r/Cooking • u/newport-whatever • 2d ago
Kitchen towels - can’t find one I love
I have had a hate-hate relationship with kitchen towels, sometimes called tea towels, because they all seem to not be very absorbent. Everyone says “the longer you lose them the softer they get“ but I still find them to be basic and sucky towels. What do you use as a kitchen towel that you swear by?
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u/SlideItIn100 2d ago
You have to buy 100% cotton for the best absorbency.
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u/The-Jelly-Fox 2d ago
Agree. I just use bar towels as tea towels, they are cheap, usually come in 6 or 12 packs, highly absorbent cotton and can be bleached clean.
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u/StandardRaspberry509 2d ago
Absolutely!!!
And 100% cotton is becoming harder to find everyday. But I only buy 100% cotton for towels. Everything else just doesn’t absorb water or anything else.
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u/Dennisfromhawaii 1d ago
I've worked in apparel for 20 years. Stick with natural fibers. Also comes in handy when dealing with hot items; synthetic fibers like polyester will melt.
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u/Cootieface123 2d ago
My favorite are flour sack towels. I get mine in a 3 pack from target. They’re huge, absorbent, and thin so they dry super fast.
They’re so absorbent I even used them for cloth diapering when my kids were in diapers (not the same ones I use for dishes. Diapers were Orange, kitchen were plain white 🤣🤣)
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u/Internal_District_72 2d ago
i grew up in a popcorn vomit bowl family. No need to explain any decisions like this hahah
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u/drivingthelittles 1d ago
I didn’t know there was a name for families like mine
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u/paperkraken-incident 1d ago
We were four children, overall only five years apart and when we were little and one of us got sick, everyone followed. Each of us had their own personal vomit bowl beside their bed. One of my friends made fun of this when I told him about this when we where teens. But I still think it was smart of my parents.
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u/Sweaty-Blacksmith572 1d ago
I have never and will never understand why people use a bowl to barf in! It’s too easy to tip or flip, and too prone to having liquid slosh over the edge when carrying it to the bathroom for disposal, and it doesn’t pour neatly. Use a bucket, for the love of all things holy!!!
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u/Internal_District_72 1d ago
I'm not justifying it but our bowl was big enough that there's no way we could have filled it and sloshed it when dumping it.
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u/Several-Cycle8290 1d ago
Yup I agree, we save ice cream buckets and they are perfect cause they are small enough but big enough if that makes sense 😂
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u/dogchowtoastedcheese 1d ago
I feel you. I recently discovered that my ex has a barf bowl. The same bowl she makes her potato salad in! And I love(d) her potato salad. Can't look at it the same now. Evidently my daughter has one as well for her and the grandson. She won't tell be which bowl though!
I can't believe I'm part of this family! When we were all together, we used a bathroom waste basket. They took a dark turn some fucking where along the line.
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u/lisa6547 1d ago
... what is that?
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u/ExaggeratedSnails 1d ago
When people use the same big bowl for popcorn and when they're sick - vomit
Idk why people don't just use the mop buckets we all have. Our puke bucket is the mop bucket. No traumatizing realizations later in life that way. Or like a garbage can for the bathroom, the small ones
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u/SolidSanekk 1d ago
It's always been directly into the toilet for me, using anything else grosses me out lol
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u/Outrageous-Club-8811 1d ago
So when I was pregnant, I used a bucket because I’d have to be sat on the loo of if I was throwing up, otherwise I’d pee all over the floor. It was not glamorous. I had a special celebrations tub for the event.
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u/Internal_District_72 1d ago
These were like "wake up in the middle of the night and can't get to the bathroom b/c I'm a child" situations :)
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u/Dottie85 1d ago
There's been too many times when both ends were involved, so a garbage can/ bucket was a necessity. Plus, I tend to not be able to get to the bathroom in time, especially if I've fallen asleep.
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u/Internal_District_72 1d ago
We didn't have a mop bucket but my sister has broken the curse and is a tiny trashcan family now
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u/_justJoce 2d ago
I recently switched to flour sack towels and they`re the best! Super cheap at Walmart
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u/Mrs_TikiPupuCheeks 2d ago
I have a boatload of those flour sack towels from Target. They're so big and super nice. I also swear by the IKEA cheap ones. They're like 79 cents each but they hold up for years.
