Gross, somewhat moldy kitchen towels - how to clean?!

[meggie t]

Hi All,

I am at a loss as to what to do. We live in an apt on the top floor and our washer is in the garage (read: 30 steps). We go through 1-2 kitchen towels a day b/c we hand wash many items. We have a back porch and want to keep a container of some sort on there to throw the used towels into until it is time to wash them. I would like to go a week, but maybe that is unrealistic. I don't want to do such small loads of laundry.

Anyway, the problem is what to contain them in without them turning musty and moldy. I have found mold spots on several of the towels. We tried a plastic small garbage bin but it got moldy. Now we have a large mesh laundry bag. I figured the air ventilation would help. But now the bag smells gross (and I do wash it with the towels) and the towels all are awful smelling. I am going to put them in the wash again on a high heat sanitizing cycle to see if that helps. If not, I will just get new ones but then what? I still need to figure out the container for the porch.

Any ideas??? Thanks in advance!!

Meggie T

[lizzywednesday]

You can try running the towels through the sanitize cycle using either a few teaspoons (yes, TEASPOONS) of bleach or a half-cup of plain white vinegar if you don't have hard water.

I've also used Lysol Concentrate (not the fluorescent yellow, purple or aqua-blue stuff, the stuff in the small dark-brown bottle; it's really hard for me to find it, so YMMV) to great effect on moldy towels, but it can sometimes bleach out colors.

Also, try not to put a soaking wet towel into your laundry bag/bin. If you're trying to get through a week without washing, a balled-up wet or damp towel is more likely to grow nasties than a dry one.

[Green_Tea]

You need to hang them to dry before putting them in a laundry basket or bin.

[Indianamom2]

You need to hang them to dry before putting them in a laundry basket or bin.

:yeahthat: Then it won't really matter what you put them in. Maybe a towel drying rack would actually be more helpful for you.

[legaleagle]

Yes, the hanging dry is crucial! We just have a regular plastic mid-sized garbage bin (8? 10? gallon) so I just drape them over the side until they dry before throwing them in. I generally wash when it's full, so a medium sized laundry load every 5 days or so. We do go through a lot of towels/dishcloths - my policy is if it's even a little suspect just get a new one.

[meggie t]

Thanks, Ladies!! I ran them through the 2 hr sanitize cycle and they are now in the dryer. But hanging them to dry before putting them in the bag sounds like what I need to do. Not sure why I didn't think of that before. :duh:

lizzy, I did put a little bleach in so we will see what happens.

Appreciate all the help!

Meggie T

[Zukini]

I hang mine to dry on the edge of the wicker basket lid kept in the laundry room specifically for kitchen towels. Usually switch em out at night after cleaning up the kitchen. By morning they're dry and I just toss them inside the basket. Would not put them in wet/damp no matter how dirty they are. Agreed -recipe for mold and other icks.

[Zukini]

Oh and I also wash them with 1/2 - 3/4 cup white vinegar loaded into the bleach dispenser... helps keep em fresh.

[mariza]

You need to hang them to dry before putting them in a laundry basket or bin.

If you ever decide to get new ones I bought washcloths in the baby section of Ikea that I use for kitchen towels. I love them because they are cheap and they have a little loop sewn onto a corner that is great for hanging on my drawer & cabinet pulls. This way they dry between uses and they stay out of the way.