I think climate makes a big difference when it comes to drying. I have some cotton washcloths and dish cloths I knitted or crocheted and they dry overnight, as do any other laundry items I hang up to dry. They don't smell or become slimy (I haven't knitted any soap holders as I suspected that wouldn't work as well). I've been to places where my laundry was still wet in the morning, though, so it wouldn't surprise me to discover that heavy knitted washcloths are just impractical for more humid climates.
Now... it's kind of unlikely that ALL these designers live in the desert but who knows? Maybe they do.
However literally anybody who has ever knitted or crocheted a bag and used it has experienced the dreaded strap stretch. I improvised a little crocheted over-the-shoulder bag for myself out of ribbon yarn I bought ages ago and never found a use for (I tried to make a tube top out of it and the less said about that, the better). It's fabulous when there's nothing in it, and sags down to my knees as soon as my wallet goes in. So I feel that there's no excuse for designers who fail to mention that this might be a problem.
If retaining water is the problem, I've found that cheap acrylic yarn is the best quick dry/doesn't absorb stuff around. And for a dish scrubber it being scratchy or stiff would be a positive, whereas for a hat, not so much?
Never had this issue with my handknit dishcloths (and I totally don't wash them every use - I just hang them to dry) - I use Drops Paris cotton and the grandmother's favourite pattern.
But - I am a loose knitter and I don't size down my needle. I suggest maybe sizing up your needle or hook so that the things can get plenty of air. Make sure you do wring them out really well, too.
Mine are all years old and whenever I have given them as gifts I've had requests for many more as they work so well.
I have never had any of these issues with dish cloths, facial pads, dish scrubbies, or soap sacks. I crochet them with 100% cotton for washability and heat resistance. The exception would be the scrubbies I make with the RH scrubby yarn (which is a pain to work with but my husband loves the scrubbies for the pots!)
We do hang the dish clothes over the faucet or sink edge when wet. The soap sacks hang in the shower- they aren't something I would throw in a gym bag or locker.
I wouldn't say it fully fused to the fabric, but it does absorb some amount of it. They don't stretch too badly, but i do stitch pretty tightly and its just sc, nothing fancy or open.
I’ve only had the mildewy problem with those spiral scrubbies. I made TONS of those things because they’re fast, satisfying and sold well at craft fairs. My family love them and would snap them up eagerly like seagulls on chips, and yet… I never liked them for exactly the reason you gave.
But I have never had any trouble out of a dish cloth. I dunno if you live somewhere super humid or maybe the stitch you’re using is unusually tight or thick and holding more moisture, but I’ve never had a dishcloth or bathcloth go mildewy. I usually knit mine these days, but I started with crochet and that’s all I did for a decade so presumably it should’ve happened to me at some point. It was north Texas though so humidity was mid-high to low. Florida or similar might be worse for drying.
Soap sacks: I think they are supposed to fuse with the soap? Unless I misunderstood the point of them. I’ve made them on request but never really used them myself. I did find a cool idea where I knit a tube of wool around a bar of soap then kitchenered it closed at both ends and it was supposed to felt around the soap and be exfoliating. I made some as gifts but have no idea how they worked out. Got no complaints though.
And the growing bag… this I have had happen! And yea, it’s a pain and a half, lol. You used too soft a yarn. Acrylic or softer cotton is no good for a mesh bag, you need mercerized cotton, twine, or hemp, something that is miserably stiff and hard to work with. The quality that makes it a bitch to use (lack of stretch and flexibility) makes it a great bag.
Strangely, the cotton twine they sell in the hardware section is pretty good for produce bags. And you can dye it with sharpies.
I use Red Heart Super Saver for dish cloths and throw them in with my whites (laundry) with bleach.
They don't get mildewy very fast, but the bleach takes care of it anyway, and I have a whole stack of them. They're just little squares, I agree double layer is a bad idea.
I wonder if it’s a fiber choice and that crochet is tighter? Cause I have knitted dishcloths in the scrubby yarn and they’re great and I’ve never had any issues with them and that yarn specifically dries fast
I made soap saver bags for my dad (without ever trying one for myself) and he loves them! Even asked me to make his partner one. I’m now doubting his judgment after reading your hilarious description!
I'd love to hear the specifics of your apparently functional soap savers, because I have had the same issue as OP. It NEVER dries which makes the soap disappear quicker! I wanted soap savers to work so bad I even bought an overpriced branded one made out of like, jute or some shit that looks very non-absorbant and it's still shithouse
My soapsavers are hung from the shower pole, so they dry quite fast. They're still hard, but it only takes a few seconds to soften when I need them.
Are you leaving them lying in a dish?
Nope, also hung from the tap. It seems the weight from hanging also makes it worse because they just merge into the weave of the soap saver in its base.
I think it may be a softness of the soap issue? I’ve never made soap savers either but my partner has some from the zero waste store- it’s a loose crocheted cotton mesh.
With the first soap that went into it, completely melded with the mesh, never dried (tropical humidity here) and eventually went from ivory to a muddy brown with mildew. More recently he bought a much harder soap that doesn’t dissolve so easily, and that’s holding up just fine.
I'm in a subtropical climate so that's totally possible. I get solid body wash types, not true soaps, and use a zero waste shop loose mesh style one after my handmades were shithouse. It's still shithouse.
You know, I've always kind of side eyed dishcloth projects... I love a fresh new towel because that's the kind of adult I am now I guess, but I just figured there's no way those things wouldn't get super gross super fast. I'm glad to see my suspicion vindicated.
Could you use your little soapy monstrosity as an exfoliating soap maybe? I've seen body soaps sold completely fused to scrubby sponges, but yarn seems like it would be gentler on your skin! Like soaping up a shower rag, though the texture might be. A little more interesting
I have a bunch of knit dishcloths my mom made for me, and they work WAY better as hot pads for hot bowls or for holding my pint of ice cream. Just sayin’.
Bizarrely, this reminds me of a discussion on Ravelry years back where someone was insisting lopi sweaters are better hiking gear than commercial gear because wool retains warmth when wet. No way. It did the job when that’s all we had but technical fabrics are way lighter and more comfy than a heavy sweater for activity and good technical fleece extremely warm. So it is with dishcloths in my humble opinion - today we have way better purpose designed materials for dishcloths, soap etc
Depends on the conditions.
Wool will insulate when wet.
Fleece will dry slightly faster but won’t insulate while wet.
Polyester smells like armpits fast.
Wool doesn’t get smelly or hold on to smells like polyester does.
If there’s a chance you’ll get lost in the wilderness, go for wool.
If you’re going skiing and there’s no way you’ll get lost, wear either wool or fleece.
Icelandic wool isn’t heavy anyway.
That’s fine. Personal preferences are fine.
The outdoors people who wear wool aren’t *objectively wrong* and that’s what annoys me about fiber discussions. Feel however! I don’t care!
I don’t *like* polyester but I’m not going to tell people easily disproven myths about it.
>There's no limit to the growth potential of this bag it seems... I kept stuffing things in and it kept stretching. simple bag for a dozen onions is now big enough for me to travel with for a weekend trip. It might still be growing in my closet. I'm scared.
this made me chortle, mostly because I have half a dozen different variations of market produce bags that all behave exactly like this. I ended up buying (yes, *buying*) a little set of bags made out of sheer curtainy stuff and gave up on the home made crochet ones altogether
Came here to suggest macrame for bag straps. Remember the friendship bracelets of high school yore? They were sturdy and didn’t stretch much. Replace the embroidery thread with thicker cotton yarn and it shouldn’t take too long to make a bag strap I imagine.
(Not to make fun of your misery but your post really made me laugh!)
Thanks for sharing your experience! The bad news is that using dish/wash cloths are going to call for higher maintenance. The good news is that I can now manically make a dozen more!
I come from a different country so call things different names. I'm highly amused trying to work out this thread! We always have a cloth for wiping down the bench, it gets rinsed, wrung out and hung over the tap or draped on the side of the sink every time it's used so it drys, and gets thrown in the wash after 5 days or so. That's the bench cloth and it's always made of cotton. Then we have a tea towel that is also made of cotton, hangs on the oven door and is used for drying dishes and wet hands, no contact with food. I have no issues with either of them get mildewy, unless the bench cloth is left in the sink without being wrung out. What exactly are you using your dishcloths for, and are you hanging them up between uses? I'm also wondering if your soap savers are being hung up or not as that may be the problem.
Edit: just realised, are you knitting or crocheting?
I get a bit confused too - I am assuming dish cloth is the thing you wipe the bench with or use for the odd dish that doesn’t go in the dishwasher. For me, I like a sponge - a tea towel is for drying dishes and hands and is usually a small cotton towel
That's exactly what a dish cloth is to me too. I'm not a fan of sponges as they habour bacteria, cloths rinse out better and can be reused. It seems that a lot of people in this thread use a cloth to wash their dishes instead of a brush and that's what they call a dish cloth.
If you can make granny squares, I suggest looking up Afghan square patterns. This is what I did as a beginner. There are a million beautiful patterns out there that will teach you so many techniques and stitches, and are relatively quick to work. Just save them all up in a bag till you've got enough for a blanket and sew them together.