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u/WelfordNelferd 1d ago
Flour sack towels are my favorite, too. I live in a small house with limited storage, so I can't justify taking up so much real estate with a salad spinner. I pile the spinach, etc. in the middle of the towel, wrap it up (like the sack cartoon characters would carry on a stick), take it out to the porch, and swing away. The neighbors probably think I'm nuts (and I'm not necessarily saying they'd be wrong about that) but it works like a dream!
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u/MountainMirthMaker 1d ago
Flour sack towels are underrated, seriously. I switched to them a year ago and haven’t touched a “regular” kitchen towel since.
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u/mondotomhead 1d ago
YES! Those flour sack towels are the most AMAZING kitchen towels. Super absorbent. I get them at Walmart. A 10-pack for $9.00.
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u/kilroyscarnival 1d ago
I got some at Aldi and I really like them. Prior to that, my faves were the not-quite-as-thin but lightweight IKEA towels. I had a bunch of those, but they've gotten faded and raggedy over the years.
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u/isthatsoreddit 1d ago
Lol seriously as long as they were washed for either application, you'd get no judgment from me!!
I'm allergic to bleach. So mine are blue to help hide stains! I love them!
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u/cloud_busting 2d ago
Yup, these are the only ones I will ever buy! They’re also easy to dye and hold color quite well. The best!
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u/PeorgieT75 1d ago
I have some Crate and Barrel waffle towels that are 30+ years old but are starting to blow out. I’ll check these out.
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u/opheliainwaders 1d ago
Hilariously, I was at my mom’s recently and she had some cleaning rags that actually are old cloth diapers. From when I was a baby. I am in my 40s.
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u/CElia_472 1d ago
Are they long enough to lay over an oven door handle? My current kitchen towels always fall off, and it is extremely annoying every time you open the oven
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u/Any-Elderberry-7812 1d ago
I use the IKEA kitchen towels and am very happy with them, and yes, they are long enough to hang and stay on my oven door, usually have a couple of them there. Good towels and and at a good price.
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u/shivering_greyhound 1d ago
Yes, my decade old Walmart flour sack towels are nice and long for hanging on oven/dishwasher door handles. I think they were just over $1 each and have lasted. Super quick absorbing. Sometimes when doing an especially big pile of dishes, one might get saturated and I might need to use a second one, but damn do they get dishes dry well and absorb quickly.
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u/ToastMate2000 1d ago
Flour sack towels are also the only ones I use. I ordered dozens in bulk online. Black for the kitchen and blue for bathroom hand towels.
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u/cyanpineapple 1d ago
I always buy these for new parents. They're the absolute best burp rags. We had one draped over pretty much every surface in the house.
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u/the_lazykins 1d ago
I have decorated flour sack towels with fabric marker doodles for myself and as gifts. I have some that are now twenty years old and in the rag pile but the design is still visible!
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u/OaksInSnow 1d ago
I received a dozen of these, hand-embroidered with Campbell Kids designs. :) And when I was growing up (1960s) my Mom also had a set, hand-embroidered with kitchen motifs. I use some of them, but have also saved a couple for "special."
Like OP, I have a couple of "tea towels," but they are really bad at water absorption. Flour sack is the best wiper, in my experience.
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u/Gnoll_For_Initiative 2d ago
Tea towels are the poop
Flour sack cloths are where it's at
And bar rags
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u/MindTheLOS 1d ago
Tea towels are not for absorbing liquids. They are for different uses, and perform much better at those. For example, great to cover dough when it's rising.
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u/-blundertaker- 1d ago
I haven't worked at a bar in years but I still have bar towels around
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u/Clogish 2d ago
I would be suspicious of how you are washing them…
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u/BlacksmithThink9494 2d ago
I agree. Fabric softener is a big no no for towel absorbency
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u/battlejess 1d ago
Same with dryer sheets.
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u/BlacksmithThink9494 1d ago
Totally. I dont use any of that stuff anymore and my towels are so much better.
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u/yurok02 2d ago
Geometry towels : tea /dish/hand
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u/ohyeahallison 1d ago
They are my fave! I got my sister some and even her husband commented that they are good towels!
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u/Fun-Commercial2827 2d ago
“Tea towels” and Microfiber are NOT absorbent. I like KitchenAid brand for kitchen towels that actually absorb water, not just move it around.
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u/Kitchen_Beat9838 1d ago
I love my kitchenaid towels. They don’t leave their dust all over everything and they are absorbent.
