# Wash a washrag? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860 "2006-01-27T16:46:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/1 "2006-01-27T16:46:30Z")
Or a wash_cloth_ for you non-doublewide types. While showering the other day it suddenly dawned on me that when I finished I would effectively wash my washrag. It’s full of soap and I agitate it then rinse it well in hot (kinda) water. It should be clean, right? To check my theory, I smelled the rag before after each shower and it never did have any odor except for the faint smell of soap. The towel would eventually smell mildly of body odor, but not the washrag. Does this mean that I could own only one washrag and never have to put it in the Maytag? Is this another one of those secrets that Corporate America doesn’t want you to know about? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/2 "2006-01-27T16:53:32Z")
I’ve thought about this too. Hubby uses the same washrag over and over but I can’t. A shower-washed washrag is stiff from air-drying, and I like picking up a soft washrag, one that’s been dried in the dryer. I tell myself that a laundered washrag is cleaner, from being dried in the dryer, which (maybe) kills more bacteria and stuff. Maybe this is a question for Cecil. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/3 "2006-01-27T16:57:16Z")
Good concept. We have a little handheld vacuum cleaner with a short nozzle for getting into cracks and small places. I use it to clean the vacuum cleaner. Same notion? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/4 "2006-01-27T16:58:24Z")
I’m a one-use kinda gal. I believe there is more bacteria on it once it’s been used. I use scrubby mittens more than washcloths, and they aren’t as absorbent (made of some sort of nylon-y fabric), and therefore I don’t think they hold bacteria. Therefore, I never wash them in the machine. I could be completely wrong on that, but I don’t think I am. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/5 "2006-01-27T18:08:05Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Good concept. We have a little handheld vacuum cleaner with a short nozzle for getting into cracks and small places. I use it to clean the vacuum cleaner. Same notion? You… vacuum? Your… vacuum cleaner? I think my head just exploded. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/6 "2006-01-27T18:23:13Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > You… vacuum? Your… vacuum cleaner? I think my head just exploded. Did I leave some impression that a vacuum cleaner was a _verboten_ item? You must have been reading my e-mail! ---
**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/7 "2006-01-27T18:39:50Z")
I’d NEVER reuse a washcloth. Ick. As for you Kalhoun…here comes the [science](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8150959&dopt=Abstract): “Loofah sponges are natural products used as exfoliative beauty aids. As a consequence of tracing a case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa folliculitis to a contaminated loofah sponge, we assessed the role of loofah sponges in supporting the growth of a wide variety of bacterial species. Our data show growth enhancement of sterile loofah fragments for numerous gram-negative (Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas, and Klebsiella) and gram-positive (Enterococcus and group B Streptococcus) species of human and environmental origin. Furthermore, hydrated new, unused loofah sponges undergo a shift in bacterial flora from sparse colonies of Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus epidermidis to a predominantly gram-negative flora. The growth-promoting potential of loofah sponges (and other exfoliatives) can be further augmented by desquamated epithelial cells entrapped in the loofah fibrous matrix. Therefore, as loofah sponges (and other exfoliatives) can serve as a reservoir and a vehicle for the transmission of potentially pathogenic species to the human skin, we recommend their decontamination with hypochlorite (10%) bleach at regular intervals.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/8 "2006-01-27T19:02:23Z")
But aren’t loofahs natural material? The scrubby gloves I used are some sort of plastic and I don’t wash them in the machine. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/9 "2006-01-27T19:26:32Z")
It is unintuitive to me, also, that those plastic mesh scrubby things would hold bacteria–but I guess there are enough rough places on the plastic to hold them. In any case, my anecdote is that I stopped getting folliculitis on my arms since I stopped using them and began using a fresh washcloth for every shower. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/10 "2006-01-27T19:30:25Z")
