Tuesday, June 17, 2014

simply practical : dry the dishes



my favourite dish cloths/tea towels from small batch productions 

An obvious sequel but sometimes predictability is a good thing.

There are two ways I can tell the story of drying the dishes.

Number one: a tea towel. You may think that's a sufficient answer but, no. Because a quality tea towel should never be underestimated. It doesn't merely dry dishes; it's slung over the shoulder in a passionate cooking session, it hangs on a handle or a hook waiting to dry hands and it cradles the just-out-of-the-oven casserole dish or baking tray. It's one of the most useful items in the kitchen.

Number two: linen.

I could end the post right there but that might come across as a little contrived. I'm not ashamed of my love affair with linen. It's beautiful to look at, a pleasure to touch, it softens with use and it's quick to dry. It's the latter point that really makes a difference for me. I want one tea-towel in the kitchen - no more - and I need it to be useful.

Linen is an eco-friendly product (the cultivation of flax/linen requires little if any pesticides), it absorbs well and dries quickly. However, it's absorption qualities also means it sucks in oils and odours so you do need to wash it regularly. A short soak in warm water with some baking soda and a drop or two of lemon oil works well as does a regular wash in the washing machine. If you have the opportunity to hang them on the line and dry them in the sun do so.

After using linen in the kitchen I'm considering introducing it into the bathroom, too.

Fancy some new linen in the kitchen? I love this citrus hue, a rainbow or muted collection and a classic stripe.

What are your requirements for a good tea towel?


17 COMMENTS

  1. All of the above much to the disgust of hubby...My tea towels succumb to wiping up toddler mess and my dirty hands as I wash/ dry them continuously and wipe food mess them whilst I'm cooking away. I think I sometimes put three in the washing machine everyday....They also have to be good at soaking up water when drying dishes. Might have to try out this linen you speak of.

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  2. I love to buy my linen tea towels when traveling. They are such a good reminder of fun times. I'm currently using my Queen Mary falls one, a reminder of a camping holiday a few winters ago.

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  3. You should have seen the look my partner gave me when I described my new tea towels as "awesome". SIZE and ABSORBENCY are my top priorities. DESIGN is a very close third though...

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    1. I think it's completely acceptable to get excited over products that are used every day, regardless of the fact that they're tea towels ;) x

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  4. love linen - so classy and durable. here in northern europe especially lithuanian linen products are famous for their quality - this shop:
    https://www.etsy.com/shop/LovelyHomeIdea is one of my favourites: high quality and very affordable prices in my opinion

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    1. Oh, thanks for the recommendation x

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    2. A bit off the subject, do you have any recommendations for searching etsy...I find it a bit overwhelming, very hit and miss. thanks

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  5. Oh great article and thank you to yourself and those in the comments for the links. Good tea towels are hard to find. Many these days seem to smear the water over the dishes rather than absorb anything - even though we only buy natural fibre ones there is a vast difference in quality. The tea towels in our home are something that need a bit of an overhaul.

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  6. Mmmm.... I would love some linen in our kitchen...
    Ronnie xo

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  7. I hate the feeling of drying wet dishes with a wet towel, and yet it doesn't take mine long to get that way. Perhaps I should try linen.

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  8. I also love flour sack cotton tea towels. They are incredibly absorbent and dry very fast. I've been screen printing on them recently and been testing out a whole batch in my kitchen. Yes, they are either flung over my shoulder, or over the oven door rack at all times! Fun post. Thanks. www.johannawinterharper.com

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  9. My tea towels are divided into two piles - 1. For the kitchen 2. For the floors, walls, benches where they take the place of paper towel.

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  10. Thank you so much for all the beauty in this post! I have ordered some new tea towel. They have been on my 'I would like' list for ages x

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  11. Totally agree about the linen tea towels. Why I bothered with new cotton ones for so long I have no idea. The vintage linen ones are 100% better.

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  12. Jodi, your links take me to a new page now! Ahh the simple things get me excited :)

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    1. Thanks for suggesting I amend that little error, Angela. x

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  13. I recently received my first linen tea towel as a prize and wondered just how useful it would be. Lets just say I am a convert! x

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