Cleaning > KitchenMay 06, 2009

Using a Dish Towel to Clean

Do you think it is sanitary to use the same dish cloth you wash dishes with to wipe off the countertop and stove? I read an article that stated this was unsanitary and you should have a dish cloth for washing the dishes and another one for cleaning the stove and surrounding areas only. I figured with 2 dish cloths laying around in the kitchen one could easily forget which one is for cleaning. What do you think?

By Onesummer

Answers

Read answers for this post below.

By
05/13/2009

I use the same one. However, I get all my dishes washed first. Then I wash down the counters and stove. After that the cloth goes in the hamper to be washed before using it again. Also I always wash my dish cloths with bleach. And I always use a clean one every time I do the dishes.

By
05/13/2009

My mother taught me to always keep a sponge in the refrigerator to wash the dishes with. The sponge for the counters is left at the sink and microwaved once a week to kill germs.

By
05/13/2009

I am with Glenn'sMom ;-)

By
05/13/2009

Using it to wipe off the stove is one thing, but I would use something else for the counter tops. I use wipes that contain chlorox in them to disinfect. In fact, I also use them for wiping all surfaces in the bathroom - using one for the toliet area, one for the counter tops, etc. This way there's no cross contamination.

By
05/13/2009

I use one clean micro cloth every day to clean/wipe the counter, appliances, dishes, but never, never the floor. I clean and rinse the cloth frequently when I am doing "kitchen duty". When I am finished, I drape the cloth over the stove handle to dry thoroughly. I have this "thing" about keeping everything dry in the kitchen. Standing water breeds germs. I am told I'm a fanatic about this but we all have our fussy "things".

When I am cleaning up meat/chicken juices in the kitchen area, depending on the amount to clean, I use paper towels or I will use another different colored cloth. To make sure that I don't use the wrong one, I will put the cloth that I use daily out of my reach/sight until I am done cleaning up.

I have been married for over thirty years and my family were quite healthy and never had any major type of sickness. I think sometimes this germ/contamination ideas we hear about are overblown. But I do agree that when using meats/chicken in the kitchen, a person should be careful about cross-contamination.

Everyone has their own method of cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. For example, I like to clean and wipe as I cook. I find this easier for me. I know others who wait until they are done cooking and then clean up. My hubby's method is to let me clean up. He says I am too fussy about cleaning up. I say he isn't fussy enough.

So since I claim the kitchen as my domain, he doesn't get to use it too often -- my kitchen, my rules. He likes this idea since he gets to eat whatever I create in my domain.

By
05/12/2009

I prefer handi wipes I get from the dollar tree. It's nice to rinse things out through the little pores and they are only a quarter each. You can often find them in different colors, which would help keep them straight.

By
05/12/2009

If you know you've cleaned something germy like meat juice , you could give it a quick rinse in bleach or wet it really well and microwave it for two minutes. I do this with sponges.

By
05/06/2009

I think it's just fine to use one cloth to wash the dishes and then wipe the counters, at least that's what do. I agree that with so many different ones laying around you're likely to forget which is which. I toss mine in the laundry each night and start the day with a clean one but that's as far as I'll go.

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