No cite, but I remember reading that those nylon scrunchy sponges were basically petri dishes for all manner of germs. If I had time, I would look into it further. sorry. I stick with cotton wash clothes, changed every 2-3 baths. I also don’t like the stiffness from air drying. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/11 "2006-01-27T19:41:29Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > But aren’t loofahs natural material? The scrubby gloves I used are some sort of plastic and I don’t wash them in the machine. Right. This is definitely a man-made product. It’s stretch nylon or nylon blend. I’m sure it holds some bacteria, but I can’t help but think it rinses cleaner than a tightly woven cotton washcloth (which I do use to remove my masque, but only once). ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/12 "2006-01-27T20:02:32Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Did I leave some impression that a vacuum cleaner was a _verboten_ item? You must have been reading my e-mail! Well, _I_ was just thinking I couldn’t figure why anybody would give a rat’s ass if their vacuum cleaner was clean - not to mention, how dirty could it get? But if you’ve got some sort of special relationship there, don’t let me stop you. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/13 "2006-01-27T20:07:06Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Well, _I_ was just thinking I couldn’t figure why anybody would give a rat’s ass if their vacuum cleaner was clean - not to mention, how dirty could it get? But if you’ve got some sort of special relationship there, don’t let me stop you. It was more to try to point out that cleaning a vacuum cleaner _with_ a vacuum cleaner is in the same ballpark as cleaning a washrag with a washrag. Ever wonder how they get the color on the handle of a paintbrush? And I always wanted a solar flashlight or a battery-powered battery charger. But I have strange desires at times. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/14 "2006-01-27T20:38:48Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > It was more to try to point out that cleaning a vacuum cleaner _with_ a vacuum cleaner is in the same ballpark as cleaning a washrag with a washrag. > > Ever wonder how they get the color on the handle of a paintbrush? > > And I always wanted a solar flashlight or a battery-powered battery charger. > > But I have strange desires at times. We have a place for you here in California. You _will_ be much loved. 😃 mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/15 "2006-01-27T20:43:09Z")
The area I used to live in had frequent power outages. I would _always_ flip on the light to find the flashlight. :wally And I know I’m not alone in that. mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/16 "2006-01-27T20:54:17Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > The area I used to live in had frequent power outages. I would _always_ flip on the light to find the flashlight. :wally > And I know I’m not alone in that. > mangeorge I have always enjoyed watching the gasoline powered gasoline pumps. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/17 "2006-01-27T21:05:28Z")
Seriously though, nobody’s taking this thread seriously. 😛 'Ceptin **sj2** up there. **sj2** , I wash my poop chute with my washrag. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/18 "2006-01-27T21:19:48Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > No cite, but I remember reading that those nylon scrunchy sponges were basically petri dishes for all manner of germs. If I had time, I would look into it further. sorry. I remember hearing this, too, but I think it was my nutritionist who told me to throw them out after about a month and get a new one. She said the same about those nylon-y, plastic-y gloves. She recommended I use them (she wasn’t selling them, just the kind you get from any drugstore)… I can’t remember now if it was something to do glands… Something about massaging my neck, my armpits, behind my knees… anyway. She had told me to use those gloves when I did it, and to use them all over, as they were great for sloughing off dead skin and whatnot. She had me on some kind of detox (not those ridiculous water-only, non-eating ones, just a healthy diet and some recommendations to bathe in epsom salts and a regular sloughing kind of deal). But she told me to be sure to throw them out after a month and buy new ones. As I said, she was my nutritionist, so take that for what it’s worth. She was a genius with the eating habits, and a great person to talk to, but I don’t know if she was just erring on the side of caution or if she really knew what she was talking about with the nylon gloves. Could have just been covering her ass in case her clients came back to her with strange skin infections after using the glove too long. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/19 "2006-01-27T21:44:52Z")
Personally, I use my hands to wash my body. I didn’t realize wash cloths were all the rage. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860/20 "2006-01-27T21:50:02Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Personally, I use my hands to wash my body. I didn’t realize wash cloths were all the rage. Ewwww! Do you know where those things have been? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wash-a-washrag/341860.md?page=2)