You know, I must admit, I’ve never come across knitted washcloths in Australia and really wasn’t aware of them until I came here. Can people tell me why you like them and how you deal with the typical ‘smelly washcloth’ issue? I use commercial ones now like sponges with a no scratch scourer on the back because I kept finding the thin cloths inevitably became smelly.
What is the best type of yarn to use?
Eeeeeeeeeee I hate smelly washcloths!
I love my knitted dish clothes, they scrub nice and they don’t wear out as fast as store bought ones.
When I am done using mine I give it a quick hand wash with some dish soap and hang them on the hooks on the back of the cupboard door , under my sink. As long as they are hung to dry, they don’t gather that ewww smell from being left balled up in the sink.
Me also DQ
Emeraldcutie…do you use mainly a nylon based yarn?
blech. nylon yarn in a washcloth= naaaaaaaaaaaasty! horrible feeling on your hands! i prefer all cotton. that way, i can bleach them.
I use cotton, but I’ve heard that acrylic gives a better scratching quality, for stuck on food.
LoAnnie
I prefer using something disposable when I wash dishes.
I have been making cotton dishclothes though.
I was trying to knit a sweater with a cotton blend yarn that was giving me fits! :!!!:
I started making dishclothes in 100% cotton, trying out some of the stitch patterns from the sweater, hoping that the sweater yarn will seem easier after this.
I will give the dishclothes to my mother when I am done, because she quite likes them.
[color=indigo]I’ve used 100% cotton. Once a week I soak my dishcloth and sponge in a mild bleach solution to kill all the bacteria and destroy food particles. It’s the food particles breaking down that cause the odor. Yes, eventually, the color does fade out, but as my daughter says, “It’s a dishrag!” 
With that said, I’ve heard lots of good comments about Lion Brand microspun for dishcloths, and believe it or not, socks, too. One would think 100% acrylic would not be the answer yet those that have made both swear by it. :shrug: [/color]
Jill A. Why the problem knitting with the cotton…cos it takes forever? Or you hated the feeling? 
I don’t actually use them to wash dishes. I wipe counters with them. Also, I make small washcloths (swatches) for the bath to try out new stitch patterns. If you include a loop and hang them up to dry, they don’t get smelly. We do wash them in the washer every now and then, though.
I use 100% cotton and have not kept one dishrag lol… the friends and family I gave them to always comment on how much they love them…they say they clean better and more durable… Martha asked me to teach her to knit this summer so she could make her some more… I should make one for myself and use it but I just throw them in my gift box…I just stick to the Grandmother’s dish rag pattern that way I can work on them where ever without a pattern or concern of messing up… :happydance:
dakatzmeow/Yarnlady. I have to admit I’d want to bleach too…if I used them. I can’t imagine it tho - BUT I would consider making dusters or wash cloths for the shower. Oddly I feel better about that. Tho I’d give a dishcloth a try.
Loannie. Yes, that ability to scratch off is useful. I think also this depends on your sink situation. If you have a ‘soaker’ sink (two sinks) that helps a lot. I remember visiting my son when he was living in this swank apartment with others for a while and it had the most ditzy tiny sink with no draining board area so water used to go everywhere. I think you were supposed to eat out all the time
I just knitted my first a few days ago, but I’ve used them before at other peoples’ houses. Anyway, I like them because they’re environmentally friendly.
I would treat it pretty much the same a sponge – soap and rinse after using, hang, spray with Lysol (don’t leave it in a heap somewhere, hang it so it dries) - every couple of days, throw stuff like this in the wash on hot with a little bleach.
:shrug:
I am thinking of making some for myself just for the practice.
I love using the dishcloths that I knit. They scrub better without scrathing off the finish and I just through them in the hot water wash with my dish towels and bathroom towels. My grandmother gave me my first one years ago and I didn’t know what it was at first but once I discovered what it was I loved it. I didn’t knit then so I used to crochet mine until I learned to knit. Now I put tops on dish towels and make a couple cloths and there is a small wedding shower gift.
I really like my knitted dishcloths too. They are so pretty! So far I only have two, but when I get my other projects done, I plan on knitting up a bunch and trashing my old, non-knitted ones.
I have a rule in our house that we use the dishcloth for one day, and then it goes into the laundry. Same goes for dish towels. The whole bacteria thing makes me :ick:
Thanks ladies. Well, something I may try. I’ve found some older knitted draw string type bags my mother made very useful. Great when you move and you want to store various small objects and so on.
Well that was sort of my exact question. One of my magazines has a new pattern in each issue for a dishrag. So I guess I will try one and then I may actually end up with a completed project. Yeh!
I like my knitted and crocheted dishcloths and don’t use anything else. I change my kitchen towels and dishcloth every day, and hang the cloth to dry by the washer until it is washed, so it never gets smelly. Rinsing it well after doing dishes helps too. I’ve not had a problem with them at all! samm
I’m new to dishcloths too, I don’t even know what yarn to use but would like to make one.
My store-bought ones I throw in the hot water wash with clorox, I like them REAAAAAAAALLLLLLLY CLEAN! So can you do that with knitted ones???