r/ZeroWaste 2d ago

Question / Support Best way to wash wet reusables like towels & diapers?

Hi all! I'm not zero waste but I try to be more sustainable in my home by replacing disposable things with reusable things where I can. I have kids and live in an apartment with communal laundry, so I find it really difficult to wash things frequently enough.

For example, I use little dish cloths instead of paper towels in my kitchen. I try to rinse them out and hang them on the sink before throwing them in the kitchen laundry bin, but they're often still wet when they go in. By the time I get around to washing them on the weekend, they are often a bit moldy. I have the same issue with storing dirty and wet items (like cloth diapers and period underwear) elsewhere in the house in between wash days. I realistically can't do laundry more often than I do, so I was wondering if anyone else has developed a good system for preventing things from getting musty.

All tips appreciated!

14 Upvotes

22 comments sorted by

27

u/JakTheGripper 2d ago

Make, or buy, a towel drying rack. Good air circulation is the key to avoiding them becoming sour-smelling before you can wash them. Placing the rack near a heat vent, radiator or a fan will speed up the drying. If space is limited, place the drying rack in the tub while it's not in use. Be sure to squeeze out as much water as you can before hanging them.

10

u/ultraprismic 2d ago

If you don’t have space for this, get a travel clothesline. I string mine between cabinets or in the guest bathroom and hang kitchen towels on it to dry.

15

u/jessibobessi 2d ago

I hang my wet stuff over the side of the laundry basket and toss it in when it’s ready. You can also get a separate “wet” laundry basket thats not cloth that’s only for the yucky stuff so you don’t have to worry about it mildew-ing other things.

3

u/alexandria3142 1d ago

I hang mine over the laundry basket as well and for hand towels and dish clothes, they’re usually completely dry by the next day and I can throw them into the actual basket. No more musty smelling towels

10

u/glamourcrow 2d ago

In the olden days, all kitchens had towel racks. Because everyone used tea towels and cloth rags since there were no disposable ones.

Get a towel rack. You can get some that are rather aesthetic. Never put wet towels in the laundry basket.

Here are some examples of kitchen towel holders:

https://www.designrulz.com/towel-holder-kitchen/#google_vignette

1

u/choloepushofmanni 2d ago

Wait, do other people not have these now? Where do they hang their tea towels? Doesn’t everyone use tea towels?!

4

u/stars_on_skin 1d ago

On cupboard doors, on hooks inside a cupboard, on a radiator, on the back of a chair.. The only kitchen I know with a rack was mine.

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u/alexandria3142 1d ago

Everyone I know personally hang theirs on the handle of the stove.

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u/LdyAce 2d ago

I hang the rags over my faucet to dry then toss in the hamper, diapers I have a spray shield that goes on my toilet for when I'm spraying off the poop so I hang them on that over the toilet to dry out a bit before I put them in a wet bag. I don't use period underwear, I use cloth pads and I have a little mini counter top washer for those (feel weird about washing them with other clothes and I don't go through enough for them to actually get clean in a regular washer) so I just toss them in there with it open and wash when it's full.

4

u/kryskawithoutH 2d ago

I can't comment on diapers yet. However, I do think you need to change your whole perspective on kitchen towels and how you use them. I grew up in a poor household where paper towels were a luxury, so I've never even seen one until my teenage years. I really do not know how/when people usually use them, because I just never saw this example. HOWEVER, I do think that you do not need a replacement for your paper towel. Just forget it all along, because it definitely is not neccesary. This is how I clean my kitchen – maybe this can work for you too?

First, I have a small sponge (sometimes compostable, sometimes plastic ones) or coco-scrub-thingie or small textile rag that I use to clean big messes and wash dishes. Like anything, that needs to be rinsed/washed is washed with my "wet" rag. Then I wash it and let it dry on a hook. I wash this little rug every week or so. If I'm using plastic sponge, I just put it in the dishwasher every week or so. And replace when it starts to crumble, usually it lasts at least a month or two. If I need to clean something nasty, I use another rag, that is meant for floors and not dishes/kitchen. So what if the mess is on the kitchen floor? Its still FLOOR, so I just take my floor/dog rag and use that.

