Kitchen dishrags are used to dry your hands, soak up spills, remove debris from dishes and clean surfaces. As a result, dangerous germs and bacteria contaminate them. Dishrags develop a foul odor due to moisture, warmth and bacteria. Instead of tossing the dishrag in the trash, prevent it from souring by cleaning it thoroughly. Always replace your dishrags daily to reduce health hazards.
Step 1
Rinse the dishrag under cool water in the sink after you use it. Rinsing the dishrag keeps dirt and debris from accumulating on the surface.
Step 2
Wring the water from the dishrag after your rinse it. Excess water allows bacteria and germs to thrive, which results in a sour odor.
Step 3
Hang the wet dishrags in a well-ventilated location to help them dry quickly. Hanging the dishrags allows the air to circulate so that the material dries evenly.
Step 4
Sanitize them in a solution of 3/4 cup of chlorine bleach or color-safe oxygen bleach and 1 gallon of warm water. Use color-safe bleach on dishrags that are not white to prevent fading the color. Soak the dishrags for 15 to 30 minutes, wring out the excess water and hang them to dry.
Step 5
Launder dirty dishrags with hot water and your preferred laundry detergent weekly. Hang the dishrags outdoors in a sunny location or place them in the dryer.
Preventing dishrags from souring allows you to get more use out of them. Drying the dishrags and sanitizing them properly will effectively keep foul odors from developing. Always keep spare, clean dishrags around so you can replace the contaminated ones as needed.
