How to Wash Dish Cloths | Stop The Sour Smell

A dish cloth left damp on the counter is a bacteria farm. Within hours, the microbes that cause that sour smell multiply, and every plate you dry spreads them around the kitchen. The fix isn’t complicated—it’s a routine. Wash cloths often, use heat, and dry them fully. Here’s the exact process that keeps cloths clean and odor-free between uses.

How Often Should You Wash Dish Cloths?

Wash cloths after every use or at least once a day, depending on how much you cook. A cloth used to wipe a counter after raw chicken needs immediate washing; one used to dry clean dishes can go a few hours.

Torbay Council’s food-hygiene guidance recommends washing cloths out after each use with hot water and detergent, then letting them air dry before the next task. The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) goes further for reusable cloths, advising they be “thoroughly washed, disinfected and dried properly between tasks.” For a home kitchen, daily machine washing on a hot cycle covers most households.

If a cloth starts to smell, that’s the signal you waited too long. Smell means bacteria have already multiplied—washing it right away is the only fix.

The Right Way To Machine Wash Dish Cloths

A hot, heavy-duty cycle with the cloths separated from regular laundry is the gold standard. Rinse food debris off the cloth first, then wash it alone or with other kitchen towels.

Follow this sequence for the cleanest result:

• Rinse the cloth under hot running water to remove food particles and grease before it hits the machine.
• Wash separately from regular clothes; kitchen linens deserve their own load so bacteria don’t transfer.
• Choose the hottest cycle the fabric allows—a sanitize, heavy-duty, or long cycle beats a short delicate one for removing embedded soil.
• Skip fabric softener; it coats fibers and reduces absorbency, making the cloth less useful.
• Dry completely on high heat in the dryer or on an air-drying rack. Michigan State University Extension confirms the hot cycle plus full drying is what keeps bacteria from regrowing.

The FSA recommends a 90°C (about 194°F) cycle for cloths in food-preparation environments—most home washers with a sanitize setting reach similar temperatures.

For a broader selection of kitchen linens that hold up to frequent hot washing, see our roundup of durable dish cloths that survive repeated sanitizing.

Hand-Washing And Disinfecting Cloths

No washing machine? Hand-washing works if you add a disinfecting step. The FSA’s method: remove food and dirt in hot soapy water first, then disinfect with boiling water or an approved disinfectant used per label directions.

Torbay Council’s version for home kitchens: wash with hot water and detergent, immerse the cloth in boiling water for two minutes, then air dry fully before reuse.

For cloths that are very dirty or smelly, a pre-soak helps. A diluted bleach solution or a boiling-water soak handles heavy contamination. Vinegar and baking soda are popular home tips, but they’re not official sanitizing standards—treat them as odor remedies, not disinfectants.

Microfiber And Swedish Dishcloths Need Gentler Care

Not all cloths tolerate the same heat. Check the care label before using the hottest cycle, boiling water, or bleach—hotter methods can damage some fabrics.

Microfiber cloths generally handle hot machine washing fine and dry quickly. Swedish dishcloths are more delicate: avoid bleach and fabric softener, and use a gentle cycle or hand-wash to protect the cellulose fibers. Some consumer guidance mentions microwave sanitizing for damp Swedish dishcloths, but that’s not an official food-safety protocol, and a dry cloth in the microwave is a fire risk—stick to washing.

The common mistakes all come back to moisture and heat. Cloths left damp in the sink, washed on delicate cycles, or dried half-heartedly will smell no matter how often you wash them. Heat and complete drying are non-negotiable.