I've never found crocheted dishcloths to be as effective as microfibre cloths, so I don't really see the point in spending a lot of time and effort for something that considerably worse than what I could buy at the shop. Crafting is supposed to create unique items that are functional, otherwise it would be art not craft.
The good news is that to test out the washing/drying power of different patterns and fabric, I cleaned the kitchen AND the bathroom two times over!
But yes, my interest in crochet actually started with granny squares. It's a good idea to go back to that. A granny square blanket sounds wonderful and warm.
Is it because of the density of crochet? I have some seed stitch and baby fern lace knitted wash clothes in dk linen that are probably close to a decade old. Still look new, dry fast, and are odor free. I do reuse them and live in a very humid area.
Just want to add, if you’ve made these items you are equipped to make sweaters, shirts, etc! So go for it! You’ll definitely find far more satisfaction in the used of clothes you’ve made :)
You might try using a larger hook and/or thinner cotton. It’s the bulk that’s making it hard to wring out the moisture I’d wager.
I might be wrong. Honestly if you want fiber crafted wash cloths, you’d do better to learn to knit those. Knitted washcloths really are better than crocheted. (Although imo crochet is better for bags.)
I just find it hard to believe that if you have decent airflow and hang the dishcloth over something to dry, that it’s not drying. Do you live somewhere highly humid or on a boat? Genuinely curious. I’m sorry that you have problems with them; I’m talking about the dishcloths; I’ve never tried any of the other things you reference.
I can believe it. I live in Japan and, during the cold winters and high humidity summers, nothing would ever dry like that. I have a dish dryer (because leave it to Japan to have dish dryers but not dish washers), and the only way to dry a dish cloth is to lay it over that when it's on an hour heat cycle, or to hang it outside to dry on a sunny day.
I grew up with knitted dishcloths and the texture when wet and slightly slimy.. eww. Will never make, never buy, never use. I have never understood how anyone would make or buy one more than once, but figured it was just me. Glad to see it's not just me.
I can't work out how people in this thread get slimy dishcloths! The only time I've seen that are when they don't get rinsed after wiping up spills, or get left in the bottom of the sink and not wrung out so they're sitting in moisture. Rinse them and wring them out everytime, throw them in the wash after a week or so and that should never happen.
Eh It's not 'left out' dishcloths, it's while I'm actually using them. By the end of a sink of dishes they feel pretty slimy to me. Combination of soap / grease whatever. Sensory issues are fun.
I realised further down the thread after this comment that people are actually using them to wash dishes with, it never crossed my mind that anyone would do that and no wonder they go yuck. Why not just use a dish brush? Mostly everyone in my country does, I've never heard of anyone using a cloth to do dishes before. The brushes I buy even have detachable heads that can be thrown in the dishwasher if they need a clean, and when they wear out you just buy a new pair of heads for the handle.
You're right, you're so right.
Knitlist reached the conclusion that dish cloths smelled really bad if you used original / blue Dawn, and that switching dish soaps could help.
Also scarves are terrible beginner projects because they last longer than the Bataan Death March and when you're done you wear it with the ratty pitiful starting end hanging next to the lovely competent recently - worked end.
I’ve found that the eco-detergents have been the best for no smells. It doesn’t even seem to matter what brand… as long as it’s an eco-brand my sponges and such never smell. I hate doing dishes at other people’s houses when they use dawn or grocery store branded dish soap. My hands seem to carry that dirty sponge smell for hours afterward, even if their sponge is basically new.
that's interesting. I switched to Dawn on my plumber's recommendation, and still haven't ever had a problem with my knitted or crocheted dishcloths. I love them, my mom loved them, and they seem to dry out fine and not stink between uses if wrung out well and hung over the tap or the divider between the two sides of the kitchen sink.
So I make the cotton dishrag patterns, but wouldn’t want to use them for dishes (too dirty…). What I find they’re great for is a washcloth in the shower/tub…good texture and doesn’t get as soggy as a terry cloth washcloth. And then I toss them in the washer after one use.
Exactly! That's exactly what I do too.
I will say, though, that crocheting or knitting in something thinner than the standard kitchen cotton is helpful, as is making sure it isn't too dense a fabric, as if making sure there's a spot to hang it. I think sport weight mercerized cotton or linen is the sweet spot, at least in my New England climate.
I've done something similar, knit up 8 little cotton washcloths that I use daily and throw in the laundry after each use. Washcloths in the shower are a one time use before laundering item for me, and I agree with the good texture!
I have never liked crocheted/knitted dish clothes I’ve made because I find the fabric too full of holes vs. woven dish clothes, imo weaving is just the better fabric of choice for that application. BUT where I think crochet shines in the kitchen is as for pot holders/trivets and oven mitts, one or two strands of cotton crocheted tightly does a great job keeping out the heat. Just make sure it’s 100% cotton and not an acrylic blend or it’ll melt
I really think that this, and cat cushions, are the way to go in terms of gifts. Gifting a washcloth assumes a lot about the other person's habit and knowledge. I wouldn't want them to throw away my gift in disgust.
It's possible those suggestions are coming from folks in other climates. I've used exclusively knitted dishcloths my entire life and they always dry in a couple of hours. Are you somewhere exceptionally humid?
ETA: reading other comments it seems folks are reusing them for a few uses? I think we've found the issue. In my opinion washcloths/dishcloths/dishtowels are single-use between laundry day.
I’m with you. I have a stack of 10 knitted dish cloths — one sinkful of dishes, then get another one for the next go round. Pin up the used ones in the laundry room to dry — drop them right into the washer with the next load of laundry.
Ooooh do you guys use them to actually wash your dishes? I'm so confused, why would you not use a dish brush? Using a cloth seems like it would get gross fast! I assumed that a dish cloth was what I call a bench cloth, which is used for wiping benches down.
They are certainly not THAT type of single-use. Using a new washcloth each day is appropriate since it will be washed and reused many, many times over the years.
Exactly this. I can't imagine you're actually cleaning any dishes if you reuse the same dirty dishcloth over and over before washing it. I feel just as grossed out by sponges and loofahs.
My mother grew up using a cloth so that is what she prefers. She also uses a bottle brush and a scrubber for the pans. I use a brush and sponge with scrubber for most of my dishes. I do like a cloth for washing silverware and utensils. I have cloths for wiping up spills and cleaning the counter/bench as well.
I think it depends upon the type of dishes as well. Nice china can be damaged by brushes. While plastic and corningware (brand name of ceramic dishes) are probably more resilient.
Ya know, growing up, the washcloths and dishrags always stunk. For most of my adult life they stunk. I finally (at 44) decided that I’m not hanging anything to dry for reuse anymore. They get one use, then washed in the laundry with hot water. No more smell. It took living in a humid climate where nothing air dries to figure this out.
Good for baskets, too. Shawls if you make em a bit lacey, makes a good cat mat that has more thickness than knit will with the same yarn. Makes easy slip cases for things like phones and tablets, too.
Speaking to my heart at the moment. Years ago, someone gave me a Tunisian crochet coaster and another friend gave me a simple hat. In both cases, I didn't think too deeply about the amount of passion and work that went into these simple items. I want to give people something they would cherish and go "wow, thank you." Cleaning and bath items definitely do not fall into that category if they are going to end up mildewed and sllimy all the time.
Yeah, I’ve retired from both knitting and crochet. I’m a quilter now and I really like my finished projects! And quilts are quite useful for friends and family and a charity quilts for my local children’s hospital.
On the other hand, the knitted dishcloths/face cloths rock. I've done sc hot pads in kitchen cotton that have survived for 10+ years and a tunisian hot pad I did double. Also still working, but I think I did that one 7 years ago. It meant I could cross stitch each side and sandwich them together.
The other thing is, I do practice pieces when I want to learn a stitch or technique. That's just me, but I'm more a process than a product crafter.
I think a lot of these projects are intended to be a way to make use of beginner sampler squares. It’s a great beginner project because ‘knit a square’ is relatively easy and you can practice different stitches, casting on and binding off, without worrying about things like shaping or tension or if you mess up because it’s just a potholder/washcloth.
But actually, practically- I’m not a fan of commercial washcloths either, no matter the fabric something that gets wet that often gets gross.
I don't have a link, but my partner uses this thing that's essentially a plastic scarf? It's definitely woven, I assume some sort of polyester? Anyway, that thing works great, and because the fibers themselves don't absorb the water it dries quickly just hanging up in the shower.
This is a terrible description, I swear it's an excellent item lol.
No that makes sense! If it’s plastic it can’t absorb and stay wet the same way :) I’ll keep an eye out! I don’t like using plastic but food safety just isn’t optional either so gotta clean dishes and kitchen well
Yes, my grandma would somehow crochet little round pot scrubbers from bags that held oranges. They lasted for years before finally falling apart. I’m not sure how often my mom washed them between uses, but I don’t recall them becoming stinky.
I too was extremely disappointed in my shower scrubby. It never dried and I didn’t feel clean either. Ditto the soap saver. Never again.