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u/Far_Violinist6222 2d ago
Microfiber is absolutely very absorbent, but it needs to be damp to work effectively
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u/innocentbunnies 2d ago
I HATE microfiber. I hate the way they feel on my hands and I hate that I’ve never been able to find one that’s absorbent. I tend to go for towels made up of natural fibers like cotton and my all time favorite towels are the flour sack ones. I find them to be the most consistently effective and the absolute best ones I’ve ever gotten were made by local artisans. My favorite one is one my sister picked up for me from some small mountain shop and has dogwood flowers designs on it
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u/marquis_knives 1d ago
Microfiber is the absolute worst texture in the world. It feels like nails on chalkboards sound.
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u/One-Yellow-4106 1d ago
Microfiber is incredibly bad for the environment too. The material is essentially fine pieces of plastic that break into finer pieces with every wash
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u/breadparadox 2d ago edited 1d ago
I have a huge variety, but I love the cheap stripe ones at IKEA (less than $1/ea iirc). Also I don’t wash with any fabric softener/static sheet - terrible for clothes/machine/environment + absorbency
Edit: it’s the HILDEGUN, comes in red and blue
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u/theblisters 2d ago
I only have these. I've thrown out any other. They're the best
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u/Candid_Disk1925 2d ago
These or flour sack towels. I have both for different things (flour sack for wine glasses, etc)
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u/WabashCannibal 2d ago
100%. We buy one dozen flour sack towels 24"×24" or so. Replace them every couple years. Super absorbent. Do not leave lint. When they are near end of life or stained, we cut them into small squares for oiling the grill grate. Effective and economical.
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u/yychappyone 2d ago
I have to agree! I have a few varieties of their towels and they are all amazing.
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u/Dragonshatetacos 2d ago
Definitely! I've had mine for more than a decade, and they're still in great shape.
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u/Ignorhymus 2d ago
Those are very good. I also have some of these glass cloth type towels which are very good for, well, glasses. In any case, the critical thing is that you get all natural fibres, and no synthetics
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u/Electric-Sheepskin 2d ago
We have some of those that are 20 years old and they're just now starting to wear thin and be relegated to the rag pile.
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u/Empressmc 1d ago
America’s Test Kitchen did a kitchen towel testing many years ago, and these were the winner. I love them in both the dish cloths and hand towel sizes… Amazon does sell a version, and they’re useful enough, but they do get holes after a while.
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u/TheAwkwardBanana 2d ago
I haven't bought towels in years, but is $7 for a kitchen towel normal now?
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u/Nortex_Vortex 2d ago
Ha, I saw a lovely tea towel yesterday for $25. Each. For that kind of money I'd refuse to use the damn thing.
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u/hammerofspammer 2d ago
They last for years. Think of it as an investment. You may be able to find a towel for $2, but will you have to buy another next year?
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u/MemoryHouse1994 1d ago
YES!! Williams-Sonoma are the best. Have had them for quite a few years. Look brand-new. Their sets used to include tea towels, also. I also have plain white tea towels for multiple uses. All are lint-free, and dry quickly. I also buy quick drying waffle towels and wash cloths.
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u/ohwellitendswell 2d ago
These are my absolute favorites. They dry really well, feel good, and look good too!
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u/RationalViolet665 2d ago
Me, too. And I won’t buy anything at WS because of the prices except that all my kitchen towels are from there. I like these too. https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-striped-dishcloth/
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u/lyr4527 2d ago
Seconding these.
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u/ohwellitendswell 2d ago
Pro tip. Order online and they might accidentally pack something extra. Happened with almost every box people sent us for our wedding
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u/meganthemuggle 1d ago
Geometry towels. Hands down, they are the only ones I will buy any more. Anything else that gets gifted to me goes straight in the donate pile. I’ve had some for 6+ years and they still look fantastic. They’re super absorbent and I love the different prints. They are a bit pricier, but they frequent have sales and I’ve been able to stack discount codes. They also have a recycling program, but I haven’t tried that yet
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u/HouseOfBamboo2 1d ago
These are awesome. Super absorbent but thin (compared to a terry cloth towel) so they dry quickly and more fit in my drawer. Also they have a gazillion designs. Excellent kitchen towel for sure
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u/twYstedf8 1d ago
It depends on if you're using them as a cleaning cloth or just to dry things off.
For drying, I like a 100% cotton hand towel. Wash and dry them before the first use, with NO fabric softener.
For cleaning and wiping up food spills, I prefer a small square microfiber cloth.
Dark colors and prints to hide stains.
