Generally, cheesecloth is made of linen fabric. Earlier in cheese-making, people used cheesecloths to detach curds from the whey. However, you will see a variety of its application in Greek yogurt, nut milk, ginger juice, etc. Besides, you can use it in protecting and reusing cheesecloth. This development helps you save money as you don’t need to purchase new sheets each time!
And apart from getting benefits from cheesecloth, we to be very methodical at its cleaning or washing. The good thing is- you can wash it in three different ways.
How You Can Wash a Cheesecloth?
The cheesecloth’s fabric surface gets in close contact with the food at the time of cooking. Thus, it becomes most susceptible to dirt. Soft cheeses like nut milk or sour buttermilk comprise bacteria. The more these bacteria grow older the more they cause intestinal complications such as stomach pain, food poisoning, etc. So it helps best if you wash cheesecloth prior to using.
Here in this article, we will show how you can wash your cheesecloth by hand, machine, and by means of drying and storing effectively. Are you ready to jump down right? Okay, let’s move on!
Method One: Washing By Hand
Despite tremendous technological advancement, hand washing is still one of the most favorable methods for washing cheesecloth. Here is how!
Step One: First of all, you need to manage some hot water to wash your cheesecloth under the tap. You had better rinse it immediately after you use it. This rinsing should aim to remove the large residue. The reason is- such residue makes your cleaning more challenging.
Apart from that, leave no stone unturned to take out as many bits of food as possible. And remember, the quicker you rinse them with hot water, the easier it will be to remove them.
Step Two: Now, you have to determine a washing temperature that will suit your washing requirement. It would help best if you employed a thermometer. In the case of not having a thermometer, you can use your hand to measure the water temperature.
And to wash cheesecloth, the fitting temperature range is 30-40 degrees Celsius. It ensures a clean washing effect. Many people mistakenly ignore this. However, let not the rinsing water be too hot. The cheesecloth fabric will shrink otherwise. On the other hand, if the water is too cold, the stains will still remain lingering.
Step Three: It’s time to add detergent to the cheesecloth! However, you should avoid machine detergent since you are here to wash it by hand. The machine detergent contains a higher bleaching strength, but it features less foam than hand detergent.
Else, you can rely on specialized detergents to come up with better performance. A specialized detergent dissolves more quickly than a laundry detergent. You would be glad to know that it leaves no soap residue on Fred Meyer cheesecloth. Perhaps, we don’t need to explain why soap residue is detrimental to health!
And hey, are you worried about the tough debris on the cheesecloth? A bit of lemon juice or baking soda to get rid of this.
Let’s say you have managed some baking soda. Now soak the cheesecloth in it. Add this soda to hot water. It would help best if you used 90 grams or ½ cup baking soda per 1 gallon or 3.75 Liter of water. Then leave your cheesecloth therein for around 10 to 30 minutes. It will depend on the stubbornness of the debris. Finally, after soaking the cheesecloth, rinse it thoroughly.
You might be suffering from tough stains. Then you can add white vinegar or lemon juice as well. It will superbly help you fade stains and debris. For this, you need to add 59 ml or 1⁄4 cup white vinegar or lemon juice. Before you soak the cheesecloth, it is appropriate for 1 gallon (3.75 L) of hot water plus baking soda.
And you can spot-treat debris. How? Well, you need to dip a toothbrush into the vinegar or lemon juice you choose. Then before you soak, you have to rub it against the debris efficiently. After washing out all the vinegar and lemon juice, please don’t forget to rinse the cheesecloth so that it cannot attract any fruit flies!
Step Four: You need to rub the cheesecloth several times. Make sure that it is entirely clean. Push the cloth up and down thoroughly until you satisfy your eyes.
Additionally, you can boil the cheesecloth after even rinsing. It will help you secure extra sterilization. It will kill any lingering bacteria left in the cloth. You have to boil for around 5 minutes to ensure this.
Step Five: The last step is all about drying and storing. So get your cheesecloth to dry. Try to ensure a sunny and well-ventilated place. By this, your cloth will be free from any musty smell. On the other hand, you can dry it using a dryer.
Remember, unless there is sufficient sunlight and ventilation, the risk of bacteria invasion will still be there. And it will beget some unpleasant odors. Anyway, after drying as we stated, you may store it to keep its cleanliness intact.
Method Two: Washing By Machine
You have to keep in mind that the cheesecloth is softer than normal clothes. Therefore you need to be more careful while washing by machine. Here are the steps below!
Step One: As with washing by hand, remove the food debris by washing under the water tap from your cheesecloth. It is a must before you launder. You can even use hot water for this rinsing.
Step Two: Now, put your cheesecloth in the washing machine. No issues if it gets mixed with the other soft clothes. However, the amount should be compatible with the machine’s capacity. Whether you overload or lack enough load, you will hamper the washing machine.
