Why Your Swedish Dishcloth Grows Mould (And How to Stop It)

If a Swedish dishcloth has grown mould, the cloth hasn’t failed. It’s just been left too long without a wash.

These cloths are brilliant at soaking up mess and drying fast, but that doesn’t make them antibacterial or bacteria-free. Nothing about the material stops bacteria or mould from growing, it’s just that a cloth left somewhere open and airy dries out quickly, so there’s less time for anything to take hold. Tuck one away in a closed, damp spot, like the bottom of the vegetable drawer, and that advantage disappears. Damp, dark, and no airflow is exactly what mould needs.

How often to wash a Swedish dishcloth

Weekly is the general rule. If the cloth is somewhere damp, more often than that. The same logic applies to any spot it’s kept in day to day, including a vegetable drawer: give it a wipe out when the cloth goes in for a wash, since that’s where mess and moisture build up too.

Keeping the vegetable drawer fresh

Most people already do this without thinking about it, wiping out the fridge drawer when new vegetables come in for the week, or when something’s gone off in there. A Swedish dishcloth living in that same drawer needs the same treatment. It’s not a one-off placement, it’s a spot that needs the same weekly attention as the cloth itself.

If mould has already set in

A hot wash, or a soak in hot water with a splash of white vinegar, will sort out mould in most cases. If it’s gone deep into the fibres or the smell doesn’t lift, it’s time to retire that cloth and start a fresh one.