How to Wash Cleaning Cloths for Hygienic Reuse

You’ve just finished the bathroom. Three damp cloths are slumped over the edge of the bath, there’s a pile of clothes waiting for the machine, and you’re staring at the toilet cloth wondering: does this go in the wash, or straight in the bin?

Bin is rarely the answer. But “toss everything in together” isn’t either. The cloth that wiped your kitchen bench and the one that wiped around the toilet have had very different days, and they shouldn’t share a wash.

Three questions sort it out: what did the cloth clean, what is it made of, and what products are on it? The answers tell you how to group it and how to wash it.

The short version: keep kitchen and toilet cloths in separate groups, check each care label, wash with detergent plus a Laundry Sanitiser Sheet for an added antibacterial step, then dry fully before reuse.

How to wash cleaning cloths in the washing machine

1. Know your cloths before you wash them

The simplest habit is to give every cloth one job for life: kitchen, general cleaning, bathroom or toilet. Colour coding makes this easy for everyone in the house to follow. The colours themselves don’t matter; consistency does.

Then check the care label, the pack or the maker’s website for wash limits. Cotton, microfibre and sponge-like cloths can all need different care.

One exception: cloths with faeces, vomit or blood on them don’t belong in your ordinary cloth collection. Deal with them promptly using the relevant clean-up guidance. Our gastro laundry guide covers vomit and diarrhoea.

2. Get the loose dirt off, and think about what’s on the cloth

Lift off food scraps and loose dirt without shaking the cloth out. Removing that top layer lets detergent reach the fibres instead of fighting through a crust.

Next, think about what the cloth has been carrying. Before adding any laundry product, follow the cleaner’s directions for rinsing or handling used cloths. 

That matters most for soaking. IMPORTANT: Don’t put cloths carrying bleach in the same bucket as cloths carrying acid-based toilet cleaner or ammonia-based cleaner. 

3. Add detergent and a Laundry Sanitiser Sheet

A cleaning cloth has a strange job: it touches dirty surfaces, then goes back into your cleaning kit to touch the next one. That makes it a sensible load for an extra antibacterial step, even when it looks clean and doesn’t smell.

For suitable machine-washable cloths, we recommend our Laundry Sanitiser Sheets alongside our detergent in the first wash. Place one sheet of each directly in the drum.

Each product has its own job. Detergent lifts grease, grime and some germs into the wash water. The sanitiser adds a tested antibacterial step on top.* It doesn’t replace soil removal, and it doesn’t neutralise cleaning chemicals. Our sanitiser versus detergent guide explains the difference in more detail.

The sheets work in cold or warm washes. Their bacterial test doesn’t prove virus protection, and it doesn’t mean every cold wash suits every mess. For other approaches, see how to sanitise laundry without bleach.

4. Pick the right cycle, then dry completely

Choose a full wash cycle that both the cloth and the product directions allow. ACI describes warm water as roughly 30-40°C, so a cloth marked “maximum 40°C” can go at 40°C or below, but not at 60°C. If it says cold wash only, wash it cold.

A 60°C care limit simply means the cloth can handle that heat. It doesn’t prove that every 60°C cycle disinfects, and it isn’t a reason to use that setting. If a particular clean-up calls for hotter washing than the cloth permits, use a different cloth or another clean-up method.

A few practical points:

• Leave room. Cloths need space to move and rinse. Five rags may need less detergent than a full drum, so dose for the load.
• Don’t let them sit. Take cloths out as soon as the wash ends.
• Dry them spread out on a rack or line. A dryer is fine only at a setting the cloth allows, and without dryer sheets.
• Check the hems. Thick edges can stay damp while the centre feels dry, so check before you fold.

Can you wash cleaning cloths with clothes or towels?

Not in this routine. Purdue Extension recommends separating kitchen, bathroom and heavily soiled cleaning cloths from regular laundry. Cloths that share a load must allow the same wash and products, with incompatible cleaner residues dealt with first.

Here’s how to group them for routine cleaning in a healthy home:

Think of it as a sorting plan rather than a warning that mixed washes always cause harm. It keeps food-area tools away from dirtier jobs, and keeps materials with different needs apart.

And back to that toilet cloth: if it was used on the exterior of the toilet, it doesn’t need to go in the bin. Remove the soil, check for cleaner residues, wash it with its toilet group and dry it fully. Then keep it on toilet duty.

How to wash microfibre cloths without ruining them

Microfibre is excellent at grabbing fine dirt, but it also picks up loose lint, which is why it should be washed apart from cotton towels.

The bigger mistake is fabric softener. It can coat the fine fibres, so the cloth absorbs less water and leaves more streaks. Dryer sheets can do the same thing. Skip both.

Don’t assume all microfibre takes the same temperature, either. Follow the label limits for warm water, hot washing and drying, and avoid high heat unless the instructions allow it.

Check additive restrictions as well. Some microfibre cloths specify fragrance-free washing products, for that you can use  our fragrance free detergent.

Our Cleaner Cloth is a different case: it’s made from cellulose and cotton, not microfibre, and its directions call for lower-temperature washing.

What to do with dirty cleaning cloths between washes

The gap between “used” and “washed” is where most routines fall apart. A simple system helps.

For routine cloths without special contamination or chemical restrictions, pick a spot where they can dry before collection. Drape them separately over a washable rail or rack, away from food, clean laundry and children’s reach. Once dry, move them into a labelled used-cloth basket.

Remember that this drying is only a storage step. The cloth is still dirty and needs washing before it’s used again. Label the basket clearly so nobody grabs a dry but unwashed cloth for the kitchen, and show anyone who cleans, including a visiting cleaner, where used cloths belong. Keep the kitchen and toilet groups distinct.

Two things to avoid: sealing damp cloths in a bag for days, and leaving them soaking in a mix of leftover cleaners. Wash higher-risk items promptly rather than holding them back to fill the machine. You don’t need a full drum, so use a small-load setting if your machine has one.

How many cloths do you need? If you use two general-purpose cloths a day and wash every three days, that’s six cloths, plus a few spares while others dry. This is a way to plan your stock, not a safe waiting time for soiled toilet cloths.

Why do cleaning cloths still smell or feel greasy?

• Greasy feel: Remove excess soil, reduce the load and check your detergent dose if you didn't use our pre-measured detergentdetergent. If you washed cold, try a warm wash if the label allows it.
• Strong leftover cleaner smell or slick feel: Check the product directions before adding any treatment. Correct the dose and use an extra rinse if the instructions allow it.
• Musty smell: Rewash with detergent at an allowed temperature, then dry spread out. If it still smells, or the cloth no longer absorbs well, replace it.
• Stains: A lasting stain alone doesn’t prove the cloth is dirty.

Can you hand wash cleaning cloths?

Lightly soiled cloths can be hand washed. Use detergent, work it through the fabric, rinse well and dry fully. That’s cleaning, not proof of sanitising. If you want a sanitiser presoak, follow the current pack directions rather than guessing a dilution.

* Lucent Globe reports independent TÜV testing under ASTM E2274-24 showing a 99.9% reduction in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli under test conditions. This result does not establish effectiveness against viruses or every pathogen. Follow current pack directions and cloth-care restrictions.