Synthetic kitchen wipes, friend or foe?

[Vaughan]

My Mrs is insistent upon buying kitchen wipes of the variety pictured below:

She uses them to clean small food spills and wipe down our bench tops. I tend to find them bunched up near the base of the tap. It’s not long before they start to pong and I decide to chuck them. I shudder to think how long she’d continue using them otherwise.

I use paper towel but I get criticism about how much of it we seem to go through. Somewhat fair as it’s probably not a great price per use option.

I did a bit of digging and sounds like to get the most out of those wipes people microwave them and chuck them in the washing machine after a few uses. I get not rinsing them after use, wringing them out and putting them somewhere they can dry easily is not really giving them a fighting chance.

I also saw some recommendations for rayon and cotton weave options. I suppose I like paper towel for the convenience and cleanliness being disposable but I could be convinced to try something else. Definitely have a preference for non synthetic.

I thought I’d ask you kitchen savvy people. What do you use for this purpose? Is there anything else to consider or am I vastly overthinking this?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I use these guys a LOT and love them!

https://www.tru.earth/Store/Pop-Up-Sponges-5pack
For just general wipe up of the cutting board, knife, counter, etc. they are really nice. They last a good while and I cut them in half. Price has gone up but I still like them better than a lot of other options.

EDIT: We toss ours in the washing machine but not the dryer.

 

[daveb]

I use the throwaways at work. The higher ups won't let me use a linen service. Housekeeping never returns real towels. Eff it. 1st food order included a case ($20?) of "blue" towels. Easy button.

 

[Jovidah]

I mostly use paper wipes for the quick stuff, when I do proper cleaning I just microfiber stubb and toss them in the laundry after.
These kind of kitchen cloths that just linger for days tend to just become the dirtiest object in the kitchen; at some point you're no longer cleaning, you're just cross-contaminating.
Supposedly tossing them in the microwave or dishwasher might work if the temperature is high enough (can also work for sponges).

 

[MarcelNL]

same here, paper for quick stuff and microfiber for everything else. I replace one for the espressomachine and one for for general duty at least every day.

Dunno about the environmental impact of paper vs microfibre, washing is not without it's impact too, I suppose it depends for how many months they are being used.
Microfibre ones are recycles PET bottles afaik.

 

[jaydee]

We use compostable sponges and actually ordered washable ones; will see how these work out.
We also try to avoid paper towels and any single-use stuff that is not sustainable.

 

[mb1551]

I use cotton tea towels, I think they are called "flour sack" towels on amazon. I keep a bus tub for the dirties and they go in the wash.

Anything too gross or that I think might start to smell before I get around to doing laundry I'll use paper towels for, but reusables have really cut down on my usage.

 

[Choppin]

Paper towel: for greasy stuff, raw protein, etc.

Microfiber cloth: the one I use the most, for general wiping.

Cotton towel: to dry surfaces, pans, knives, etc (after they were washed, or wiped with one of the above).

I tried using a sponge for wiping but it just holds too much water and make everything wet. Microfiber cloth and cotton towel go in the washing machine.

 

[mengwong]

I avoid microfiber cloths for environmental reasons: I don’t want the microplastic lint ending up in my food and in my people and in me. Plain cotton towels like Ikea’s KRAMA are first choice, followed by paper towel for anything too staining or greasy. More practically, cotton can take bleach and a hot wash cycle which the microfiber towels can’t. I even iron mine sometimes.

 

[Vaughan]

I avoid microfiber cloths for environmental reasons: I don’t want the microplastic lint ending up in my food and in my people and in me. Plain cotton towels like Ikea’s KRAMA are first choice, followed by paper towel for anything too staining or greasy. More practically, cotton can take bleach and a hot wash cycle which the microfiber towels can’t. I even iron mine sometimes.

Yeah this is the direction I’m leaning, for many of the reasons you have outlined.

For those using the reusable wipes, are they getting any particular treatment when washed or simply being put in with regular laundry?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Yeah this is the direction I’m leaning, for many of the reasons you have outlined.

For those using the reusable wipes, are they getting any particular treatment when washed or simply being put in with regular laundry?

I'm sorry, the one I linked to is not what I've been using. Same company but the product has changed which explains why I couldn't find them for a while.

The ones I use from them are absorbent wipes that stay flat similar to the picture below. They were square sheets and don't pop up into sponges. I guess those are gone now which is a bummer because they work well and I'm down to my last couple.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Found them!

https://www.tru.earth/Store/Swedish-Dishcloths-6-Pack-Multi-Colour
I just didn't look close enough. The sponge is new so I didn't realize they had both going.

I don't do anything special to these. They just get tossed in the washing machine with the other towels. They break down and wear out after a while but it takes some time.

 

[MarcelNL]

I never thought about micro plastics...time to find something else...

 

[Jovidah]

same here, paper for quick stuff and microfiber for everything else. I replace one for the espressomachine and one for for general duty at least every day.

Dunno about the environmental impact of paper vs microfibre, washing is not without it's impact too, I suppose it depends for how many months they are being used.
Microfibre ones are recycles PET bottles afaik.

Yeah you make a fair point; laundry isn't free either. I honestly don't know what's better from a sustainability perspective; sometimes the results cam be surprising when you look into it.

I avoid microfiber cloths for environmental reasons: I don’t want the microplastic lint ending up in my food and in my people and in me. Plain cotton towels like Ikea’s KRAMA are first choice, followed by paper towel for anything too staining or greasy. More practically, cotton can take bleach and a hot wash cycle which the microfiber towels can’t. I even iron mine sometimes.

Actually didn't give this a whole lot of thought but doesn't sound unreasonable.

Fwiw my cheap microfiber stuff also survives 60 degree celcius cycles just fine (which is how I always wash them).

