Stinky Rags

There are few things I hate but I can honestly say that I hate grabbing a dishrag to wipe down a table or counter and having it have that horrible, awful smell. You know what I'm talking about. I thought everyone knew how to get rid of the smell but I was mistaken. I was at a family member’s house and went to help out with the dishes. I grabbed the dishrag that was already out and instantly my nose hairs curled. I got a clean one out of the drawer and got it wet and the stink was there as well. That smell my dear friends, is the smell of bacteria. If you wipe things with rags/sponges that smell you are only spreading the bacteria around. So, how do you get that smell out? Good old fashioned Bleach.

The first thing you want to do when you are finished using a rag is rinse it out good and if possible lay it out to dry completely. Have a designated place for dirty rags to go until you are ready to wash them so the germs/smell doesn’t get transferred to other items. I use the bucket you see above. It just sits in my laundry room and I throw all of my dirty rags and dish towels in it. You can get rid of the stink by using one of three ways.

1. Fill up your sink with warm water, add some bleach (For the amount, follow instructions on the side of the bottle), then toss in your rags. This is one of my favorite methods because you also disinfect your sink at the same time.
   
2. Fill up the bucket with warm water, add some bleach, and add the rags.
   
3. Fill up your washing machine with the right amount of water, add the bleach and your regular detergent, and then add your rags.
   If you suffer from stinky rags, please, please, please, get rid of the smell, if not for you, for the people who can't stand the reek.
   
   

There may be other ways out there to make it so your rags don't stink. Please share your ideas with us.