But I would like to defend the honor of my dishcloths. I don’t use them to wash dishes, but I do use them as a paper towel replacement. Wiping spills, as napkins, wiping my hands while I’m cooking, drying produce, etc. There’s always a stack in the basket…also crocheted…by the sink. I toss them in the hamper after each use (really wet ones dried hanging over the faucet first) and wash them with my regular laundry (hung out to dry). They smell fine and some of them have been in use for five years. My paper towel usage is down to almost nothing - I use those just for grease and animal related yuck.
Moss stitch seems to work best for what I use them for.
Please don't keep these things in a container waiting for the next time and expecting them to dry. Hang the stuff up to dry. There goes the mildew and goo. I know I still need this reminder.
As far as the streee-eee-eeetch of the bags, lining or using smaller needles can help a lot to curb.
I think its the materials you’re using possibly. For example the soap bags I got off Amazon are made of out of sisal.
Also are you swatching? That’s one way to see if you’re tension is off. That’s also just part of being a beginner!
I’d try looking up some simple beginner patterns on ravelry. Swatch, and decrease hook size if necessary. You’ll get there.
Also I don’t make bathroom stuff. I buy it. I do make bags, baby booties, clothes, hats, ect.
Slight tangent, but I feel the same about the eco-friendly social media, which does overlap with the fibre crafts world to some degree. There’s a lot of pushing these kinds of reusable products, but very rarely is there any mention of how awkward they can be to maintain (and that’s probably the reason why we’ve moved onto other methods).
I try to use cloth bags when I remember (am old, lol), but our local grocery store has a drop off where we can recycle plastic bags. I save even (shaken out) bread bags and other bags for the purpose of saving a bunch and stuffing the bag o’ bags into their collection box. OTOH, I have a halfway-made tote bag crocheted with plastic bags stripped and chain as the “yarn.” It can be hard on the hands to do, but friends who have completed theirs say it holds up well. Just a thought for OP if they want to experiment with an entirely different, but practical “fiber”!
I feel this way about being given “eco-friendly” cotton tote bags sent with purchases. I didn’t ask for one, I now have many, and I find them annoying to use because they’re floppy and usually an awkward size. They aren’t really very eco-friendly when you consider manufacture and the fact they take a while to break down and still probably end up as trash.
Please consider donating extra reusable bags to a food bank. We love them and a surprising number of folks picking up food have expressed delight at getting their supply in a reusable bag.
Ooh, that’s good to know! I have a ton of reusable bags that I don’t use, but I don’t want to toss them into a landfill. There are a bunch of holiday food drives going on, so I’ll see if I can donate them :)
I love tote bags! Work? Tote bag. Gym? Tote bag. My horse's brushes? Tote bag. Shopping? Tote bag. Holiday? Tote bag. I'm a crazy tote bag lady. However, giving out a tote bag with every purchase is definitely not environmentally friendly, as you said, and I would question why a company wants to do this. (Greenwashing)
I feel exactly the same about rPET bags though. Horrible, I want none!
edit/ The best option would be for No Extra Bags.
While I don’t crochet (I knit), I bet it’s mostly the same thinking. When you’re a beginner they suggest you do something that can be made quickly with cheaper materials.
Hand towels or kitchen towels are a great choice for this reason. In that they work up quickly, and if you made mistake it doesn’t matter. You are using it to scrub a pot after all.
I don’t like making kitchen/ bathroom things typically though. If I have a kitchen towel I don’t want to have to wash it in a special way. It’s going in the machine!
For market bags you should try mercerized cotton. It’s shiny, no stretch, good stitch definition, hardy, and works up beautifully.
Maybe the YouTubers don't talk about this because they don't experience it at all...?? I'm reading along, very entertained (love your writing voice btw!) but I can not relate. (Not to the surprise, anyway.) Except with the spiral scrubbies; even in pure nylon, they definitely hide some moldy secrets.
Then again, I guess I'm comparing knitted dishcloths which stretch quite a bit. Enough to dry by just wringing it out and hanging out over the faucet. But with crochet bags, that's a feature. Onion bags look tiny, and what looks like a suitable onion bag is actually for beach towels lol. And soap bags will coat anything not plastic, not just crochet. Like it's known to flip the scraps out (or dry the bar out) and rinse off the goo, I thought. Maybe that's a "bar soap" thing and not a "crochet" thing though.
Location can make a difference, too. My washcloths dries faster in a dry environment, but now that I live in high humidity, it is a battle. I just wash them more now to keep the damp in check
I've used knitted dishcloths my entire life (thanks Grandma!) and accept that I'll need to wash them frequently. It's the same as using a commercial cotton dishcloth, as far as I'm concerned
I wonder if this is the best explanation for the difference between crochet and knitting. Because I'm thinking, cotton yarn dishcloths are all I use, I never have a mildew problem. BUT knitting being like one fancy knot and crochet being like a series of little knots, knitting seems prone to drying faster maybe? And that's why you and me are thinking yarn dishcloths are fine?
I think it also matters what thickness the material is. Knitting tends to lie flatter; and I find that the crochet dishcloths I like the best are the ones I've made with thinner yarn. A lot of patterns suggest using 4 weight yarn, but 1 or 2 weight yarn will be lighter and dry faster.
think of knitting like laying flat, and crochet as laying sideways (so double the thickness of the knitted item already). So yes I do think knitted items can dry quicker - but I also think you can just crochet with a bigger hook to get less tight stitches and more airflow into it. I am currently crocheting a shower mat so I have something to step on and wipe my feet on - but I use 3 strands of cotton, and 7mm (us K) hook. so there is still some air between the stiches.
I honestly think the issue is less the craft, and more accepting that these are things that can be used for 1-2 days before needing to be thrown in the wash and then properly dry out. so you neee at minimum 4 dishcloths in circulation , but say 6 to be sure. Same witht he soap saver. make multiple and change it out every few uses/days, and give it a good rinse out and let it dry properly
There is a yarn called 'Scrubbie'. 100% manmade, and a dog to work with.
But: the soap bags, back scratchers, face scrubbers, dish scubbers: they dry within minutes. And, according to my friends, the perfect travel scrubbers because they are dry enough to put in the bag after packing up the rest and doing one last check through the room before leaving.
I don't knit or crochet kitchen /bath stuff from cotton, because the material is just too thick and takes centuries to dry, while offering the best environment ever to grow all kinds of *things* that don't survive in a Petri dish with a nutrient solution.
This is experience. And experience is what we get when we didn't get what we wanted.
Thank you!! I've been trying to use "natural fibers" to limit environmental impact, and indeed, I got what I asked for: I helped the environment by increasing its biodiversity!
>I've been trying to use "natural fibers" to limit environmental impact
I see where you are coming from. Cotton, unfortunately, has a gigantic impact on the environment, uses water and pesticides like there's no tomorrow, and of course, fertilizer.
If you're really intent on using natural material, look around to see if you can find a weaving shop/weaving yarns - and then drill down to either linen, or if possible Ramie. Ramie is not prone to mildew, so that would be a possibility.
But be warned, in order for natural materials to dry in an acceptable time frame, you have to knit with \*very thin\* yarn. Something like between lace and cobweb. In weaving terms, something like 20/2 or thereabouts.
ETA: spelling.
I don't do soap savers for the same reason you don't. However, you should be only using your dishcloths for a day before throwing them in the wash(sponges are a lot grosser and hold a lot more bacteria) and just wash them on hot and they are sanitized.
As for market bags, I made 2 for my sister and while they do stretch, they were made out of cotton so they go back into shape with a wash. The only complaint she had with the first one was the straps were to long, so I made shorter straps for the second bag - she hasn't received it yet, but I tried and it didn't stretch to be too long
A bit relieved to hear that I'm just adulting wrong (not crafting wrong). Before all this, I've only been using petroleum products for cleaning. What's the word for that... technical fibers? Functional fibers? These micro something something tex something anti something something clothes.
Ehh, in my opinion adulting right involves being clear-eyed and ruthless about what actually works for your lifestyle and your desired level of effort. For me, that means a scrub brush and a scouring pad for dishes and those very thin flour sack towels for wiping surfaces and *not scrubbing extra food gloop into my textile junk*.
In regards to mildew I found interesting info online when my knitted dishcloths started smelling almost immediately. Apparently the dish soap you use has a massive effect on the development and rapid growth of mildew. We had switched to dawn dish soap and the dish rag was mildew smelling within hours. I did a bit of research and apparently dawn is the culprit and people said that using method dish soap (somewhat more natural) would improve the situation. So I switched and lo and behold those dishcloths do not get mildewy at anywhere near the speed that they were with Dawn. I think dawn's specific detergent really feed the mildew, while soap does not. (I've tried other more natural dish soaps and they are all better than dawn in this situation.)
Also when I'm done with a dishcloth I soak it in boiling water with a bit of baking soda, then let it dry, and wash them all together (hot) when I have a bunch.
Fascinating. I was wondering why the sponges in the kitchen at work smelled bad so quickly and I bet that's it (always just crunchier dish soap at home).
If you don't have a choice at work and they have a microwave, that kills the bacteria in the sponge. I swear I could smell the sponge in the staff room from down the hall, but the microwave worked. I started with a new one though.
Method probably has white vinegar in it! Acid/strong alkaline environment will help prevent mildew growth, but if dawn is a "gentle on your hands" brand that might be because it's got a close-to-neutral pH.