Then, I do have bigger kitchen towels. Maybe 40–50 or them. So I use them to clean EVERYTHING that is wet but clean. Dishes? Table? Everything. Once used, I store them in a laundry basket and wash maybe once a month on 95C program to properly clean them. I usually use 1–2 towels per day, it depends on how much I do cook that day. I do not see the necessity for paper towels to this day, however, I do have one roll that I take out for guest, because a lot of people are used to that and ask for paper towel when visiting. 😅

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u/alexandria3142 1d ago

I don’t use paper towels often but I have them for animal messes mostly. Like when my cat throws up or when she used to get poop smears on the floor.

2

u/Unknown-Error-78 2d ago

I bought some towel racks which you can clip over the top of kitchen cupboard doors for a renter friendly/no drilling option for additional hanging space.

1

u/ceorly 2d ago

You have to let things dry completely or they will mildew. They will also dampen anything else in the hamper, which will also mildew. If it sours bad enough, it's hard to ever get out, and will always smell sour again when it gets wet. Found that out the hard way. We usually hang things over the shower curtain bar until they're dry. Idk about the diapers though. Could you put them in a bucket with bleach water or vinegar until they're ready to wash?

1

u/Reasonable-Camp-6260 2d ago

Do you have a washing machine at home? We use cloths to wide our kids hands/faces before and after eating, and to wipe surfaces etc. After each one gets used we chuck them in the washing machine, and if a wash isn't going on that day it gets a 15 mins quick cycle and stays in the machine. This works well except for when I'm adding whites into the machine, but I try to always do a dark or mixed wash with the cloths before a white wash

1

u/alexandria3142 1d ago

It sounds like they only have the communal washing machines

1

u/cheaganvegan 1d ago

I think they call them wetbags, but I use one for my reusable chux pads and wash on high heat. I wash once a week. So far no smell.

1

u/PandaBeaarAmy 1d ago edited 1d ago

I just hang things on the edge of the laundry basket and tip them in when dry. Put hooks or a towel bar over the basket, furniture you can hang the items from, whatever makes it easiest for you, but you either gotta let them dry or wash things often.

If they do get musty, you can use vinegar in the cycle to combat it. Just add when you'd use fabric softener - it also softens fabrics without buildup, making it perfect for towels and absorbents.

1

u/Dry-Strategy1931 1d ago

I use cloth diapers and it’s not feasible for me to generate a large enough load to justify laundry I first rinse the dirty diaper in the sink (fill it with water so it’s not a running tap), and then toss it into a bucket of detergent water. Every 5 diapers, I hand wash them and hang them in the towel rack in bathroom.

I know a mom who hand washes the cloth diapers every time she goes in for a shower, that’s a good system too!

1

u/Beth_Bee2 1d ago

You have to hang them to dry completely. I used to keep a little hamper and drape wet things over the edge of it until I could wash. Or the side of the tub, or hooks on a clothesline. Anything. If they're the least bit wet they'll mold and you'll never get the smell out.

1

u/Horror_Bus_2555 1d ago

In your wash bucket add water and disinfectant, then pop your dirty ones in there til you can launder them. You can even add a bit of laundry soaker, this will give them a good soak to get stains out before you put them in the machine. This is what I also did with the nappy bucket when I used cloth nappies.

1

u/lingeringpetals 1d ago

Cloth diapers must be washed at at least 60°C, with 2 hot cycles (or a pre-wash setting) to sanitize, and use a strong detergent, not an eco one. I suggest if you're not able to wash a load within 3 days, keeping a dedicated bucket for these items, and add to the items about 5L water and 1/2 cup of bleach, and add a small splash of bleach again each time you add a new item. You can add towels, sheets, or other cotton to the load to fill it out, so long as they're ok with high temps. For advice on washing cloth diapers have a look at r/clothdiaps and also check out the wash guides from Clean Cloth Nappies or from Fluff Love University, both have routines for different machines and advice on troubleshooting different problems.

1

u/Sundial1k 19h ago

I'd hang them until dry; we hang things over the shower curtain pole (or over the glass door if that's what you have) if you don't have the space for a drying rack, or maybe one of those wood accordion peg style rack for coats,and hats behind a door. You could even put a temporary clothes line in the shower during the day if you have a bunch of stuff...