What do you wipe your counters with?

Question

One kitchen problem that I have never really solved is "wipes". I currently use J Cloths but i find that wasteful - so I end up using them past the best before date and have a tiny quasi-rag that barely does anything. The benefit is that they do not go mildew.

The synthetic sponge seems to do a lousy job of wiping - just when you need it most you push on it and oozes water onto your or table.

Bottled sprays and paper towels are a non starter for me - you still need to wipe down surfaces with some of rag/towel.

Dishrags seem to go mildew very fast unless strategically hung over the sink - a process that interferes with the sink's constant use and cannot be reliably implemented by all family members.

Some people talk about boiling and bleaching these things daily etc etc. that is just not going to happen in my world.

What is the best, most practical solution? Some type of kitchen rag - that gets thrown in the laundry at day's end? What brand? Does that work?

What do you do?

Answer

Paper towels for me. If the counters need to be disinfected I will use some 409 spray. I will frequently just spray with a little of the water I keep in my baking mister and wipe down.

Curious why you think the counters still need to be wiped with a rag after the paper towel. I've never noted a problem.

Answer

A small short pile terrycloth towel, folded as necessary, dampened (not soaked) with white vinegar. Works like a charm and, at day's end, goes into the laundry.

Answer

I zap my sponges and dish cloths in the microwave.

Answer

Straight bleach is what I use to disinfect in my kitchen & bath; sometimes I use a dishcloth, sometimes a papertowel. Cloth goes in the washer.

Answer

I don't know what a jcloth is. I use 3m scotch sponges. I can throw them n the dishwasher or I can nuke them in the microwave. In fact the best way I have found to clean a microwave is putting a damp sponge in and nuking it for 2 minutes and then leaving there for another 2 minutes then wips out the microwave with the sponge. The guck in the microwave has been softened by the steam that was generated nuking the sponge.

I use paper towels and flour sack kitchen towels, too.

Answer

I use biodegradable J-cloths (noticed them on the market about 9 months ago or so), so I feel less guilty about the fact that they're disposable. And I use a home-made, natural, all purpose cleaner that has tea tree oil in it (to disinfect).

Answer

I just use the softish cloth I use for dishes, and squeeze out the water. I'll rinse it between counters, after a particularly messy or crumby spot, etc. I wash them with towels and such.

For spots I'm actually somewhat concerned about, like raw chicken mess, I'll use something disposable like a disinfectant wipe or a spray and some paper towel.

Answer

Paper towels and either Simple Green, Caldrea, or Mrs Meyers cleaners. Sometimes a dish towel.

Answer

I will wash with sponge and soapy water and then dry with a paper towel.

Answer

Costco sells big bundles of yellow microfiber cloths--they might be with the automotive or hardware. These are fantastic for all cleaning tasks. I use them in place of paper towels for just about everything, as dustcloths and counter wipers. They work equally well wet or dry, and are are big enough that they can get cut in half so a bundle is an Armys' worth. They are indestructible and wash perfectly.

Answer

Hint: It doesn't really matter unless you have someone who is immuno-compromised in the house.

Answer

I just use the cloth I use to wash the dishes. Counters get wiped before any dishes. I use a natural dish soap to which I add a bit of tea tree oil for disinfectant purposes. I have a couple of hOols on the door beneath the sink and put the wet cloth there. That way they dry but are not in the way. Works for us. 
I never use chlorine bleach and don't keep it in the house.

Answer

The microfiber cloths are definitely the best. Leaves no streaking and wash well. Buy them at Costco. They are good for just about anything.

Answer

Usually a soapy (synthetic) sponge.
When that isn't enough, isopropyl alcohol with the sponge or with a paper towel.

When the sponge itself needs a cleaning, it gets sprayed down with a diluted bleach solution.

Answer

I nuke my sponges and throw them out every week or two. When the counter really needs to be disinfected (after raw meat juice spills on it), I use Lysol wipes. Otherwise, a quick spray with white vinegar and then a wipe down with a clean paper towel are fine.

Answer

Soapy sponge and dry with a cotton towel (which goes in the laundry at the end of the day). If I'm dealing with chicken or pork I use diluted bleach water.

Answer

I've been showing my house for what seems like forever. I've found that the pop up disinfectant wipes are perfect for a last wipe down. But I also use them for general clean up on the day we show. Mr. Sueatmo uses paper towels, and I doubt he will ever forgo using them. But if I ever get to the point when I don't have to clean up for possible buyers I think I'd like to try microfiber towels. 