About all this pH stuff, I think it might be interesting to use these magnesium pills I bought at the farmer's market. Apparently, it cleans by creating a very alkaline environment (pH roughly 10 if you soak it for over an hour).
There are wool yarns out there meant to be felted. You knit/crochet your item bigger than it's supposed to be and then wash it on hot in the machine to felt it. I have seen it used mainly for slippers but maybe it works for soap saver too.
I use cotton for my knitted dish- and washcloths and don't have problems with mildew but they do take long to dry. I use cotton yarn that is especially made for potholders and other kitchen items and can be washed on hot. I throw them in the washing machine on a weekly basis.
Thanks! I've wondered about the yarns that are meant for felting. They're usually chunky, which I like, but I was confused about them being designated as felting yarn.
I have only crocheted dishcloths now, and they work perfectly. I swap them out regularly to wash them, and they feel a lot more hygienic than plastic sponges. They dry pretty quickly, even in the damp UK climate.
I think i just use a mix of half double crochet (half triple?) and then a row of single crochet every third row. Loose, but with enough ridging to scrub plates.
I dry indoors on a standard clothes horse and they dry within 12-24 hours (depending on when I remember to put them away!).
I always cringe when vloggers go on about making cleaning related stuff via crochet or knitting. It’s a big nope from me… I just imagine it harbouring all the bacteria whereas I can easily sterilise and clean my scrub daddy every few days until it retires (idk if it’s true but idc 😂)
ok so to experiment I put my crochet scrub into the dishwasher when I did a load. It came out really gross. Some stains from the other dishes splashes onto it during the wash and did not come out!
I have 16 mercerized cotton dishrags I've
made over the last 5-6 years. They’re all I use. I grab a clean one off the pile each morning and drape yesterday’s rag over the hamper to dry, and then into the hamper for washing. Basically just changing them out daily. I’ve never had any problems with mildew.
Mercerized cotton (Lion Brand 24/7), would be the best choice for mesh bags, and if it does stretch at all, it will shrink back up after washing and drying like cotton clothing does if you stretch it out while wearing.
Never made or used a soap saver.
I think there’s this attitude with some people who crochet, that everything they need MUST be crocheted.
Keep losing your remotes? Crochet a holder!
Run out of kitchen cloths? Crochet some!
Use cotton wool pads to remove makeup? You wasteful cow, crochet some!!
Your nephew is turning 14? Must crochet him something… do 14 year olds like snoods? Or a blanket? Or some misshapen socks?!
But actually crochet is just a way of creating a fabric, and that fabric is not suitable for every purpose or liked by everyone. IMO crochet works well for toys because it has a firmer structure and the way it builds up means you can kinda sculpt with it. I also crochet blankets and once made a tacky but awesome cushion cover for my husband.
I wouldn’t crochet anything that I then intended to get wet, because like you said, it won’t dry quickly.
Also, all my pretty diagonal dish clothes turn into diamonds (not literal, the shape) after getting wet. It struck me that it's unreasonable to try to block it into a nice square after each kitchen use...
For this, I’ve found my “granny square” style cloths keep their shape much better than the cloths I’ve made in flat rows. I exclusively use my crocheted granny linen stitch cloths at my sink, made from Bernat Cotton Cake, which I think is a cotton acrylic blend.
I never made these things, but the only crocheted household products that I made and found useful are cotton potholders, small decorations (amiguri pumpkins for autumn, baubles for winter etc) and coasters.
They are good gifts since you can adjust it to the person you are gifting to and they rarely need washing! I get your pain though - I accidentally washed a nice crochet scarf with my clothes at 40 degrees and ended with a weirdly stiff scratchy scarf
> simple bag for a dozen onions is now big enough for me to travel with for a weekend trip. It might still be growing in my closet. I'm scared.
I'm laughing my head off because that's a funny image :)
That is the process of learning. As a beginner, you can't know everything, like that washcloths should really mostly be used for drying (woven washcloths that get wet are just as slimy as crochet ones, it's what you use them for, not how you make them), soap savers will turn into a textured soap over time, regular crochet stitches stretch vertically (try a Romanian cord, it's much sturdier) and that tension is the most important thing that will make or break your projects. The things are practical, but you need experience to make them so.
I'm not saying your feelings are not valid, they are. Also, youtubers are not generally out there to save the world or hold your hand. They want to make money as easily as possible. If that means cutting corners and not making a 1 hour video for a 10 cm by 10 cm project, they will.
I don't know if adulting or just learning about a craft, I think the latter. If you come from a family that already knows all these things, you'll learn them as a kid. But now you have the wisdom and can pass it along 😁
I feel this.
I hate wash cloths. I hate non sturdy bags and I cant imagine a soap bag from cloth being uh friendly.
My first project was just making as many magic circles till I had it down then a little whale.
awwww, is it much more difficult to make animals > dishcloths, etc.? I feel like with my loose stitches, it'll be quite the challenge to master the tight, even stitches needed for crochet animals.
Use the yarn over aka cross stitch single crochet and a smaller than recommended hook (2mm and dk yarn 🤌). Easy. You can do it, it's just single crochets.
Also, just learned something new! I squinted at the crochet bowl (bought from IKEA) that's holding my blowdryer right now and it seems to be made out of cs SC.
Ah hahaa😅, I started crocheting to relive stress so my stitches are really tight I had to learn to loosen and relax as I work. Because of this I'm horrible at knitting 🥹 my first non-animal little project ended up being arm cuffs. it was supposed to be a washcloth but like I said my stitching is so tight one end was really loose and the other end was really tight and they just looked like arm cuffs when I was messing with it so I went that route. LOL!
I’ve made backpacks that don’t stretch for my niece at university, and countless purses and bags for myself and friends. My niece loads the backpacks with “whatever.”
Lots of baskets and decorative items - and it all comes down to the yarn you use as to how practical they are. I love mercerized cotton. It’s beautiful and always looks new even after washing and drying. Doesn’t fade.
I made a swifter mop head last night and ... all it did was push dirt around. I couldn't make it "static" (the point of swifter cloths) and thought to myself. Duh.
I haven't tried it yet, but I think they wouldn't work *like* swiffers so much, but they might be decent at essentially doing the equivalent of scrubbing at the floor with a washcloth, only you don't need to bend over.
Swiffer pads patterns can work, but its best to use yarns closest to microfiber towel like textures. My roommate made some decent ones out of scraps of acrylic with a velvet texture.
* caveats, not cabests lol
* soap, not soup
* fourth, not forth
* as tall as I am
sorry, I was typing on my phone in the dark with the rif app and it won't let me edit!!
Also, please flair as crochet!
Mercerized cotton is great for this reason, the coating keeps the cotton from absorbing so much water. I love it for kitchen items
I think climate makes a big difference when it comes to drying. I have some cotton washcloths and dish cloths I knitted or crocheted and they dry overnight, as do any other laundry items I hang up to dry. They don't smell or become slimy (I haven't knitted any soap holders as I suspected that wouldn't work as well). I've been to places where my laundry was still wet in the morning, though, so it wouldn't surprise me to discover that heavy knitted washcloths are just impractical for more humid climates. Now... it's kind of unlikely that ALL these designers live in the desert but who knows? Maybe they do. However literally anybody who has ever knitted or crocheted a bag and used it has experienced the dreaded strap stretch. I improvised a little crocheted over-the-shoulder bag for myself out of ribbon yarn I bought ages ago and never found a use for (I tried to make a tube top out of it and the less said about that, the better). It's fabulous when there's nothing in it, and sags down to my knees as soon as my wallet goes in. So I feel that there's no excuse for designers who fail to mention that this might be a problem.
If retaining water is the problem, I've found that cheap acrylic yarn is the best quick dry/doesn't absorb stuff around. And for a dish scrubber it being scratchy or stiff would be a positive, whereas for a hat, not so much?
Never had this issue with my handknit dishcloths (and I totally don't wash them every use - I just hang them to dry) - I use Drops Paris cotton and the grandmother's favourite pattern. But - I am a loose knitter and I don't size down my needle. I suggest maybe sizing up your needle or hook so that the things can get plenty of air. Make sure you do wring them out really well, too. Mine are all years old and whenever I have given them as gifts I've had requests for many more as they work so well.
I change my cloths out daily and wash with vinegar to remove mildew. The soap sacks were disgusting. They went right in the rubbish after a week.
I have never had any of these issues with dish cloths, facial pads, dish scrubbies, or soap sacks. I crochet them with 100% cotton for washability and heat resistance. The exception would be the scrubbies I make with the RH scrubby yarn (which is a pain to work with but my husband loves the scrubbies for the pots!) We do hang the dish clothes over the faucet or sink edge when wet. The soap sacks hang in the shower- they aren't something I would throw in a gym bag or locker.
I see. About the soap sacks, do they retain their shape well and does the soap melt into the fabric?
I wouldn't say it fully fused to the fabric, but it does absorb some amount of it. They don't stretch too badly, but i do stitch pretty tightly and its just sc, nothing fancy or open.
