Swedish Wholesale Swedish Dishcloths Review
Good for a fortnight
As an Amazon Associate, Karen Verified earns from qualifying purchases. That never changes our verdict.
Verdict: Not Verified
Not VerifiedThe short answer: For the first two weeks each cloth was a pleasure: it drank up spills, rinsed clean and hung to dry. Then it went stiff, curled at the corners and, in a damp sink, took on a smell that washing did not fully remove. We did not keep using them.
- Buy it if
- Counter wipe-downs and drying dishes, if you wash and dry them religiously.
- Skip it if
- You leave cloths in the sink, or you expect them to stay soft.
- Best feature
- Soak up spills fast, rinse clean, and go through the dishwasher or washing machine.
- Biggest annoyance
- They dry stiff as cardboard, the edges curl, and they hold onto a sour smell once it starts.
- The catch
- The cellulose that makes them absorbent also makes them dry rigid and hold odor. The colors and prints fade after a few washes and the cloths shrink noticeably.
- Evaluation
- In use since March 2026
- Model
- Swedish Wholesale Cellulose dishcloths, 10-pack
The 20-second verdict
Good for a fortnight For the first two weeks each cloth was a pleasure: it drank up spills, rinsed clean and hung to dry. Then it went stiff, curled at the corners and, in a damp sink, took on a smell that washing did not fully remove. We did not keep using them. Best for: Counter wipe-downs and drying dishes, if you wash and dry them religiously. Skip if: You leave cloths in the sink, or you expect them to stay soft.
What we loved, and what annoyed us
What we loved
- Highly absorbent when damp
- Rinse clean of crumbs and grease
- Dishwasher and washing machine safe
What annoyed us
- Dry rock-stiff and curl at the edges
- Develop a sour smell within weeks
- Shrink and fade after a few washes
What We Loved
A fresh cloth soaks up a spilled glass of water in one pass, and rinsing it under the tap is faster than a sponge. In the first weeks we used far fewer paper towels. The printed patterns are cheerful and the pack is generous, so there is always a clean one in the drawer.
What Annoyed Us
After drying overnight a cloth is a stiff board that needs wetting before it will bend. The corners curl up and stay curled. Two cloths left damp in the sink for a day smelled sour, and a dishwasher run reduced but did not remove it. After a month in rotation they had shrunk enough to notice and the print was ghostly.
The Catch
Everything that makes cellulose absorbent makes it hard to keep. It needs to be rinsed and hung after every use, every time, and even then the stiffness and shrinkage arrive on schedule. Cotton cloths ask less of us and lasted longer.
Who it is for
- Disciplined kitchens that hang cloths to dry
- Spill cleanup and dish drying
- Anyone cutting back on paper towels
Who should skip it
- Households that leave cloths in the sink
- Anyone who dislikes a stiff cloth
How we evaluated it
- Evaluation period
- Six months, cycling the pack
- Where
- Home kitchen and bathroom
- What we did with it
- Counter wiping, dish drying, spill cleanup, bathroom sink cleaning
- Compared against
- Cotton bar mops and a microfiber cloth
- What we looked at
- Absorbency by eye, stiffness after drying, odor after damp storage, shrinkage and fading over washes
- Limitations
- We did not test other brands of Swedish dishcloth or the single-color packs
- Product source
- Purchased at retail
- Dates
- March 2026 – ongoing
Read how we evaluate products and our editorial standards.
Performance
Absorbency is excellent when the cloth is damp and poor when it is dry and stiff, which is how you find it each morning. It wipes counters streak-free and dries dishes well. Odor control was the failure: the cloths held a sour smell that a cotton cloth in the same sink did not. Over six months the pack shrank, faded and stiffened.
Ease of use, design, and build quality
Ease of use
Wet before use, wring, wipe, rinse, hang. Skip the hanging and the trouble starts. They fit a hand well and fold small. Washing is easy; drying flat keeps them straighter than draping.
Design and build quality
Thin, flat rectangles with printed patterns, softer than they look once wet. They look pleasant on a counter for the first few weeks and tired after that.
Privacy and connectivity
No app, no account, nothing to connect.
Safety notes
Nothing to note; wash before first use as the manufacturer suggests.
Cleaning, maintenance, and ongoing costs
Rinse and hang after each use. Dishwasher top rack or a warm laundry cycle every few days. Do not tumble dry hot. Replace when smell persists after washing.
What it keeps costing you
| Consumables | The cloths themselves |
|---|---|
| Expected life | A few weeks each in daily rotation before stiffness and smell set in |
Value
Per cloth they cost less than a sponge and, for the short good period, replace many paper towels. A pack of cotton bar mops costs about the same, stays soft, does not smell and outlasts them by months.
Alternatives
A pack of plain cotton bar mop towels absorbs nearly as well, washes hot and does not stiffen.
A Scrub Daddy handles the scrubbing side and rinses clean, though it does not absorb.
Also in Kitchen
Karen Verified
Lodge 10.25-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
The viral pans are prettier. This one works better and outlives all of them.
Worth It
Ninja CREAMi NC301 Ice Cream Maker
Ridiculously fun, genuinely useful—and louder than it has any right to be.
Karen Verified
Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1, 6 Quart
Boring, dependable, and still the one to buy.
Specifications
| Brand / model | Swedish Wholesale Cellulose dishcloths, 10-pack |
|---|---|
| Count | 10 cloths (manufacturer states) |
| Material | Cellulose and cotton blend (manufacturer states) |
| Size | About 8 by 7 inches (manufacturer states) |
| Washing | Dishwasher or washing machine (manufacturer states) |
| Compostable | Manufacturer states biodegradable |
| Colors | Assorted |
Only specifications that affect the buying decision are listed. Figures marked “manufacturer states” are the maker's claims, not our measurements.
Warranty and returns
No warranty is stated by the manufacturer; returns are set by the retailer.
Reader questions
Why does mine smell?
Can they go in the dryer?
Final verdict
Verdict: Not Verified
Not VerifiedA pleasant two weeks followed by stiffness and smell. We went back to cotton and cannot recommend these over it.
- Best for
- Counter wipe-downs and drying dishes, if you wash and dry them religiously.
- Skip if
- You leave cloths in the sink, or you expect them to stay soft.
- Main strength
- Soak up spills fast, rinse clean, and go through the dishwasher or washing machine.
- Main weakness
- They dry stiff as cardboard, the edges curl, and they hold onto a sour smell once it starts.
As an Amazon Associate, Karen Verified earns from qualifying purchases. That never changes our verdict.
Update and correction history
- Published.Why: Initial evaluation.Verdict unchanged
See something wrong? Request a correction.
As an Amazon Associate, Karen Verified earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy through links on this site we may receive a commission. You do not pay more because of this. Affiliate relationships do not determine which products we evaluate, recommend, criticize, or reject. Brands cannot buy a Karen Verified verdict. Full affiliate disclosure. Photographs on this page illustrate the product in use and are not test evidence; see our image policy.