It becomes so tough for the machine to move the clothes in the washing bucket when it counts too little amount of cloth. It will even fail to dissolve the detergent too! On the other hand, if you put clothes on one side of the washing bucket, the machine will start tilting and shaking damaging all the clothes in it.
Step Three: Having enough detergent is also crucial. There is a max line that you see in the drawer of your washing machine. Dare not to breach it. It would help if you used a liquid detergent. It will provide you with a better dissolving effect.
Sometimes, people see too much foam and try to use hand-washing powder to wash. It is a mistake. It can overflow and moisten the electrical circuits as well as the machine’s motor. And if you keep continuing this, it will hamper your washing machine gradually.
Step Four: You have to close the machine’s lid. Then press the power button. Then depending on the types of clothes, select the apt course of action.
Step Five: Finally, it’s time to dry the cheesecloth. Again, having a sunny and well-ventilated place will be very helpful. Alternatively, you can rely on a dryer.
Now, let’s say you will use muslin as an extra-sturdy cheesecloth alternative. Can’t you wash it through the machine? Yes, you can. Then it would help if you loaded the same load with your kitchen or bath towels. Ensure that your chosen detergent does not comprise dyes or fragrances as it poses a risk of food contamination for the second time. And follow the steps below:
A fabric softener can cause a ”buildup” on the cloth, and it can leach into your food. So make sure that there is no use for that. See whether the muslin shrinks. If you wash it for the first time, then it is bound to shrink!
You need an easy-to-clean cheesecloth alternative. So it would help if you picked a lightweight unbleached muslin. You will find a natural cream color in that.
Get a muslin from a store. And hesitate to mention that you will use it as a cheesecloth alternative.
Pro-Tips
- You can only wash a high-quality cheesecloth employing a washing machine. That means you can merely put a cheesecloth that is designed for reuse and made from a high-quality knit material such as cotton.
- Else, you can only apply a detergent that is meant for delicate fabrics. Ensure that it is free of dyes or perfumes because these elements are harmful to a cheesecloth.
- There is one type of cheesecloth labeled as ”single-use”. You should not wash it in a washing machine. Instead, buy another.
- Is your cheesecloth completely dry? Then fold it two or three times. Make a small square or rectangle shape of it. Afterward, store it in a dry place.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Question: Does cheesecloth shrink?
Answer: Yes, like other cotton garments, cheesecloth shrinks due to warm or hot water.
Question: Do I need to wash the new cheesecloth before using it?
Answer: Of course, you need to wash a new cheesecloth before using it. It contains some harmful materials.
Question: Can you put cheesecloth in the dishwasher?
Answer: Sure, you can wash and sanitize your cheesecloth in the dishwasher. First, get a pot of water and boil it by stirring the cheesecloth. However, see whether the water turns cloudy. In that case, pour it out and replace it with clean water and reboil to make it clear.
Question: Can you iron cheesecloth?
Answer: Yes, you can employ a hot, steam iron for your cheesecloth. Ironing smoothes a cotton fabric. No worries, it won’t hamper your cheesecloth.
Question: How do you sanitize cheesecloth?
Answer: Before all, wash your cheesecloth in warm water. Then rinse with cold water. Have some baking soda and soak it for a few minutes. Afterward, soak it in boiling water for 5 minutes before bleaching it in a weak solution.
Question: Does cheesecloth rip easily?
Answer: Yeah, you can easily rip a cheesecloth. Determine the size you need and rip it along the grain. It is as simple as that!
Question: Is cheesecloth breathable?
Answer: Apart from consisting of woven fabric design, cheesecloth features a breathable texture. This texture turns it into a versatile tool to keep on hand.
Question: How do you clean a cheesecloth table runner?
Answer: The process is almost the same as we stated above.
Question: Is cheesecloth heat resistant?
Answer: It can superbly sustain the heat of hot liquids, and that is why quite durable. You can wash it satisfactorily and use it for your kitchen job for a long.
Question: Is cheesecloth a good filter?
Answer: Cheesecloth is a fantastic tool to filter coffee and remove seeds from jams and jellies or curds from yogurt.
Question: Can cheesecloth purify water?
Answer: For this, you have to cover the top of the filter with a piece of cheesecloth. It will help you strain any large debris from the water.
Question: Is muslin the same as cheesecloth?
Answer: There is a significant similarity between muslin and cheesecloth. You can use cheesecloth and muslin interchangeably. You may regard muslin as an extra-sturdy cheesecloth alternative.
Question: Can cheesecloth be dyed?
Answer: You can undoubtedly dye your cheesecloth as you want. For this, you need to wash it in cold water. Then after wringing submerge in the chosen dye mixture. It takes only around 10 minutes to get set.
The Ending Thoughts
Please don’t forget that this washing should be careful about the suitability of the fabric, and application of acidic or solvent-based cleaning chemicals. Let not these essential things hamper your kitchen materials. Thank you!
Leave a Reply