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u/NkataUbaal 1d ago
I really like the Williams Sonoma brand kitchen towels. A little on the pricy side for 4, but they last. Also, make sure not to use fabric softener when you wash as that reduces absorbency over time.
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u/SuburbanHarridan 2d ago
Flour sack towels! Also, I knit my own from cotton yarn, when I need a quick, easy knitting project.
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u/toke35 2d ago
The super cheap Hildegun dish towels from Ikea work pretty well
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u/HaplessReader1988 1d ago
Ikea plain cotton for the win. Over time I change colors/patterns so I can retire the old ones to rags without having to remember.
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u/Herbie555 2d ago
I only need my towels to work well, so the restaurant-supply bar towels are my go-to selection:
As others have mentioned, very important to NOT use fabric softener/dryer sheets when you launder these - that adds a coating of what is basically soap and it prevents them from being absorbent.
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u/Sufficient_House_837 2d ago
Linen. Not cotton or other fibre. Linen is great. Also wash without fabric conditioner
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u/hot_like_wasabi 1d ago
My trick for tea towels and Turkish towels. Soak them overnight starting with boiling water. Every time I purchase on of these towels I do this and it increases the absorbency ten-fold..
Maybe try throwing the ones you currently have in a pot or the bathtub and cover with boiling water, soak overnight, then wash (no fabric softener) - see how it goes. Maybe you won't have to buy new ones
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u/AbsolutelyPink 1d ago
Part of their absorbency is how they're washed. Hot water, no fabric softener and cotton are best. No microfiber.
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u/GraphicDesignMonkey 1d ago edited 1d ago
Try to find 100% linen tea towels. They get better the more they're used and the more they're washed. Super absorbent plus they last forever.
Regardless of towel type, wash on a hot wash with vinegar and NEVER EVER use softener.
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u/EveryCoach7620 1d ago
I like Ekelund and Garnier Thiebaut brands. They have bright colors and patterns. I wash all my kitchen towels with a bit of bleach for sanitizing purposes, and they don’t fade or bleed.
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u/MambaMentality4eva 1d ago
I just buy hand towels that are usually meant for the bathroom from Marshalls, Homesense or Costco because I couldn't stand how flimsy and non-absorbent tea towels were. Hand towels for the bath are way more thicker, absorb more and just feel better against the skin. I only use tea towels for grabbing hot bowls or plates from the microwave anyway
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u/Gloomy_Researcher769 1d ago
I feel the same about kitchen towels. A few years ago I switched to flour sack towels. They are perfect for functional over fashion. And cheap enough that when they get too stained, torn or old you don’t mind throwing them in the rag bin. See them Here on Amazon
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u/J_onthelights 1d ago
Trader Joe's has really great kitchen towels. They're pretty cheap too and definitely worth a try.
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u/emotional-empath 2d ago
It's the materials used you gotta look for. I like mostly cotton and terry cloth.
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u/96dpi 2d ago
JB Prince side towels are super high quality, but not cheap. I've had mine for 5 years now and they are still in great shape. I bleach the crap out of them and dry on high heat. Still great.
For something cheaper, I bought a pack of the white kitchen towels from Costco. They are much thicker, but mostly fine.
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u/JordySkateboardy808 2d ago
Lots of places have plush ones. They absorb a lot. I keep a bunch of those and non- plush ones too.
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u/_programmer__ 2d ago
These are my favorite out of the various towels i've bought. Very absorbent and little particle shed
https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Villa-Kitchen-Stripes-Premium/dp/B08BS1G65K/ref=ast_sto_dp_puis
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u/seaurchinthenet 2d ago
May not be the prettiest but these towels are my go to for dry and streak free.
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u/Illegal_Tender 2d ago edited 1d ago
I use Urban villa Kitchen 100% cotton towels and they've been fantastic
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u/BelugaPilot 2d ago
I buy white flour sack towels on (Amazon 😕) by the 24 pack. We don’t use paper towels and these are good to go for everything. I roll them and keep them in a basket on the counter so easy to grab and go. I wash them with a teeny bit of bleach and when they get totally stained and ragged I thank them ,put them in a box and drop them off at the local animal shelter for their next go round.
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u/ceecee_50 2d ago
I get flower sack towels, and food service bar mops for kitchen use. I stopped buying kitchen towels a few years ago. Much more absorbent, I can use them on anything and they wash up well with bleach I’d needed and if I need to replace them they’re less than $20 for like 30 bar mops.