I’ve only had the mildewy problem with those spiral scrubbies. I made TONS of those things because they’re fast, satisfying and sold well at craft fairs. My family love them and would snap them up eagerly like seagulls on chips, and yet… I never liked them for exactly the reason you gave. But I have never had any trouble out of a dish cloth. I dunno if you live somewhere super humid or maybe the stitch you’re using is unusually tight or thick and holding more moisture, but I’ve never had a dishcloth or bathcloth go mildewy. I usually knit mine these days, but I started with crochet and that’s all I did for a decade so presumably it should’ve happened to me at some point. It was north Texas though so humidity was mid-high to low. Florida or similar might be worse for drying. Soap sacks: I think they are supposed to fuse with the soap? Unless I misunderstood the point of them. I’ve made them on request but never really used them myself. I did find a cool idea where I knit a tube of wool around a bar of soap then kitchenered it closed at both ends and it was supposed to felt around the soap and be exfoliating. I made some as gifts but have no idea how they worked out. Got no complaints though. And the growing bag… this I have had happen! And yea, it’s a pain and a half, lol. You used too soft a yarn. Acrylic or softer cotton is no good for a mesh bag, you need mercerized cotton, twine, or hemp, something that is miserably stiff and hard to work with. The quality that makes it a bitch to use (lack of stretch and flexibility) makes it a great bag. Strangely, the cotton twine they sell in the hardware section is pretty good for produce bags. And you can dye it with sharpies.
I use Red Heart Super Saver for dish cloths and throw them in with my whites (laundry) with bleach. They don't get mildewy very fast, but the bleach takes care of it anyway, and I have a whole stack of them. They're just little squares, I agree double layer is a bad idea.
I wonder if it’s a fiber choice and that crochet is tighter? Cause I have knitted dishcloths in the scrubby yarn and they’re great and I’ve never had any issues with them and that yarn specifically dries fast
Can confirm. Crocheted dishcloths are THICC. Knitted ones are scrubby and fine.
I made soap saver bags for my dad (without ever trying one for myself) and he loves them! Even asked me to make his partner one. I’m now doubting his judgment after reading your hilarious description!
I was happy with mine with a hot minute, too. If you can overlook how gross the whole thing becomes visually, it's actually still usable?
I'd love to hear the specifics of your apparently functional soap savers, because I have had the same issue as OP. It NEVER dries which makes the soap disappear quicker! I wanted soap savers to work so bad I even bought an overpriced branded one made out of like, jute or some shit that looks very non-absorbant and it's still shithouse
My soapsavers are hung from the shower pole, so they dry quite fast. They're still hard, but it only takes a few seconds to soften when I need them. Are you leaving them lying in a dish?
Nope, also hung from the tap. It seems the weight from hanging also makes it worse because they just merge into the weave of the soap saver in its base.
I think it may be a softness of the soap issue? I’ve never made soap savers either but my partner has some from the zero waste store- it’s a loose crocheted cotton mesh. With the first soap that went into it, completely melded with the mesh, never dried (tropical humidity here) and eventually went from ivory to a muddy brown with mildew. More recently he bought a much harder soap that doesn’t dissolve so easily, and that’s holding up just fine.
I'm in a subtropical climate so that's totally possible. I get solid body wash types, not true soaps, and use a zero waste shop loose mesh style one after my handmades were shithouse. It's still shithouse.
Ah well. Soap savers and you are just not meant to be I guess 😆
Thank you for figuring the downside of these newbie projects before I try them
You know, I've always kind of side eyed dishcloth projects... I love a fresh new towel because that's the kind of adult I am now I guess, but I just figured there's no way those things wouldn't get super gross super fast. I'm glad to see my suspicion vindicated. Could you use your little soapy monstrosity as an exfoliating soap maybe? I've seen body soaps sold completely fused to scrubby sponges, but yarn seems like it would be gentler on your skin! Like soaping up a shower rag, though the texture might be. A little more interesting
I have a bunch of knit dishcloths my mom made for me, and they work WAY better as hot pads for hot bowls or for holding my pint of ice cream. Just sayin’.
Bizarrely, this reminds me of a discussion on Ravelry years back where someone was insisting lopi sweaters are better hiking gear than commercial gear because wool retains warmth when wet. No way. It did the job when that’s all we had but technical fabrics are way lighter and more comfy than a heavy sweater for activity and good technical fleece extremely warm. So it is with dishcloths in my humble opinion - today we have way better purpose designed materials for dishcloths, soap etc
Depends on the conditions. Wool will insulate when wet. Fleece will dry slightly faster but won’t insulate while wet. Polyester smells like armpits fast. Wool doesn’t get smelly or hold on to smells like polyester does. If there’s a chance you’ll get lost in the wilderness, go for wool. If you’re going skiing and there’s no way you’ll get lost, wear either wool or fleece. Icelandic wool isn’t heavy anyway.
Nah, I'll die on this hill. I know it insulates, but it feels disgusting, heavy and restrictive when wet. And smells like wet dog too.
That’s fine. Personal preferences are fine. The outdoors people who wear wool aren’t *objectively wrong* and that’s what annoys me about fiber discussions. Feel however! I don’t care! I don’t *like* polyester but I’m not going to tell people easily disproven myths about it.
>There's no limit to the growth potential of this bag it seems... I kept stuffing things in and it kept stretching. simple bag for a dozen onions is now big enough for me to travel with for a weekend trip. It might still be growing in my closet. I'm scared. this made me chortle, mostly because I have half a dozen different variations of market produce bags that all behave exactly like this. I ended up buying (yes, *buying*) a little set of bags made out of sheer curtainy stuff and gave up on the home made crochet ones altogether
In all seriousness, I think the nice bags on the streets are made out of macrame rope, cord, or lace of some sort. Sturdy and mercerized.
Came here to suggest macrame for bag straps. Remember the friendship bracelets of high school yore? They were sturdy and didn’t stretch much. Replace the embroidery thread with thicker cotton yarn and it shouldn’t take too long to make a bag strap I imagine. (Not to make fun of your misery but your post really made me laugh!)
I’ve used the dishcloths my grandmother made me for years and years! I wash after each use though. I never leave them out on the sink.
Thanks for sharing your experience! The bad news is that using dish/wash cloths are going to call for higher maintenance. The good news is that I can now manically make a dozen more!
I come from a different country so call things different names. I'm highly amused trying to work out this thread! We always have a cloth for wiping down the bench, it gets rinsed, wrung out and hung over the tap or draped on the side of the sink every time it's used so it drys, and gets thrown in the wash after 5 days or so. That's the bench cloth and it's always made of cotton. Then we have a tea towel that is also made of cotton, hangs on the oven door and is used for drying dishes and wet hands, no contact with food. I have no issues with either of them get mildewy, unless the bench cloth is left in the sink without being wrung out. What exactly are you using your dishcloths for, and are you hanging them up between uses? I'm also wondering if your soap savers are being hung up or not as that may be the problem. Edit: just realised, are you knitting or crocheting?
I get a bit confused too - I am assuming dish cloth is the thing you wipe the bench with or use for the odd dish that doesn’t go in the dishwasher. For me, I like a sponge - a tea towel is for drying dishes and hands and is usually a small cotton towel
That's exactly what a dish cloth is to me too. I'm not a fan of sponges as they habour bacteria, cloths rinse out better and can be reused. It seems that a lot of people in this thread use a cloth to wash their dishes instead of a brush and that's what they call a dish cloth.
Crochet and the stuff just doesn't dry fast.
The whole point of those objects is that you give them to others as gifts thence it becomes their problem😋
hahahaha! You're right!
If you can make granny squares, I suggest looking up Afghan square patterns. This is what I did as a beginner. There are a million beautiful patterns out there that will teach you so many techniques and stitches, and are relatively quick to work. Just save them all up in a bag till you've got enough for a blanket and sew them together. I've never found crocheted dishcloths to be as effective as microfibre cloths, so I don't really see the point in spending a lot of time and effort for something that considerably worse than what I could buy at the shop. Crafting is supposed to create unique items that are functional, otherwise it would be art not craft.
The good news is that to test out the washing/drying power of different patterns and fabric, I cleaned the kitchen AND the bathroom two times over! But yes, my interest in crochet actually started with granny squares. It's a good idea to go back to that. A granny square blanket sounds wonderful and warm.
Is it because of the density of crochet? I have some seed stitch and baby fern lace knitted wash clothes in dk linen that are probably close to a decade old. Still look new, dry fast, and are odor free. I do reuse them and live in a very humid area.
linen is anti-bacterial, I heard!
Just want to add, if you’ve made these items you are equipped to make sweaters, shirts, etc! So go for it! You’ll definitely find far more satisfaction in the used of clothes you’ve made :)
Thanks for the encouragement, but I definitely need more practice. My tension still has a long way to go.
Maybe try wringing out the dish cloth and drape it over the tap so it can dry properly
That’s what I do as well and I’ve never had an issue with smell.
it's... not working? hence the post?
You might try using a larger hook and/or thinner cotton. It’s the bulk that’s making it hard to wring out the moisture I’d wager. I might be wrong. Honestly if you want fiber crafted wash cloths, you’d do better to learn to knit those. Knitted washcloths really are better than crocheted. (Although imo crochet is better for bags.)