 

[SwampDonkey]

You can use these washing bags to help mitigate microplastic pollution from your microfiber towels. They're a very good idea for synthetic fleece jackets or blankets too.

https://www.patagonia.com/product/g...ftLnvqilnXHM0YBv_pJspcuGmfUaGCIQaAqNKEALw_wcB

 

[mengwong]

Nice, I did not know about that! My worry was more micro-lint coming off the towel at the point of use, eg onto a chopping board or the kitchen counter or even a knife edge, due to micro-scale roughness in the end grain or a toothy bevel or whatever. I wouldn’t have thought about this a year ago but I bought a USB microscope and have been peering at all sorts of things. As the fibers break down over time – acids, UV, bleach, heat, abrasion etc – it seems more and more likely an army of micro dust bunnies will start hopping toward my mouth / nose / endocrine system…

 

[SwampDonkey]

Yeah I do paper towel and vinegar on the cutting board and use microfiber or linen towels with a cleaning spray for counters etc. I really like the microfiber towels for drying carbon knives as they grab more water than linens in my experience. Definitely agree with the relatively rough cutting board grabbing microfibers from the cloth

 

[Choppin]

I avoid microfiber cloths for environmental reasons: I don’t want the microplastic lint ending up in my food and in my people and in me. Plain cotton towels like Ikea’s KRAMA are first choice, followed by paper towel for anything too staining or greasy. More practically, cotton can take bleach and a hot wash cycle which the microfiber towels can’t. I even iron mine sometimes.

that's a good point, I might try switching to cotton towels

any specific tricks to washing kitchen towels at home? hot cycle in the washing machine, maybe add some bleach?

 

[mengwong]

Many cotton towels suffer from "low labeling" – 100% white cotton involved in food, you want me to machine wash cold? Really? How about we sanitize properly: 60C or 140F at a minimum, i.e. machine wash hot cycle. Bleach optional, usually only to get rid of stains. Tumble dry any.

I usually finish my time in the kitchen with two or three kitchen cloths well used; they go in a special basket that gets washed once a week. The basket does smell, because it's humid here. In other climes the towels should dry fully while in the basket if you wring them out first and are careful about geometry.

Citation:
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House/dp/0743272862

 

[Ben.G.]

I have always been against using sponges for dishwashing and general cleaning. I was told long ago that they harbour more bacteria. I also prefer the versatility of a cloth for getting into nooks and crannies, but I never liked the feel of microfibre.

I use regular cotton dish cloths for cleaning and cotton towels for drying. As long as you rinse them after every use and wring them as dry as you can, they can last for 2-3 days. I have a bucket under the sink for dirty cloths and they go in the washing machine with hot water and bleach when the bucket is full. They last for several years.

My wife loves paper towel for any spills, but I prefer to only use paper towel for things that will cause the dish cloth to go immediately into the bucket.

 

[MarcelNL]

anyone with experience with Bamboo based kitchen towels?

The Swedish ones I know and we both dislike them in use, so looking for something else

 

[SwampDonkey]

Another thing, I like to purchase Bounty or other high quality paper towels. I can use 1 sheet of those for a spill/wiping vs like 3 of the cheap Costco ones. The ideal world is just roll of shop towels but the woman shoots that down every time I sneak them in.

Not sure what the environmental impact calculation is on resources but I feel like 1 high quality sheet is still less resource-intensive than 3 cheap ones, if you need something disposable.

 

[Vaughan]

Another thing, I like to purchase Bounty or other high quality paper towels. I can use 1 sheet of those for a spill/wiping vs like 3 of the cheap Costco ones. The ideal world is just roll of shop towels but the woman shoots that down every time I sneak them in.

Not sure what the environmental impact calculation is on resources but I feel like 1 high quality sheet is still less resource-intensive than 3 cheap ones, if you need something disposable.

Yeah I’ve noticed a marked difference between the cheap and more expensive stuff. The cheaper towels seem to generally be flatter while the brand I prefer have more of a 3D profile. Way more absorbent as you mentioned.

 

[M1k3]

I use the rags that wanted to be liberated from Cintas. I wash them with my regular towel laundry, except the greasy/oily ones.

 

[Betsy L]

Yeah this is the direction I’m leaning, for many of the reasons you have outlined.

For those using the reusable wipes, are they getting any particular treatment when washed or simply being put in with regular laundry?

I use cotton napkins and towels-lots of them. The soak cycle prior to washing gets them cleaner.

 

[Choppin]

I'm getting ideias for the 20+ dress shirts that I have in storage (they don't fit me anymore and my current job is super casual). DIY cotton napkins and kitchen towels?

 

[MarcelNL]

anyone with experience with Bamboo based kitchen towels?

The Swedish ones I know and we both dislike them in use, so looking for something else

well, the bamboo towels I bought can be struck off as alternative, they do not absorb much water, they DO scoure decently but were small to begin with but after two wash cycles they are TINY....honey I shrunk the kitchen towel....

 

[Jovidah]

Maybe buy bath towels next time instead to end up with a decent kitchen towel?
I've had massive shrinkages on some cotten kitchen towels as well. Over the years they almost became handkerchief sized.

 

[MarcelNL]

the problem with those is that they only come in one already small size to begin with...

 

[Steve56]

Most of the kitchen towels that I’ve used don’t absorb water very well, which should be the prime objective. Everything from Sonoma Williams to Kroger.

I keep a few barber’s towels on hand for the final drying, because those do absorb water, it’s what they were designed to do. It’s a poor solution compared to a kitchen towel that does what it’s supposed to do, dry your dishes. Paper towels also work, and if you’re cheap, you can dry them and reuse them for a bit.