Tea Towels: Often Underestimated and Overlooked

Most of us don’t give that much attention to the tea towels in our kitchen. They are just there for our convenience, mostly for wiping and drying down plates, dishes and utensils. Once we’re done using them, they are usually relegated to a corner hook to hang and dry, forgotten until they need to be used again. But tea towels are among the most valuable and versatile kitchen essentials. That is why we should give them more attention so they can serve us well for a very long time.

Multi-Purpose

For many, the tea towel is mainly used to dry dishes. But tea towels can do more than that. Aside from drying dishes and utensils, they can also be used to mop up spills, wipe counters and even used as hot pads. Decorative tea towels are also often used to line serving trays or even bread baskets to keep your rolls warm. More creative minds even use tea towels to wrap their gifts!

Easy Maintenance

Tea towels in the olden days used to be made with pure linen. They date back to 18th-century England where they were primarily used to clean china or insulate teapots during tea ceremonies. Modern-day tea towels, however, are made with a combination of linen and cotton to make them more absorbent and easy to maintain. You can load them into the washer and dryer with the rest of your laundry. Alternatively, you can wash tea towels by hand and dry them in the sun to keep them in pristine condition.

Value

Nowadays, there are tea towels made from polyester, but they are not as absorbent as those made from cotton and linen. However, they are more affordable. Whatever type of tea towels you buy, they ultimately provide better value for your money compared to using paper towels to dry your dishes or wipe up your kitchen counters. If you consider the average lifespan of a tea towel, you’ll save a lot more money compared to constantly buying paper towels for your cleaning needs. You will also produce less waste!

Practical

Tea towels are a cheaper alternative and very cost-effective. They are reusable, unlike paper towels, which makes them a more practical and economical kitchen tool. Nowadays, tea towels have become your do-it-all kitchen cloth to dry dishes, wipe up spills, line serving trays, or even add an elegant touch to your breakfast table.