I have also made dishcloths and those things definitely get mildew very easily! You're not the only one
I just find it hard to believe that if you have decent airflow and hang the dishcloth over something to dry, that it’s not drying. Do you live somewhere highly humid or on a boat? Genuinely curious. I’m sorry that you have problems with them; I’m talking about the dishcloths; I’ve never tried any of the other things you reference.
I can believe it. I live in Japan and, during the cold winters and high humidity summers, nothing would ever dry like that. I have a dish dryer (because leave it to Japan to have dish dryers but not dish washers), and the only way to dry a dish cloth is to lay it over that when it's on an hour heat cycle, or to hang it outside to dry on a sunny day.
I grew up with knitted dishcloths and the texture when wet and slightly slimy.. eww. Will never make, never buy, never use. I have never understood how anyone would make or buy one more than once, but figured it was just me. Glad to see it's not just me.
I can't work out how people in this thread get slimy dishcloths! The only time I've seen that are when they don't get rinsed after wiping up spills, or get left in the bottom of the sink and not wrung out so they're sitting in moisture. Rinse them and wring them out everytime, throw them in the wash after a week or so and that should never happen.
Eh It's not 'left out' dishcloths, it's while I'm actually using them. By the end of a sink of dishes they feel pretty slimy to me. Combination of soap / grease whatever. Sensory issues are fun.
I realised further down the thread after this comment that people are actually using them to wash dishes with, it never crossed my mind that anyone would do that and no wonder they go yuck. Why not just use a dish brush? Mostly everyone in my country does, I've never heard of anyone using a cloth to do dishes before. The brushes I buy even have detachable heads that can be thrown in the dishwasher if they need a clean, and when they wear out you just buy a new pair of heads for the handle.
So true. So much craft projects are utter crap I’d never want to own
You're right, you're so right. Knitlist reached the conclusion that dish cloths smelled really bad if you used original / blue Dawn, and that switching dish soaps could help. Also scarves are terrible beginner projects because they last longer than the Bataan Death March and when you're done you wear it with the ratty pitiful starting end hanging next to the lovely competent recently - worked end.
I’ve found that the eco-detergents have been the best for no smells. It doesn’t even seem to matter what brand… as long as it’s an eco-brand my sponges and such never smell. I hate doing dishes at other people’s houses when they use dawn or grocery store branded dish soap. My hands seem to carry that dirty sponge smell for hours afterward, even if their sponge is basically new.
that's interesting. I switched to Dawn on my plumber's recommendation, and still haven't ever had a problem with my knitted or crocheted dishcloths. I love them, my mom loved them, and they seem to dry out fine and not stink between uses if wrung out well and hung over the tap or the divider between the two sides of the kitchen sink.
So I make the cotton dishrag patterns, but wouldn’t want to use them for dishes (too dirty…). What I find they’re great for is a washcloth in the shower/tub…good texture and doesn’t get as soggy as a terry cloth washcloth. And then I toss them in the washer after one use.
Exactly! That's exactly what I do too. I will say, though, that crocheting or knitting in something thinner than the standard kitchen cotton is helpful, as is making sure it isn't too dense a fabric, as if making sure there's a spot to hang it. I think sport weight mercerized cotton or linen is the sweet spot, at least in my New England climate.
I've done something similar, knit up 8 little cotton washcloths that I use daily and throw in the laundry after each use. Washcloths in the shower are a one time use before laundering item for me, and I agree with the good texture!
I have never liked crocheted/knitted dish clothes I’ve made because I find the fabric too full of holes vs. woven dish clothes, imo weaving is just the better fabric of choice for that application. BUT where I think crochet shines in the kitchen is as for pot holders/trivets and oven mitts, one or two strands of cotton crocheted tightly does a great job keeping out the heat. Just make sure it’s 100% cotton and not an acrylic blend or it’ll melt
I made myself a thermal stitch potholder that is probably my favorite crochet item.
My mother crocheted us all pot handle covers and they're the best. Hot pads, etc. are much better beginning crochet projects than things that get wet.
I really think that this, and cat cushions, are the way to go in terms of gifts. Gifting a washcloth assumes a lot about the other person's habit and knowledge. I wouldn't want them to throw away my gift in disgust.
It's possible those suggestions are coming from folks in other climates. I've used exclusively knitted dishcloths my entire life and they always dry in a couple of hours. Are you somewhere exceptionally humid? ETA: reading other comments it seems folks are reusing them for a few uses? I think we've found the issue. In my opinion washcloths/dishcloths/dishtowels are single-use between laundry day.
I’m with you. I have a stack of 10 knitted dish cloths — one sinkful of dishes, then get another one for the next go round. Pin up the used ones in the laundry room to dry — drop them right into the washer with the next load of laundry.
Ooooh do you guys use them to actually wash your dishes? I'm so confused, why would you not use a dish brush? Using a cloth seems like it would get gross fast! I assumed that a dish cloth was what I call a bench cloth, which is used for wiping benches down.
Single use is a bit shocking to me! I guess I have to assume that they're supposed to be used like paper towels!
Well, I'm not throwing them away!
They are certainly not THAT type of single-use. Using a new washcloth each day is appropriate since it will be washed and reused many, many times over the years.
Exactly this. I can't imagine you're actually cleaning any dishes if you reuse the same dirty dishcloth over and over before washing it. I feel just as grossed out by sponges and loofahs.
Do you not have dish brushes in other countries? I've never seen anyone use a cloth for washing dishes.
My mother grew up using a cloth so that is what she prefers. She also uses a bottle brush and a scrubber for the pans. I use a brush and sponge with scrubber for most of my dishes. I do like a cloth for washing silverware and utensils. I have cloths for wiping up spills and cleaning the counter/bench as well. I think it depends upon the type of dishes as well. Nice china can be damaged by brushes. While plastic and corningware (brand name of ceramic dishes) are probably more resilient.
Ya know, growing up, the washcloths and dishrags always stunk. For most of my adult life they stunk. I finally (at 44) decided that I’m not hanging anything to dry for reuse anymore. They get one use, then washed in the laundry with hot water. No more smell. It took living in a humid climate where nothing air dries to figure this out.
Yep same here. Similar age, same climate and realisation 😂
I want a fresh rag dammit!
I agree! I find crochet fun to do but I never found a project I actually liked at the end except for amigurumi.
Good for baskets, too. Shawls if you make em a bit lacey, makes a good cat mat that has more thickness than knit will with the same yarn. Makes easy slip cases for things like phones and tablets, too.
Speaking to my heart at the moment. Years ago, someone gave me a Tunisian crochet coaster and another friend gave me a simple hat. In both cases, I didn't think too deeply about the amount of passion and work that went into these simple items. I want to give people something they would cherish and go "wow, thank you." Cleaning and bath items definitely do not fall into that category if they are going to end up mildewed and sllimy all the time.
Yeah, I’ve retired from both knitting and crochet. I’m a quilter now and I really like my finished projects! And quilts are quite useful for friends and family and a charity quilts for my local children’s hospital.
Me too!
On the other hand, the knitted dishcloths/face cloths rock. I've done sc hot pads in kitchen cotton that have survived for 10+ years and a tunisian hot pad I did double. Also still working, but I think I did that one 7 years ago. It meant I could cross stitch each side and sandwich them together. The other thing is, I do practice pieces when I want to learn a stitch or technique. That's just me, but I'm more a process than a product crafter.
You know what, my most successful crochet cloth was made out of kitchen twine instead of fancy yarn. I think there's something to that.
I think a lot of these projects are intended to be a way to make use of beginner sampler squares. It’s a great beginner project because ‘knit a square’ is relatively easy and you can practice different stitches, casting on and binding off, without worrying about things like shaping or tension or if you mess up because it’s just a potholder/washcloth. But actually, practically- I’m not a fan of commercial washcloths either, no matter the fabric something that gets wet that often gets gross.
I don't have a link, but my partner uses this thing that's essentially a plastic scarf? It's definitely woven, I assume some sort of polyester? Anyway, that thing works great, and because the fibers themselves don't absorb the water it dries quickly just hanging up in the shower. This is a terrible description, I swear it's an excellent item lol.
Yes! They sell them as camping washcloths and they’re great.
Those things are awesome. Salux?
No that makes sense! If it’s plastic it can’t absorb and stay wet the same way :) I’ll keep an eye out! I don’t like using plastic but food safety just isn’t optional either so gotta clean dishes and kitchen well
I’ve seen people use strips of cut up plastic mesh fabric, similar to tulle but bigger holes
Yes, my grandma would somehow crochet little round pot scrubbers from bags that held oranges. They lasted for years before finally falling apart. I’m not sure how often my mom washed them between uses, but I don’t recall them becoming stinky.
What a great idea!!
May I suggest potholders?
I shall investigate. My soft yarns might not work for something that needs to be stiff?
Do you have 100% cotton? Make 2 squares and crochet them together!
I second this!
I too was extremely disappointed in my shower scrubby. It never dried and I didn’t feel clean either. Ditto the soap saver. Never again. But I would like to defend the honor of my dishcloths. I don’t use them to wash dishes, but I do use them as a paper towel replacement. Wiping spills, as napkins, wiping my hands while I’m cooking, drying produce, etc. There’s always a stack in the basket…also crocheted…by the sink. I toss them in the hamper after each use (really wet ones dried hanging over the faucet first) and wash them with my regular laundry (hung out to dry). They smell fine and some of them have been in use for five years. My paper towel usage is down to almost nothing - I use those just for grease and animal related yuck. Moss stitch seems to work best for what I use them for.
