A guide to buying kitchen towels might be one of the most useful things you'll ever read. Kitchen towels are easily one of the most important items in your home. You probably use them every single day,
Unless you don't eat or cook. But assuming you do, the problem is that many people don't know how to buy a proper, high-quality kitchen towel.
How to Choose Kitchen Towels? (The Two-Towel System)
You probably expect me to just point to one "best" towel for everything. To be honest, that’s not the best way to do it. It is important to separate your towels based on how you use them.
You are at a point in life where you don't need to use one towel for everything. While high-quality linen tea towels can do it all, it is smarter to use a two-towel system.
You don't want to use the same heavily stained, worn-out towel to wipe a greasy counter and then display it for your guests. You always want to have your everyday "workhorse" towels and your beautiful "show pony" guest towels.
To know exactly what to look for, let's go through the most important categories for choosing a proper kitchen towel.
Material
Material is arguably the most important factor. It can make or break your towel collection. If you ignore this, the rest of this guide won't matter much.
If you are reading this, you are probably at a point where you want to invest in a healthy home.
Today, there are a lot of synthetic fabrics, like polyester. While they might clean up spills quickly, at what cost? Many of those synthetic fibers are heavily treated with harsh chemicals. You don't want those chemical-heavy fabrics near your food or in the air you breathe.
Instead, invest in natural materials.
The only two materials worth looking at for kitchen towels are linen and cotton. Out of those two, linen is the better choice because it lasts much longer, gets softer over time, and is completely safe for your body.
Summary:
- Stick to natural materials like 100% pure linen or cotton.
- Avoid synthetic fibres like polyester to keep unwanted, harsh chemicals away from your food and the air you breathe.
Absorption and Moisture Wicking
After choosing a natural material, the next factor is how well it handles liquids. You need a towel that can quickly absorb spills but won't stay damp for hours.
While some synthetic fibres can do this, you don't want a "chemical balloon" hanging around the place where you eat and cook. Investing in natural fabrics means investing in your health. A towel made from 100% linen or cotton won't give you those problems.
When they are organically grown and woven by experts, they absorb moisture beautifully. Natural fibres like linen are a popular choice for high-quality homes because their unique weave makes them incredibly moisture-wicking and fast-drying.
Summary:
- Choose a towel that absorbs spills quickly and dries fast to prevent dampness.
- Natural fibres, especially linen, naturally draw moisture away and evaporate it efficiently without the need for chemical treatments.
Odour
This is a big one. Sometimes when you live in a house, you become "nose blind" and don't notice smells that develop over time. The people who do notice are your guests.
A bad odour can come from anything: your clothes, clogged drains, plumbing leaks, or your sour kitchen towels. Out of all the five senses, smell is the one that makes people want to back away the fastest. You can prevent a smelly kitchen just by choosing the right towel.
Natural fibres like linen are woven from hollow flax fibres. This means air flows easily through them. Because they dry so fast, moisture doesn't linger. No lingering moisture means bacteria can't grow, which means your towel stays completely odour-free.
Summary:
- Fast-drying towels prevent the growth of bacteria, which is the main cause of the dreaded "sour towel" smell.
- Linen’s breathable, hollow fibres stop odours naturally, keeping your kitchen smelling fresh.
Size
In the kitchen, size definitely matters. Many people make the mistake of buying small kitchen towels.
You actually want a very large towel, so it doesn't take up too much space, you can always fold it up. Since one of the main uses for towels is cleaning up spills, a larger surface area gives you more dry room to work with.
Your kitchen towel is also a multi-purpose tool. You use it to handle hot dishes, keep fresh bread warm, or line a bread basket. Since your towel can be used for your food, you want a generously sized natural towel (like linen or cotton) that is totally free from harsh chemicals.
It’s worth mentioning that to ensure kitchen hygiene, that you use a separate kitchen towel for food, and another for cleaning.
Summary:
- Buy larger towels to give yourself more dry surface area for wiping up big spills.
- A large, natural towel is a perfect, food-safe tool for handling hot pans or wrapping fresh baked goods
Longevity
If your towel only lasts a couple of months before falling apart, it was never a good towel. You want to invest in natural fibre towels from brands that take the time to weave them properly.
Avoid cheap, mass-produced options. High-quality natural fibres, like linen, are known to last for decades. This is because linen is made from flax fibres, which are incredibly dense and resilient while still feeling lightweight. It does the heavy lifting of a synthetic fibre, but in a much safer, more durable way.
Summary:
- Cheap, mass-produced towels fall apart quickly, while properly woven natural fibres are long-term investments.
- Linen is made from highly resilient flax fibres that can easily last for decades without wearing out.
The Final Verdict
By now, you should clearly understand that buying synthetic fibres for your kitchen towels is simply not good enough. They will not last as long, and they can cause health problems over time.
Knowing this, you have two clear choices.
Your first option is to invest in a set of high-quality, natural fabric towels for everything.
Your second option is to use a two-towel system.
With this system, you use cheaper natural fabric towels for daily tasks and keep expensive, high-quality towels for guests or when you want your kitchen to look its best.
If you choose the first route, investing in linen tea towels is your best decision.
Linen is arguably the finest natural fabric on earth. Often chosen by royalty and professionals, linen is a fabric that consistently performs well. It can last for decades, it softens with every wash, and it is highly absorbent.
Bacteria cannot easily grow on it, meaning you never have to worry about a sour-smelling towel.
If you choose the second route, use linen tea towels as your high-quality option and cotton terry cloth as your cheaper, everyday towel. You should take this path if you worry about staining or damaging your expensive towels.
Using a cotton terry cloth for daily chores means you protect your nice linen towels. The cotton terry acts as your "workhorse" for messy, heavy-duty jobs like cleaning spills, wiping greasy counters, and handling hot trays.
