Sunday, May 25, 2008

Things They Should Invent: a place for used cleaning cloths in every home

I use a lot of disposable cleaning materials - paper towels, swiffers, those disinfectant wipes, etc. My parents, whose household I grew up and learned how to clean in, use reusable cloths for almost everything.

So what made me stop using reusable cloths? They have to be washed after you use them, and I have nowhere to put them between when I use them and when it's time to do laundry. My parents put them in their laundry tub, but I don't have a laundry tub in my apartment. I don't want to put them in the laundry hamper because sometimes I put clothes that I intend to wear again in the hamper (pyjamas, bras, my sitting-at-home-feeling-fat pants). I don't have room for another hamper in the bathroom (which, bizarrely, doubles as the laundry room with the laundry machines stacked in a closet in the bathroom), and I don't exactly want a bucket of wet dirty smelly used cleaning cloths in my bedroom or living room. I only have one kitchen sink and one bathroom sink (and nowhere nearly enough counter space) so it's not like there's anywhere else I can leave them for several days. And coordinating all my cleaning so it happens right before an appropriate laundry day just isn't going to happen, not when I also have to earn a living.

If there was somewhere in my apartment that was conducive to leaving wet dirty used cloths, I'd use cloths for cleaning. Because there isn't, I use disposable stuff. If you want me to make less garbage by using reusable cloths, find me a solution.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

what about hanging them over the shower rail until they're dry, and then putting them somewhere after they're dry. they won't really dirty anything else or smell if they're dry.

impudent strumpet said...

Actually my shower rail is curved, so anything I hang on it drips on my head while I'm on the toilet. Brilliant bit of design that keeps the curtain from blowing at me while I'm showering, but really cramps my laundry style.

Anonymous said...

is a hamper a laundry basket?

laura k said...

I put them in an old plastic bag, loosely tied, then throw the bag in the laundry basket or hamper. Then when enough of them collect, I do a laundry with just those cloths. Or clothes plus old towels that we use to wipe muddy dog paws and bellies.

laura k said...

I notice you use the spelling "pyjamas". Is that standard Canadian spelling? I know it's British, but I guess I haven't had occasion to see that word spelled out in Canada.

I grew up with "pajamas".

impudent strumpet said...

Hmmm...I was certain pyjamas was the Canadian spelling, but pajamas is first in Termium (although both are marked correct), but pyjamas occurs more often in compound words like pyjama jacket and pyjama case. There are twice as many .ca google hits for pajamas as for pyjamas (although that doesn't mean they're correct.)

I have a Canadian Oxford at work, I'll check on Monday.

My pronunciation is closer to pyjamas - the first vowel is really weak and short, like a short I. Not that that means anything in English spelling.