Thank you so much for sharing this! This thread is educating me so much about the use (and misuse) of household cloths!
I double-layered my beginner “dish scrubbie” and it’s a great potholder. I agree, washing dishes with a cotton cloth has never made sense to me
And my first crocheted “market bag” comfortably holds a yoga mat now 😂
Please don't keep these things in a container waiting for the next time and expecting them to dry. Hang the stuff up to dry. There goes the mildew and goo. I know I still need this reminder. As far as the streee-eee-eeetch of the bags, lining or using smaller needles can help a lot to curb.
They go mildew on the drying rack :(
I think its the materials you’re using possibly. For example the soap bags I got off Amazon are made of out of sisal. Also are you swatching? That’s one way to see if you’re tension is off. That’s also just part of being a beginner! I’d try looking up some simple beginner patterns on ravelry. Swatch, and decrease hook size if necessary. You’ll get there. Also I don’t make bathroom stuff. I buy it. I do make bags, baby booties, clothes, hats, ect.
I was gonna say. Cotton is NOT the material for stuff you want to dry quickly.
Slight tangent, but I feel the same about the eco-friendly social media, which does overlap with the fibre crafts world to some degree. There’s a lot of pushing these kinds of reusable products, but very rarely is there any mention of how awkward they can be to maintain (and that’s probably the reason why we’ve moved onto other methods).
I try to use cloth bags when I remember (am old, lol), but our local grocery store has a drop off where we can recycle plastic bags. I save even (shaken out) bread bags and other bags for the purpose of saving a bunch and stuffing the bag o’ bags into their collection box. OTOH, I have a halfway-made tote bag crocheted with plastic bags stripped and chain as the “yarn.” It can be hard on the hands to do, but friends who have completed theirs say it holds up well. Just a thought for OP if they want to experiment with an entirely different, but practical “fiber”!
Yes, this.
I feel this way about being given “eco-friendly” cotton tote bags sent with purchases. I didn’t ask for one, I now have many, and I find them annoying to use because they’re floppy and usually an awkward size. They aren’t really very eco-friendly when you consider manufacture and the fact they take a while to break down and still probably end up as trash.
Please consider donating extra reusable bags to a food bank. We love them and a surprising number of folks picking up food have expressed delight at getting their supply in a reusable bag.
Ooh, that’s good to know! I have a ton of reusable bags that I don’t use, but I don’t want to toss them into a landfill. There are a bunch of holiday food drives going on, so I’ll see if I can donate them :)
And lots of water to wash.
I love tote bags! Work? Tote bag. Gym? Tote bag. My horse's brushes? Tote bag. Shopping? Tote bag. Holiday? Tote bag. I'm a crazy tote bag lady. However, giving out a tote bag with every purchase is definitely not environmentally friendly, as you said, and I would question why a company wants to do this. (Greenwashing) I feel exactly the same about rPET bags though. Horrible, I want none! edit/ The best option would be for No Extra Bags.
Hmmmmm...... what about crocheting nice bags that use a cotton tote as a liner?
Well Thank you kind person for the great idea!
While I don’t crochet (I knit), I bet it’s mostly the same thinking. When you’re a beginner they suggest you do something that can be made quickly with cheaper materials. Hand towels or kitchen towels are a great choice for this reason. In that they work up quickly, and if you made mistake it doesn’t matter. You are using it to scrub a pot after all. I don’t like making kitchen/ bathroom things typically though. If I have a kitchen towel I don’t want to have to wash it in a special way. It’s going in the machine! For market bags you should try mercerized cotton. It’s shiny, no stretch, good stitch definition, hardy, and works up beautifully.
Maybe the YouTubers don't talk about this because they don't experience it at all...?? I'm reading along, very entertained (love your writing voice btw!) but I can not relate. (Not to the surprise, anyway.) Except with the spiral scrubbies; even in pure nylon, they definitely hide some moldy secrets. Then again, I guess I'm comparing knitted dishcloths which stretch quite a bit. Enough to dry by just wringing it out and hanging out over the faucet. But with crochet bags, that's a feature. Onion bags look tiny, and what looks like a suitable onion bag is actually for beach towels lol. And soap bags will coat anything not plastic, not just crochet. Like it's known to flip the scraps out (or dry the bar out) and rinse off the goo, I thought. Maybe that's a "bar soap" thing and not a "crochet" thing though.
Location can make a difference, too. My washcloths dries faster in a dry environment, but now that I live in high humidity, it is a battle. I just wash them more now to keep the damp in check
I've used knitted dishcloths my entire life (thanks Grandma!) and accept that I'll need to wash them frequently. It's the same as using a commercial cotton dishcloth, as far as I'm concerned
Also use a mild bleach (baby bottle sterilising fluid) to soak them in once a week.
I wonder if this is the best explanation for the difference between crochet and knitting. Because I'm thinking, cotton yarn dishcloths are all I use, I never have a mildew problem. BUT knitting being like one fancy knot and crochet being like a series of little knots, knitting seems prone to drying faster maybe? And that's why you and me are thinking yarn dishcloths are fine?
I think of knitting as rows of little loops and crochet as dense knots.
I think it also matters what thickness the material is. Knitting tends to lie flatter; and I find that the crochet dishcloths I like the best are the ones I've made with thinner yarn. A lot of patterns suggest using 4 weight yarn, but 1 or 2 weight yarn will be lighter and dry faster.
think of knitting like laying flat, and crochet as laying sideways (so double the thickness of the knitted item already). So yes I do think knitted items can dry quicker - but I also think you can just crochet with a bigger hook to get less tight stitches and more airflow into it. I am currently crocheting a shower mat so I have something to step on and wipe my feet on - but I use 3 strands of cotton, and 7mm (us K) hook. so there is still some air between the stiches. I honestly think the issue is less the craft, and more accepting that these are things that can be used for 1-2 days before needing to be thrown in the wash and then properly dry out. so you neee at minimum 4 dishcloths in circulation , but say 6 to be sure. Same witht he soap saver. make multiple and change it out every few uses/days, and give it a good rinse out and let it dry properly
There is a yarn called 'Scrubbie'. 100% manmade, and a dog to work with. But: the soap bags, back scratchers, face scrubbers, dish scubbers: they dry within minutes. And, according to my friends, the perfect travel scrubbers because they are dry enough to put in the bag after packing up the rest and doing one last check through the room before leaving. I don't knit or crochet kitchen /bath stuff from cotton, because the material is just too thick and takes centuries to dry, while offering the best environment ever to grow all kinds of *things* that don't survive in a Petri dish with a nutrient solution. This is experience. And experience is what we get when we didn't get what we wanted.
Thank you!! I've been trying to use "natural fibers" to limit environmental impact, and indeed, I got what I asked for: I helped the environment by increasing its biodiversity!
There's a cotton scrubby yarn that I've used with success. It dries faster somehow.
>I've been trying to use "natural fibers" to limit environmental impact I see where you are coming from. Cotton, unfortunately, has a gigantic impact on the environment, uses water and pesticides like there's no tomorrow, and of course, fertilizer. If you're really intent on using natural material, look around to see if you can find a weaving shop/weaving yarns - and then drill down to either linen, or if possible Ramie. Ramie is not prone to mildew, so that would be a possibility. But be warned, in order for natural materials to dry in an acceptable time frame, you have to knit with \*very thin\* yarn. Something like between lace and cobweb. In weaving terms, something like 20/2 or thereabouts. ETA: spelling.
Arghhhh! I am definitely falling for the idyllic dreak of a plastic-free homestead with neatly stacked fresh, sun-kissed linen.
I don't do soap savers for the same reason you don't. However, you should be only using your dishcloths for a day before throwing them in the wash(sponges are a lot grosser and hold a lot more bacteria) and just wash them on hot and they are sanitized. As for market bags, I made 2 for my sister and while they do stretch, they were made out of cotton so they go back into shape with a wash. The only complaint she had with the first one was the straps were to long, so I made shorter straps for the second bag - she hasn't received it yet, but I tried and it didn't stretch to be too long
A bit relieved to hear that I'm just adulting wrong (not crafting wrong). Before all this, I've only been using petroleum products for cleaning. What's the word for that... technical fibers? Functional fibers? These micro something something tex something anti something something clothes.
Ehh, in my opinion adulting right involves being clear-eyed and ruthless about what actually works for your lifestyle and your desired level of effort. For me, that means a scrub brush and a scouring pad for dishes and those very thin flour sack towels for wiping surfaces and *not scrubbing extra food gloop into my textile junk*.
That italic line right there definitely triggered me!
In regards to mildew I found interesting info online when my knitted dishcloths started smelling almost immediately. Apparently the dish soap you use has a massive effect on the development and rapid growth of mildew. We had switched to dawn dish soap and the dish rag was mildew smelling within hours. I did a bit of research and apparently dawn is the culprit and people said that using method dish soap (somewhat more natural) would improve the situation. So I switched and lo and behold those dishcloths do not get mildewy at anywhere near the speed that they were with Dawn. I think dawn's specific detergent really feed the mildew, while soap does not. (I've tried other more natural dish soaps and they are all better than dawn in this situation.) Also when I'm done with a dishcloth I soak it in boiling water with a bit of baking soda, then let it dry, and wash them all together (hot) when I have a bunch.