While cotton terry does not feel quite as nice as linen, it gives you total peace of mind during messy tasks.
Summary:
- Choose either a complete set of high-quality linen towels or a two-towel system to protect your nicest pieces.
- Linen offers long-lasting quality and odour resistance, while cotton terry cloth is perfect for heavy-duty daily messes.
Are Expensive Towels Really Better?
Yes.
Companies often sell cheap packs of towels to tempt you into buying them. They design these cheap towels to absorb liquids quickly right out of the package, and they highlight this in their advertisements. This tricks the consumer into making a purchase.
However, you will soon realize these towels lose their absorbency very fast and quickly turn into useless rags. You then have to buy more of the exact same towels, falling right into the company's trap.
Many people consider high-quality natural fabric towels to be too expensive. In reality, you end up paying the exact same amount of money over time.
The key difference is that high-quality towels actually last. If you buy linen, it will get softer, more absorbent, and better with age. You do not have to constantly replace them because they are designed to last for decades instead of being thrown away.
They also serve multiple purposes. Beyond absorbing spills, they are beautiful items you can display to give your home a subtle touch of style.
Summary:
- Cheap towels quickly lose their ability to absorb liquids, forcing you to spend more money constantly replacing them.
- High-quality natural towels cost more upfront but save you money long-term because they last for decades and improve with age.
How to Care For Your Towels
Taking care of your towels is easy.
If you have Irish linen taken care of, it is as simple as doing the following
- Avoid harsh bleaches
- Do not wash on extremely high heat, low heat is better
- Air drying is always better, but if you need to use a machine, then tumble dry it to preserve the natural fibres for decades
If you have a cotton terry cloth just remember
-
Wash the towel using high heat in order to strip away the grease and the food bacteria
Finally, for both remember the following
-
Don’t use fabric softener. It damages the fibres and ruins the absorbency.
How to Store Your Towels
Storing your kitchen towels is easy. Simply just do the following.
- If It Is A Clean Towel: Fold and store in a cool dry environment that is away from direct sunlight and is away from moisture inducing environments like a shower
- If It Is Damp Or Used: Hang them fully open in a well ventilated area to prevent the bacteria and mildew before wash day.
Are Kitchen Towels Better Than Paper Towels?
Kitchen tea towels are far better than paper towels.
This comes down two reasons
- Sustainability: Paper towels damage the environment because of its high usage. If you spill something, you’re likely not just using one paper towel to clean up the spill, you’re using multiple. Paper towels make up a large percentage of your household waste
- Performance: A natural fabric kitchen towel is going to clean spills better, polished glasses, better, and last much longer for your home.
What NOT To Do With Kitchen Towels
- Don’t Use Cheap Trendy Fuzz: Avoid any trendy, fluffy/fuzzy towels, they will just leave lint all over your home and your glassware
- Don’t Damage The Fabric: Avoid fabric softeners, harsh detergent, and any heavy chemicals
- Don’t Just Use One Towel: Don’t use the same towel to wipe down raw meat, and clean a wine glass. Multiple towels are needed to uphold the hygiene to avoid cross contamination.
A Checklist of What You Should Have
- The Ratio: 4 to 6 Cotton Terry towels (if you want those cheap workhorse towels for day to day) + 2 to 4 premium Irish Linen "Hero" towels.
- The Glassware Rule: 100% Pure Irish Linen only (no lint, no streaks).
- The Size: Generously sized (at least 46cm by 46cm inches) so you can dry a whole sink of dishes without needing a second towel.
- The Purity: Zero synthetic fibres.
Our Two Recommendations
The Main Towel: Ferguson Irish Linen Tea Towels
If you are looking for the absolute best main towel for your kitchen, then go with Ferguson Irish Linen tea towels. We’ve been weaving natural Irish Linen Items in Northern Ireland since 1854. We use no chemicals and absolutely no synthetics. When you buy from us, you get a pure, natural product that is safe for your home and your food.
Our commitment to quality is exactly why we serve customers all around the world.
We love selling to those who demand the very best for their homes.
Our high standard for our items is a major reason why
Our fabrics have been seen on major productions by:
- Netflix
- Amazon Prime Video
- The BBC
When you choose Ferguson, you are choosing a fabric trusted by professionals at the highest level.
This linen tea towel is perfectly designed to be your main towel and your day-to-day towel all in one.
It handles everything with ease. Absorbing, antibacterial, safe for your skin, and large. It also gets softer every time you wash it.
Remember, we only recommend using the two-towel system if you are deeply worried about getting your high-quality linen stained. Even then, the simplest solution is just to own multiple high-quality kitchen towels so you always have a fresh one ready to go.
Summary:
- A Ferguson Irish Linen tea towel is a chemical-free, heritage product trusted by high-profile clients and major film productions.
- It is durable enough to be your only towel, though you can still use a two-towel system if you want to avoid staining your nicest linens.
The Workhorse Day-to-Day: A Thick, 100% Cotton Terry Cloth Towel
If you do decide to use the two-towel system to protect your linen, your second towel should be a thick, 100 percent cotton terry cloth towel. This towel is positioned as your everyday grunt worker. It is there to take on the messiest, dirtiest jobs in your kitchen.
Because these towels are meant for heavy grease, tough spills, and harsh scrubbing, you do not need to overthink this purchase. Since they are cheap and meant to take a beating, almost any standard cotton terry cloth will do the job. Just make sure it is 100 percent natural cotton so you still avoid synthetic plastics. You can find these easily at almost any store for a very low price.
Summary:
- A standard cotton terry cloth towel is perfect for acting as the everyday grunt worker for your messiest kitchen tasks.
- Because they are inexpensive and meant to take damage, you can buy almost any brand without putting much thought into it as long as it is 100 percent cotton.
