They are essential in the daily cleaning of the house and one of the elements that we always have on hand and that we use the most in cleaning the kitchen. And so that they can meet all their expectations, it is essential that we also keep the rags and cloths that we usually have near the dishwasher or in other areas of the kitchen very clean and disinfected.
Cloths accumulate a lot of dirt throughout the day. Food remains, liquids spilled on tables and countertops, oil and grease from stoves and other stains. But, in addition, if we are not careful and leave them well spread out and aired after use, it is very easy for them to absorb moisture, which causes them to end up giving off bad odors.
This crop field also means that if they are not maintained properly, they are a source of bacteria; Just what we have to avoid in the kitchen where we handle food and we need the environment to be well sanitized so as not to contaminate anything.
Before telling you some very useful tricks so that they are always clean and disinfected, it is worth considering the possibility of having cloths for different uses in the kitchen. We can use one only to clean, for example, the kitchen counter and the table where we eat, and have a different one to clean the stove, where the most stubborn grease and dirt always accumulate. If our kitchen has a ceramic or induction cooktop, we will have to get soft cloths for it.
We will also have cotton or cellulose cloths to dry our hands and the kitchen utensils that we scrub after use. In this case, it is also advisable to differentiate between one use and another. And do not use the same cloth for both things.
As a last piece of advice, it can also be very useful to have rolls of absorbent paper in the kitchen with which we can first clean areas with a lot of grease or quickly collect spilled liquids. Especially if they are very viscous like oil.
Vinegar, baking soda or chlorine
Now, we give you a series of tricks so that your kitchen cloths and cloths are always ready for use. They are a basic instrument for kitchen hygiene and we cannot use them if they are dirty and give off bad odors.
- A very obvious and simple formula but no less effective is to clean it with a little hot water and detergent. We can use a drop of the same dish soap that we use to clean glasses, plates and cutlery. If, in addition, we boil the water – in this case the speed provided by a kettle can be very useful – we will be able to disinfect the cloths and eliminate all the bacteria that may have accumulated.
- If we want to add an extra disinfectant, we can use a splash of white vinegar, which is a very effective antibacterial while eliminating bad odors and stains from cloths in one fell swoop. We can submerge them in a small basin with hot water and vinegar and let them soak for 15 minutes or half an hour. Then we will rinse them and let them dry well.
- For bad odors we can also use baking soda. We can use it in different ways. One of them is by dissolving a quantity of baking soda—normally a tablespoon will be enough—in a little hot water and leaving the rags and cloths to soak for approximately an hour. You can also add it to the washing machine drawer and clean the cloths in the machine.
- For the smell, we recommend using a few drops of essential oils on your cloths. Lavender leaves a soft and pleasant aroma. If you also want it to be antibacterial, we recommend getting one made from tea tree, cinnamon, thyme or rosemary.
- Another issue to keep in mind is that cleaning kitchen rags and cloths must be done daily. At most, every two days. You cannot wait any longer to avoid unpleasant surprises.
- For deeper cleanings we can use bleach diluted in water in a basin, where we will let the rags and cloths soak for about 15 minutes. Then we will clarify well. It is a very effective method but it should not be abused to avoid damaging the tissues. Or use a short machine wash cycle at a high temperature.
- And for quick disinfection you can use the microwave. To do this, first we will have cleaned it with detergent, vinegar, baking soda or chlorine, we will have rinsed and drained it very well and we will put it in the microwave for one or two minutes. No more. We will remain nearby at all times to supervise the process. You must ensure that the cloth or cloth in question does not contain any metallic components.
Drying and storage
On the other hand, after cleaning the rags and cloths in the way we have decided, it is very important to let them dry completely. To do this, it is best to do it outdoors and in the sun, if possible. This way we will be sure that we avoid humidity.
Once we have the rags and cloths very clean and sanitized, we must also follow a series of guidelines when storing and storing them to prevent them from accumulating moisture and, therefore, bad odors.
The cotton cloths or other fabrics that we use to dry our hands or kitchen utensils must be stored in a drawer or dry space free of moisture. While the cloths that we have in use must be avoided on wet surfaces that accumulate moisture, they must allow the cloth to breathe.
And of course, if cleaning the kitchen cloths has gotten out of hand and there is no remedy, the best thing to do is to get rid of them, buy new ones and carry out adequate maintenance to extend their use as much as possible.
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