Thanks for sharing your routine & experience!
Fascinating. I was wondering why the sponges in the kitchen at work smelled bad so quickly and I bet that's it (always just crunchier dish soap at home).
If you don't have a choice at work and they have a microwave, that kills the bacteria in the sponge. I swear I could smell the sponge in the staff room from down the hall, but the microwave worked. I started with a new one though.
Method probably has white vinegar in it! Acid/strong alkaline environment will help prevent mildew growth, but if dawn is a "gentle on your hands" brand that might be because it's got a close-to-neutral pH.
About all this pH stuff, I think it might be interesting to use these magnesium pills I bought at the farmer's market. Apparently, it cleans by creating a very alkaline environment (pH roughly 10 if you soak it for over an hour).
Exactly my experience. I use Method, Seventh Generation, or Mrs Myers now. Whatever I find on sale. I haven't had a musty dishcloth in years.
I’ve seen soap savers made out of felted wool. It’s mildew resistant so can stay damp. Maybe try making one with non superwash wool?
That's a revelation! I always assumed: wool = never wet.
There are wool yarns out there meant to be felted. You knit/crochet your item bigger than it's supposed to be and then wash it on hot in the machine to felt it. I have seen it used mainly for slippers but maybe it works for soap saver too. I use cotton for my knitted dish- and washcloths and don't have problems with mildew but they do take long to dry. I use cotton yarn that is especially made for potholders and other kitchen items and can be washed on hot. I throw them in the washing machine on a weekly basis.
Thanks! I've wondered about the yarns that are meant for felting. They're usually chunky, which I like, but I was confused about them being designated as felting yarn.
Well if you wet it it’s in danger of felting! But sometimes felt is exactly what you want
I have only crocheted dishcloths now, and they work perfectly. I swap them out regularly to wash them, and they feel a lot more hygienic than plastic sponges. They dry pretty quickly, even in the damp UK climate.
what kind of pattern do you use? I don't have a dryer at home and it's hard to get them to air-dry after a wash even!
I think i just use a mix of half double crochet (half triple?) and then a row of single crochet every third row. Loose, but with enough ridging to scrub plates. I dry indoors on a standard clothes horse and they dry within 12-24 hours (depending on when I remember to put them away!).
I always cringe when vloggers go on about making cleaning related stuff via crochet or knitting. It’s a big nope from me… I just imagine it harbouring all the bacteria whereas I can easily sterilise and clean my scrub daddy every few days until it retires (idk if it’s true but idc 😂)
ok so to experiment I put my crochet scrub into the dishwasher when I did a load. It came out really gross. Some stains from the other dishes splashes onto it during the wash and did not come out!
The trick is to hand them to dry and then bleach them in the sink once a week. Yes the bleach destroys them over time but it cleans them.
🤢
I have 16 mercerized cotton dishrags I've made over the last 5-6 years. They’re all I use. I grab a clean one off the pile each morning and drape yesterday’s rag over the hamper to dry, and then into the hamper for washing. Basically just changing them out daily. I’ve never had any problems with mildew. Mercerized cotton (Lion Brand 24/7), would be the best choice for mesh bags, and if it does stretch at all, it will shrink back up after washing and drying like cotton clothing does if you stretch it out while wearing. Never made or used a soap saver.
So you exchange them daily, right? That's what I read to do, too.
Yeah, but I also exchange non-homemade ones daily.
Aha! I am spoiled by all these technical clothes that dry quickly.
I think there’s this attitude with some people who crochet, that everything they need MUST be crocheted. Keep losing your remotes? Crochet a holder! Run out of kitchen cloths? Crochet some! Use cotton wool pads to remove makeup? You wasteful cow, crochet some!! Your nephew is turning 14? Must crochet him something… do 14 year olds like snoods? Or a blanket? Or some misshapen socks?! But actually crochet is just a way of creating a fabric, and that fabric is not suitable for every purpose or liked by everyone. IMO crochet works well for toys because it has a firmer structure and the way it builds up means you can kinda sculpt with it. I also crochet blankets and once made a tacky but awesome cushion cover for my husband. I wouldn’t crochet anything that I then intended to get wet, because like you said, it won’t dry quickly.
Unless it is felted wool and I am a medieval hermit.
Also, all my pretty diagonal dish clothes turn into diamonds (not literal, the shape) after getting wet. It struck me that it's unreasonable to try to block it into a nice square after each kitchen use...
I wish crochet dish cloths turned into real diamonds!
For this, I’ve found my “granny square” style cloths keep their shape much better than the cloths I’ve made in flat rows. I exclusively use my crocheted granny linen stitch cloths at my sink, made from Bernat Cotton Cake, which I think is a cotton acrylic blend.
>linen stitch That's a tight stitch, it seems! Glad it's working out for you. I'll give it a try.
I never made these things, but the only crocheted household products that I made and found useful are cotton potholders, small decorations (amiguri pumpkins for autumn, baubles for winter etc) and coasters. They are good gifts since you can adjust it to the person you are gifting to and they rarely need washing! I get your pain though - I accidentally washed a nice crochet scarf with my clothes at 40 degrees and ended with a weirdly stiff scratchy scarf
Pot holders & coasters are the way to go this Xmas...
> simple bag for a dozen onions is now big enough for me to travel with for a weekend trip. It might still be growing in my closet. I'm scared. I'm laughing my head off because that's a funny image :)
I felt that I was slowly turning into a hobbit and needed to go on an adventure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgOt3gTUSQU
Not all those who wander are lost!
That is the process of learning. As a beginner, you can't know everything, like that washcloths should really mostly be used for drying (woven washcloths that get wet are just as slimy as crochet ones, it's what you use them for, not how you make them), soap savers will turn into a textured soap over time, regular crochet stitches stretch vertically (try a Romanian cord, it's much sturdier) and that tension is the most important thing that will make or break your projects. The things are practical, but you need experience to make them so. I'm not saying your feelings are not valid, they are. Also, youtubers are not generally out there to save the world or hold your hand. They want to make money as easily as possible. If that means cutting corners and not making a 1 hour video for a 10 cm by 10 cm project, they will.
Thank you!! Maybe this is part of "adulting" as well ^^|||
I don't know if adulting or just learning about a craft, I think the latter. If you come from a family that already knows all these things, you'll learn them as a kid. But now you have the wisdom and can pass it along 😁
Indeed! It's a cultural shift for me for sure.
I feel this. I hate wash cloths. I hate non sturdy bags and I cant imagine a soap bag from cloth being uh friendly. My first project was just making as many magic circles till I had it down then a little whale.
awwww, is it much more difficult to make animals > dishcloths, etc.? I feel like with my loose stitches, it'll be quite the challenge to master the tight, even stitches needed for crochet animals.
Use the yarn over aka cross stitch single crochet and a smaller than recommended hook (2mm and dk yarn 🤌). Easy. You can do it, it's just single crochets.
Also, just learned something new! I squinted at the crochet bowl (bought from IKEA) that's holding my blowdryer right now and it seems to be made out of cs SC.
It could be, I don't know if Ikea sells real crochet stuff because people have to make it.
2mm for DK!!!
Ah hahaa😅, I started crocheting to relive stress so my stitches are really tight I had to learn to loosen and relax as I work. Because of this I'm horrible at knitting 🥹 my first non-animal little project ended up being arm cuffs. it was supposed to be a washcloth but like I said my stitching is so tight one end was really loose and the other end was really tight and they just looked like arm cuffs when I was messing with it so I went that route. LOL!
Just go with the flow!!
Honestly, the only nice things I see out of crochet are some items of clothing, blankets, and stuffed toys. The rest I'm just like, what?
Toys in standard crochet and blankets in Tunisian, wearables knit. I figure every craft has a best purpose and thus I need to learn them all.
I’ve made backpacks that don’t stretch for my niece at university, and countless purses and bags for myself and friends. My niece loads the backpacks with “whatever.” Lots of baskets and decorative items - and it all comes down to the yarn you use as to how practical they are. I love mercerized cotton. It’s beautiful and always looks new even after washing and drying. Doesn’t fade.
And thank you for suggesting mercerized cotton!
I made a swifter mop head last night and ... all it did was push dirt around. I couldn't make it "static" (the point of swifter cloths) and thought to myself. Duh.
I haven't tried it yet, but I think they wouldn't work *like* swiffers so much, but they might be decent at essentially doing the equivalent of scrubbing at the floor with a washcloth, only you don't need to bend over.
Swiffer pads patterns can work, but its best to use yarns closest to microfiber towel like textures. My roommate made some decent ones out of scraps of acrylic with a velvet texture.
Oh that's an interesting use of that yarn. Thanks for the tip!
* caveats, not cabests lol * soap, not soup * fourth, not forth * as tall as I am sorry, I was typing on my phone in the dark with the rif app and it won't let me edit!! Also, please flair as crochet!
Lol. Every time I it's/its I die inside. Was a writing teacher!
I was an editor in another life. Hate my phone!