I had some old dishcloths that we used before this.

I should be finished cleaning up for strangers now. We have a contract, and we've had inspection. This has been an interesting and l-o-n-g process.

Answer

I'm like the family in the Big Fat Greek Wedding. I keep a spray bottle of Windex next to my (glass top) stove aind use it to clean up everything in the kitchen from that cooktop to counters to big and small appliances -- even an occasional hairball. Depending on the chore I'll either use a dish towel or a paper towel.

Answer

Charmin. It's dual-purpose.

Answer

I use hot/wet bar clothes and a soap form Germany that cleans/ polishes the counters that are tumbled marble. I don't use paper towels or sponges.

Answer

I have many dozens of cotton squares from dh's old T-shirts under the sink. I use those (like paper toweling) and vinegar to clean all surfaces in the kitchen. They just get tossed into the wash. Meat juices are cleaned up with disposable paper toweling.

Answer

I use a sponge for general cleanup and nuke it or throw it in the dishwasher every day. For extra cleanup after cutting up meat, chicken, etc., I sprinkle Comet on the counter (formica) and scrub and rinse it well with a clean rag.

Answer

Dishrag, the same one I used to wash the dishes (as long as it isn't "messy").

Answer

I have a stack white bar towels, enough that I have 5 or 7 clean ones on hand every day. These are used to drying hands and general table and counter clean up. I spray the counters down with a white vinegar solution in a spray bottle. I buy them at the big box store and when they get ratty enough, they move to dusting duty. I need to do laundry frequently enough that they never sit in the hamper more than two days.

Answer

That's good input thanks. I will try the microfibre towels (costco) and a vinegar solution in a spray bottle. For what its worth I never intended to disinfect - garden variety 'clean" is fine for me.

Answer

I use either a 1:1 vinegar-water solution, or Clorox wipes if I've spilled something.

Answer

Any spray cleanser I have at hand (409, Windex, etc.) and a paper towel. Never gave it much thought. Should I?

Answer

Depends what I am cleaning up. If I have meat juices on the counter I will use my soapy sponge to clean up the initial mess and then go over it with a few quick sprays of vinegar and a paper towel. For general messes (i.e. fairly "safe" ones), I use my J-Cloth and a few shots of vinegar. We have dark granite counter tops, so I find that the vinegar does the best job of cutting grease and leaves my counters nice and shiny.

We have a rule in my kitchen: when a tea towel is too wet to dry any more dishes, it goes straight to the laundry basket. I have a basket of tea towels in the kitchen so there are always clean ones available. My tea towels get washed weekly with a cup of baking soda and whatever laundry detergent I'm currently using.

I throw my dish sponge and holder in the dishwasher whenever there is space to disinfect everything.

I try and wash my J-Cloth every few weeks in the washing machine with the tea towels. If it's really rank but still good (i.e. free of holes), I throw it in the dishwasher. Once it gets a few holes, it gets a proper wash and stored under the sink for other messy jobs such as cleaning up dog vomit or wiping salty shoes in the winter.

Reading this over, I sound very anal. I thank my dad who disinfected and shined up the kitchen sink every night!

Answer

I use a bar mop with very hot water or sometimes white vinegar. If it's a big cleaning job I may use paper towels and Simple Green spray.

I wash the dirty bar mops frequently using hot water, detergent and oxy-clearn.

Topics

Locations

Your post has been published!

What do you wipe your counters with?

More from Chowhound

Guides

The Best of Pumpkins: Why They're the Ultimate Fall Fruit

Recipe Round-Ups

13 Essential Apple Recipes for Fall

Recipe Round-Ups

9 Fall Salads That Put a Fresh Spin on Autumn Produce

How To

This 20-Minute Sheet Pan Dinner Is the Ideal Fall Weeknight Feast

Trending Discussions

2-Gallon Airtight Glass Canisters?

COTM October 2021 - The Book of Greens, Cookbook of the Month Announcement

October Dish of the Month (DOTM) - Nominating thread

What are you baking these days? September 2021 Edition

FATTOUSH - Home Cooking DOTM, September 2021

Quick Links

Latest Discussions

Cookbook of the Month

Dish of the Month

Weekly Menu Planning

Get fresh food news delivered to your inbox

11 Fall Slaw Recipes That Showcase Autumn Produce

Chowhound

Policies

Community

Editorial

Content