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u/BJntheRV 2d ago
Get bar towels. My bf kept talking about reading how great they were and I was like we have kitchen towels. He ordered them. He was right. They are the first thing I grab now.
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u/Displaced_in_Space 2d ago
They're two different things in my kitchen.
Tea towels are in a separate drawer and use for baking/cooking purposes.
Kitchen towels are stacks of inexpensive terry towels in whatever color the wife likes to go with the kitchen. I use a lot of kitchen towels weekly, so we have a whole drawer of them.
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u/Slippery-Mitzfah 2d ago
Harringdon’s Premium Kitchen Towels on Amazon are my absolute favorite.
Absorbent and lint-free.
28” x 20”
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u/JCuss0519 2d ago
I make sure I buy textured ones with a but of a "fluffy" feel to them, similar to bath towels. When you wash them avoid using softeners (including drying sheets) as this will make them less absorbent.
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u/TheMarriedUnicorM 2d ago
I use microfiber towels for cleaning and wiping. Terry cloth and bar towels for everything else. Restaurant towels are the best. Go to a restaurant supply store if you have one nearby. (My sister owns a restaurant. I’ve been “borrowing” hers for years. [I kid, I pay for them when she makes an order.] Way before The Bear came out and all of a sudden commercial kitchen equipment became a thing.)
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u/Electric-Sheepskin 2d ago
Are you using fabric softener on them? If so, that will destroy their absorbency.
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u/FelisNull 2d ago
Basic cotton towels are so much better! Try oversized hand towels.
Don't get microfiber - you'll hate it even more.
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u/alohadave 2d ago
Tea towels suck for absorbency. Look for terry cloth (like your bath towel). The flat weave of tea towels isn't good for absorbing water like loop pile towels are.
But, don't get cut pile towels. They absorb about like the flat towels do.
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u/The_B_Wolf 2d ago
I like these. I use the red ones on the oven handle for grabbing hot pots. I use the white ones at the sink for drying things.
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u/LemonLily1 2d ago
I like using Swedish dish cloths. They are really absorbent, but typically a lot smaller than any tea towel. It's like a square. They dry really quickly and they're easy to clean. When dry it feels hard almost like a piece of cardboard lol so it's not that flexible.
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u/Lucky_Ad2801 2d ago
I use soft towels that are a mix of cotton and bamboo. I use them primarily to dry my hands in the kitchen after I wash them. I like anything with bamboo because the material is antimicrobial, so the towels do not get musty if they are damp for a while.
For regular wiping down of the counter, I just use reusable microfiber sponges that I can put in the wash. One side is soft Microfiber and the other side is a mildly abrasive, but non scratch type of material to get at any grit.
They are easy to rinse out after each use and you can dry them on a ventilated soap rack. You can get a multipac and use a fresh one each day and just put the used ones in your laundry and wash them in a mesh bag.
I've never been a fan of tea towels either. I find them really disgusting and very rough. The only use I could see for those would be maybe dry to put over proofing bread. But I have other covers that I use for that sort of thing.
Paper towels and washable sponges are more sanitary. If you want to use a towel to wipe down the counter, I would also go with a bamboo based fabric.
You want something that isn't going to get stiff, smelly and gross after being wet down.
For hand towels, I go with something soft and absorbent.. Bamboo cotton blend is your best bet here.
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u/thePHTucker 2d ago
Sam's Club has bundles of blue stripe Terry cloth kitchen towels (which is what most restaurants use) for cheap. The first wash will drop a bunch of lint, but after that, they work like a charm. I use them for all utility purposes in the kitchen. Pot holders, wipe clothes, etc. Also, it's good in a pinch if you spill something and don't want to waste a bunch of paper towels. I've had my last batch for 5 years, and they still hold up.
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u/dailysunshineKO 2d ago
These cotton tea towels are amazing-
https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/products/tanan-cotton-tea-towel-set-of-2
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u/Itstimeforcookies19 2d ago
I started buying bathroom hand towels because everything where I live is microfiber and I do not care what anyone says they do not dry for shit. They don’t even dry my hands much less a dish. So I have no idea how this became the standard. I found some decent kitchen terry cloth ones at target last month but that was after literally 6 months of the entire dish towel section being empty. So I have those and bathroom hand towels. I love the bathroom ones because they are super absorbent and come in much better colors and patterns anyway. I went on 2 year search for decent towels so I’m really passionate about this subject.
