What would we do without tea towels? Those who are not blessed with a kitchen fairy aka dish washer, can you imagine drying your washing up or polishing your glass without them? Wiping surfaces, wiping hands whilst cooking, wiping the kitchen surfaces, cleaning spillages, winding around your head whilst gardening… Life would be miserable with them.
Tea towels can harbour multiple bacteria and even give you food poisoning if not looked after properly. Ideally, kitchen towels should be washed every day after use. Today I am giving helpful tips on how to make the most of these little helpers.
Q: Why does my tea towel not dry items very well?
A: Do not add fabric softener when washing tea towels. The contents of fabric conditioners can reduce towel’s absorbency, and limit the water from penetrating the fabric.
Adding a little diluted white vinegar can also increase their absorbency, especially if they are new.
You should wash your tea towels at 60 degrees centigrade to kill bacteria.
Q: My tea towel still smells after washing, should I throw it away?
A: No need, this is common. Add white vinegar or baking soda (a couple of table spoons or a cupful you use for fabric softener) to the detergent. Stop the washing cycle half way, and leave them to soak overnight, then finish the cycle in the morning. The odour should disappear.
Q: What is the best way of removing stains from tea towels, like coffee and red wine?
A: Clothing stain remover should do the job – but if it doesn’t, dilute some baking soda in water and rub the mixture lightly into the stain prior to washing.
Q: I collect tea towels on my travels but they fade so quickly, how do I prevent them from using colour?
A: Sadly, poor quality tea towels are prone to fading due to the quality of inks used in printing them. You can make the colours last longer by adding some salt and baking soda to your wash and white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Do not put vinegar in the same cycle as the washing powder or baking soda as they will mutually neutralise each other and will not remove the stain.
Drying your tea towels away from the sun and on the clothes horse (not in the tumble dryer) will also make the colour last longer.