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Sponge or Washcloth?

6K views 29 replies 26 participants last post by  kou 
#1 ·
Which do you use for washing dishes?

I'm a washcloth girl all the way. I don't understand why people use sponges. I can use a clean washcloth everyday and just throw them in the laundry where as with sponges you have to buy new ones all the time.
 
#6 ·
I use sponges, but they gross me out whenever I think what is hiding in them. I can't seem to figure out how a washcloth would do the job. Doesn't it just smear stuff around? What about stuck on food?
 
#8 ·
Quote:
I use sponges, but they gross me out whenever I think what is hiding in them. I can't seem to figure out how a washcloth would do the job. Doesn't it just smear stuff around? What about stuck on food?
They wouldn't smear food anymore than a sponge would. Stuck on food would require the same elbow grease tha a sponge would(or soaking it first).
 
#12 ·
Okay, I did use sponges in college and my first year or two of married life but I made the switch to cloth and I'm so glad. I would wash my sponges with the laundry but they never got clean. Now I use a fresh washcloth every day.

I'm glad people are replying to my thread. I thought everyone would pass it off as a silly topic.
 
#13 ·
It's true that using sponges is not very satisfying at all. I'm just wondering, what kind of washcloths do you use for dishes. Regular bath ones? they seem too big and too plush to me. In general I like small, thin, scratchy washcloths and don't know where to buy them (except for fancy baby wipes)

Maybe just cut up and hem an old thin towel, right?
 
#14 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by traceface
It's true that using sponges is not very satisfying at all. I'm just wondering, what kind of washcloths do you use for dishes. Regular bath ones? they seem too big and too plush to me. In general I like small, thin, scratchy washcloths and don't know where to buy them (except for fancy baby wipes)

Maybe just cut up and hem an old thin towel, right?
I wouldn't cut up an old towel - terry unravels REALLY BADLY (ever try sewing with terry cloth fabric? Big ol' mess).

I just finished reading "Healthy Home" and the author recommended "BAR CLOTHS" for kitchen use. I went out and bought some at Bed, Bath and Beyond and they are GREAT. They are 100% cotton, but woven in a way so that they are slightly more course in texture than a standard washcloth- great for cleaning up kitchen messes and scrubbing dishes.
Best of all, they were cheap and come out of the washing machine REALLY CLEAN. I keep a stack of them in my kitchen.

Sponges are really just petri dishes when it comes to bacteria! EEEWWWW!

HTH!
Laura
 
#15 ·
Quote:
I'm just wondering, what kind of washcloths do you use for dishes.
I use dishclothes, you pick them up in the same section with the dish towels you use to dry the dishes(if you dry dishes), generally in the kitchen section. They are a different type of material from a terry washcloth. I don't like the knitted ones people make, they don't work well for me. I have used old cloth flannel wipes and they work better than a dishcloth.
 
#16 ·
i just switched to mostly dish cloths, but i also have one of those things that hold the soap in the handle with a replaceable scrubby sponge on the end...... i mostly use it for tall glasses..... and we use a dishwasher too. i hand wash my pots and pans, and my knives, and anything that wont fit in the dishwasher b/c i let the dishes dit too long
 
#17 ·
I handwash my dishes but I use sponges not cloths. When I run out of sponges I may switch to dishcloths to cut down on disposing of them. I do have cloths to dry stuff in the kitchen though. Either one does harbor ickies if you don't clean them properly. I wash my sponges with my laundry and use baking soda and vinegar in the inbetween time (can use hydrogen peroxide too), then when they get to look dingy, I keep them for the very yucky jobs before they get thrown out.

One thing that started to make me wary of using sponges is that some of them come pretreated with chemicals that supposedly help with bacteria and that chemical is not safe to have on your hands. Can't recall what it is but it is making me think twice before buying another package.
 
#18 ·
I use both. I throw my sponge in the dishwasher every day to clean it. Once it gets a bit ragged, I use it in the bathroom to clean. I have used these ones from Williams-Sonoma for 3 years now. Just keep washing them-they hold up very well. I find I like dishcloths for different washing. I only like the homemade cotton crocheted ones though. They are the best.
 
#19 ·
I use a dishcloth, DH uses sponges, so we have both. As for the type of dishcloth I like, my current favorites are dishcloths from target - on one side they look like a regular old dishcloth, and on the other side they have a layer of the netting material that some sponges have over them. The netting works great as a scrubber.
 
#20 ·
I use dishcloths -- bought a variety when we switched to cloth from sponges and I like the microfiber dishcloths the best. (But the J cloths are pretty good, too).

We also have a green scrubber (like the back of a sponge, but just the scrubber part) b/c my husband prefers to use that. It was my consesion to his preference for sponges.
 
#21 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by pease
I use sponges because I always have. Great reason, eh? I just can't seem to get comfortable with the idea of using cloths. Part of me would like to switch... but... well...

I'm the same way! I do use cloths (regular old washcloths designated for cleaning) for wiping up the counter and/or floor. Sponges gross me out. I can't get them clean. Yet I still wash my dishes with them. :puke

Okay, I will switch to cloth. I will!
 
#22 ·
What are some natural alternatives to sponges that can really scrub the dishes?
 
#23 ·
Wet your sponge or dishcloth and then pop it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then you'll have safe, germ-free tools to use. For items that you can't microwave, such as faucet handles, a household cleaning solution containing hypochlorite is the best for cleaning, but be sure to rinse thoroughly (Journal of Applied Microbiology, 1998;85(5):819--828).
 
#24 ·
I never even thought of using cloths for my dishes
: and I use them for everything else! Sponges are so gross when you think about it
! Well I am going to change now that I have thought about it....
thanks for the thread!
 
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