# Best way to clean cheesecloth?



## Niamh (Apr 14, 2008)

I'm having a hard time believing that I'm getting my cheesecloth clean enough after I make cheese with it. I rinse it out and hand wash it, then hang in the sun to dry. Is this good enough? Is there something else I should be doing? Is it just my fear of bacteria getting in the way when I'm really doing a good enough job?


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Well as long as it visually looks clean...you'd want to sanitize anything just before it comes in contact with your product as you would anything used in cheese making.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

That is pretty much what I do. Only I use really really hot water when I wash it out.


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## christij (Mar 5, 2006)

When you say sanitize does that mean spray down with a dairy sanitizer and dry prior to using?


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## BlueHeronFarm (Feb 9, 2007)

I rinse well in lukewarm water then hand wash in hot with a little dairy soap, rinse and hang.

If they start to develop a funk, boil them with baking soda.

Lately I've been rinsing and placing into a bucket of warm water with bleach, then washing in the machine on hot. The edges get frayed a bit and sometimes the cloths get knotted together a little so I just give them a "haircut" before reusing to get off the longest threads.


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## Niamh (Apr 14, 2008)

Thank you! I also boil them right before I use them to sanitize, so they're wet when I use them. I've only made ricotta, chevre and queso blanco. Will using them when wet make problems with other cheeses?


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I really do recommend the synthetic cheesecloth,if you get tired of the cotton. It doesnt last forever, but it is reusable and doesn't fray or pick-up odors like cloth. It is just so much easier to wash and doesn't stick to the curd at all. I even think the soft cheeses drain thru it faster.


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

christij said:


> When you say sanitize does that mean spray down with a dairy sanitizer and dry prior to using?



Nope...just usually boil them around here.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

I wash mine in the regular washer. Don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets.

Iron it to kill germs before use.


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