I don't know about you but I seem to go through so many different cleaning cloths, sponges, scrubbers... I tell myself it's because I do so much cleaning but I think it's mainly because I really dislike using them once they have been used several times and I am never convinced that leaving them to soak in bleach is the right idea so for me buying cleaning cloths and other items like them which are cheap enough to throw away without feeling guilty is a really good thing. That was why we bought these all purpose cloths from Tesco as you get 10 in a pack for just £1.



What you get?

Inside this plastic packet are 10 cleaning cloths. The packet is very standard, just the large TESCO logo and a big blue square which almost covers the entire packet. There is just enough space around the sides of this square and on the back of the packet for you to see the product inside. The 10 cloths are the standard size of a cleaning cloth so the fact that you are getting a bargain here doesn't mean you're getting any less cloth which is sometimes in the case. The cloths are folded and seem quite hard.



First impressions

When you first look at these cloths you think they cannot possibly do the job as they seem very hard and not at all absorbent but that isn't the case at all this is just how they are when they have not been used. Once you put these under the tap and let the water soak into them they soon 'relax' by this I mean they become soft and more flexible so can be altered into whichever shape you need to clean with. Once I had loosened it up like this I didn't think it looked any different to other cleaning cloths that I have used before so was rather pleased. i do worry when buying cheaper alternatives that I will be losing out on some form of quality but so far so good as far as these cleaning cloths are concerned. Of course though, the proof is in how well you can clean with them.



Cleaning

Now these cloths can be used to clean a wide range of items and surfaces. I tend to use these to aid in the washing up, the cleaning of the kitchen sides, cleaning the bathroom, wiping dusty areas, cleaning children's toys/highchair and other items. My husband uses them to clean the car and for more 'dirty' jobs like the mud off the wheels of Hope's pushchair so as you can see they are used a lot in our house and so need to be able to do a good job.

These cloths hold quite a lot of water but they are not like a sponge, they will not store it. Once you squeeze this cloth a lot of the water will drain out so if you still need it to stay quite moist yo need to make sure you don't squeeze too much!

I find that when cleaning with these they do a good job. They are able to wipe up spillages, clean dust, help with the washing up and all the other jobs i need it to do. Something which they are not so good at is cleaning off things which are 'stuck' on like dried on gravy or the greasy parts of roasting pans, for these harder tasks I find something with more roughness to it (like a scourer or brush) is much more efficient.

If I add a squire of washing up liquid to this or some bleach (obviously using gloves) this helps the cleaning process even more and it does seem to hold soapy products really well but not making a large lather in the process.

I like to use these whilst cleaning the bathroom because I find that they do not leave streaks on the taps if I make sure they are not too damp so they leave quite a nice sparkly finish whereas with sponges I find that they can leave a soapy residue behind which doesn't leave such a nice finish.



Cleaning the cleaning!

These cloths do a lot of cleaning around my house so I am more than aware that they can harbour germs and carry bacteria so it is important to keep these clean themselves. I know people put their cleaning cloths in the washing machine but I'm often concerned that they will spoil in the wash so I tend to just put them in a bowl of bleach about twice a week over night and then make sure that I rinse them thoroughly afterwards. I don't keep them very long though, sometimes the dirt doesn't come off properly and so I decide it's easier to just throw them away and it's time to get a fresh one out which I know is very clean. I don't mind throwing these away after several weeks' use as the price makes it possible to do this but it is important to keep on top of keeping these clean whilst you are using them.



Conclusion

These cleaning cloths work very well and they compare to other cleaning cloths I've bought before but have been more expensive. You get 10 in a packet so a good amount to have and because they are very dry and taut before being used they don't take up much storage space in the drawers either which is always a good thing.

They hold a decent amount of water but will not create huge suds when you add soapy products which I find is a good thing especially when cleaning the bathroom as it leaves a nice finish.

The cloths are very flexible once they are damp and because they are thin they are easy to get into small areas and so can clean really hard to reach areas. That being said though they are soft so they are not very good at cleaning tough patches- a sponge or brush is better for areas like that.

In my opinion for 10p each these cloths work out at very good value for money especially as the quality is no different to more expensive ones that I have had before. So long as you keep these as clean as you can then you won't go wrong with these cloths. I really recommend them for their price, ability to clean and how useful they are for cleaning a wide variety of products and surfaces.