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u/fishinbarbie 2d ago
I buy large packs of the white terrycloth towels from the automotive department at Walmart.
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u/she_slithers_slyly 2d ago
I don't like the thin, tight weave either and prefer terry cloth. About once every 7 to 10 years I buy a dozen extra large hand towels for hanging on the stove and every 4 to 5 years I'll replace the two dozen washcloths. All the old ones get repurposed as cleaning towels and rags. Because of this I make sure to get a different color.
I rinse and hang my rag (washcloth) up every night over the sink and by morning it's dry and goes into a laundry bag hanging on the inside of the door to the cabinet just below the sink. When it's time to do towels I zip it up and toss it in. My sponges, too. Hand towels are too big but they also don't get lost in the laundry cycle like little things can.
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u/TheLastLibrarian1 2d ago
I typically have this problem with IKEA tea towels, never an issue with towels from other stores. Flour sack towels are also good.
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u/milobindi 2d ago
100% cotton, and get ones that have the loop texture more similar to a bath towel, and do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets with them. This is the only combination of towel/care method that actually results in absorbent kitchen towels for me. I get gifted new kitchen towels all the time and have to end up donating so many because they just arent absorbent, and I need my towels to be both visually pleasing AND functional.
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u/queen_mantis 2d ago
They don’t make towels like they used too! I get all mine second hand from the thrift store!
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u/laneykaye65 2d ago
Don’t use microfiber towels. They are the worst and catch on any rough spots on your skin/hands.
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u/Bay_de_Noc 2d ago
The only ones that I've ever liked are the flour sack dish towels ... the big ones. They are kind of thin and all cotton.
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u/IndependentMethod312 2d ago
I like bar towels and no fabric softener/dryer sheets when you dry them.
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u/Darnbeasties 1d ago
Bought some a while back from Costco. They were kitchen towels but looked and felt like cotton hand towels. The best. I’ll use cotton hand towels from now on.
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u/Responsible_Side8131 1d ago
Why not just buy smaller bath towels and use those? There’s nothing magical about a bath towel that prevents it from Being used in your kitchen
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u/Henbogle 1d ago
My all time favorite towels are 100% linen tea towels. They used to be common gift items, often with calendars printed on them. Linen wears like iron and lasts forever; I am still using a couple my of my mother’s towels, one dated 1973. My DH purchased a lot of linen tea towels for me from e-bay a dozen years ago. No doubt they will last me until my dish wiping days are over. I’ve also purchased linen towels from IKEA that were good.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 1d ago
I found terry cloth ones at Ross and TJMaxx that are more like bath towel material. I wash my hands a lot throughout the day, and I’d soak those tea towels in an hour of cooking. I also like bar mops for wiping down the countertops and wiping my hands.
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u/Far-Possible4253 1d ago
100% linen tea towels are my favorite. They are very hard to find in the US so I usually buy them when I'm in Europe. Really asborbant and get softer with age.
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u/8008ytrap 1d ago
I just use the generic red and blue checkered ones from Kmart but I run them through a few long washes of vinegar and then baking soda.
Breaks the fabric down a bit so the towell will actually absorb liquid.
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u/Wewagirl 1d ago
Avoid using fabric softener or dryer sheets with towels. The residue they deposit on the fabric actually makes it much less absorbent!
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u/EntertainerKooky1309 1d ago
I have the classic white and blue 100% cotton flour sack towels and the smaller white microfiber towels, both from Amazon. I have enough to go through several of each a day. The micro fiber towels are used around the sink and where I need extra absorption. The flour sack are used to dry.
The color blue takes Clorox well. To wash I throw them into my front load washer with a large scoop of White Revivei oxy in the drum, the bleach compartment full of Clorox no-splash and regularly dispensed laundry detergent. I also choose pre-soak and extra rinse. So about 2 hours to wash.
I throw them in the dryer on the color cycle and very dry selections. Except in extreme cases, they come out bright white and clean. The White Revive has bluing in it to keep the Clorox from turning the towels yellow. I used to use Mrs. Stewart’s bluing but the White Revive also helps with stains.
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u/MountainMirthMaker 1d ago
Same here, I feel like half the towels I buy are just decoration at this point. They smear water around instead of drying anything. Gonna check out flour sack towels now, sounds like what I’ve been looking for.
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u/Downtown-Care9272 2d ago
I just get cheap terry cloth ones from Walmart, but don't use fabric softener on your towels. It inhibits the absorption abilities. That changed my towel game entirely.