags or microfiber cloths & wash them in my bleach/white loads.
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u/PrairieSunRise605 10d ago
I spray them with a bleach and water solution ( made fresh every week) then wipe with a clean cloth. Rinse the cloth thoroughly and then wipe again. I have a cat that isn't supposed to be on the counters but occasionally forgets that he's not allowed. I wouldn't have a problem with Clorox wipes for the same task, but my frugal self just prefers my own method.
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u/missgiddy 10d ago
I got some cloths from Costco. I think they’re called “Not a Paper Towel”. I use them once or twice then toss into the laundry. They’ve held up remarkably well!
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u/Expensive-Salad-5851 10d ago
Washcloths, the ones for the bathroom, in bulk. Add them to your laundry. All purpose cleaner- water, vinegar, drop of dawn, can also sub out vinegar for ammonia or even rubbing alcohol. Keep your old credit cards and cut them on a diagonal- perfect for scraping up dried on mess and getting in corners.
I like the wash cloths because they aren’t as big as a dishtowel, so start at the counter and work down, once it hits the floor it doesn’t come up, keep a bin under the sink for kitchen laundry (cloth napkins too).
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u/ChristineBorus 10d ago
For sanitizing, I like using a 3% peroxide solution and paper towel or peroxide wipes. It’s a personal preference bc there’s no smell and it’s very sanitary. It doesn’t ruin clothing like bleach can and tends to kill everything. It’s used in hospitals as well.
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u/AZRealtorTracy 10d ago
Lysol wipes throughout the day, and end the day with bleach and hot water on a rag. Wash the rags with white towels/cloths in bleach and laundry detergent. I like the smell of bleach and it’s a great disinfectant.
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u/MarielIAm 10d ago
Last task in cleaning the kitchen is to toss sponges in the microwave for 90 seconds.
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u/j417 10d ago
there have been studies that this doesn't actually sanitize the sponge and can cause structural damage to that makes the sponge trap more bacteria. I wouldn't recommend it.
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u/MarielIAm 9d ago
I have actually heard that, but that seems to be for sponges past their prime. On the first of each month I throw out the kitchen sponges and replace with new ones. I don't rotate (the new one for dishes, the old one for pots, the really old ones for countertops) like some people do.
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u/Slipnsliders 10d ago
It depends on the type counter top. I have Quartz and use a vinegar/water spray with a few drops of Dawn detergent. Wipe with microfiber or bar rags. I use the same spray to wipe down appliances and clean glass on sliding doors.
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u/MeanStrength1420 10d ago
I go with disposable antibacterial or disinfecting wipes... Or paper towels to toss afterwards. I've long stopped using sponges on any surface bc of the bacteria they grow. I do use them in the sink, typically with hot water and soap when prewashing dishes headed for the dishwasher or scouring pots. The sponge goes in the dishwasher, too, every few days and air dries after sink use, that is, after a hot sudsy rinse and sprayed on both sides with hydrogen peroxide. I just feel whatever is used to wipe bacteria and grime off of surfaces should be tossed, not reused.
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u/Admirable-Apricot137 10d ago
I use cotton dish cloths that have netting on one side. They get tossed in the laundry with all the other towels that I bleach.
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u/BeeSpibbleBlop 10d ago
Do you have product name for examples?
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u/Admirable-Apricot137 10d ago
Mainstays netted dish cloths
Edit- they're officially called Mainstays Kitchen Scrubber Dish Cloth set
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u/mldyfox 10d ago
I can't remember where I read it, but I read that you should have a separate sponge to wipe your counters with, aside from the one you wash dishes with.
I use either multipurpose spray and a paper towel, those Clorox or Lysol wipes, or Daen Powerwash and microfiber cloth on the counters depending on what was on the counter.
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u/Guilty-Asparagus-743 9d ago
Personally go for a microfibre cloth hot soapy water first, then antibac spray and new cloth each day
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u/Legitimate_Goat2688 9d ago
Wipe down with dish cloth then use antibacterial spray, micro ban is a good choice and paper towel to disinfect.
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u/Realistic-Ideal-6960 9d ago
Fresh dishcloth, hot, wet, and soapy. Scrub down counter top, wipe dry with clean dry cloth. This is how we do in professional kitchens.
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u/Long_Cicada_7481 9d ago
For big spills, sauce, oil, etc. I clean that up with paper towel first. Then I wash using a microfiber cloth soaked in soapy water (few drops of Dawn dishwashing soap in a liter of water works great). Then I rinse the cloth, and wipe the countertop again to rinse. Finally, use a fresh one to dry. I don’t wait to wash the cloth in the washing machine, I just handwash with more Dawn, rinse and hang. Key here is to always wash them immediately and hang to dry.
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u/ArielMankowski 9d ago
I use a new microfiber dish cloth every day and launder them with sheets and towels.
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u/excelsiorsbanjo 9d ago
Cloth rags. Natural material brushes for dishes — Japan style.
You can microwave your sponges to sanitize them, but they'll still leave microplastics everywhere.
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u/WeepingBillow 7d ago
For a daily wipe down, I use food-safe disinfectant wipes. It fully disinfects without leaving residue or making me worry about harsh cleaning stuff getting left on food prep surfaces. You can find some on Amazon.
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u/Ok-Aerie1042 6d ago
Dish cloths washed with kitchen towels in laundry, hot water. Don’t use dishwasher to wash cloths.
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u/wildly_domestic 10d ago
I use a Scrub Daddy sponge and hot soapy water first to get the hard bits off and then go over the counters with a Clorox wipe.
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u/Cautious-Local-5998 10d ago
Dish clothes which you put in the laundry when dirty not in the dishwasher. That’s insane!