In a busy kitchen, a high-quality tea towel is an essential item. In addition to cleaning, drying, and handling hot plates, tea towels can provide a unique and decorative flair to any kitchen. They make excellent practical gifts and charming keepsakes.
What is a tea towel? A tea towel is a piece of cloth that comes with a woven design or printed pattern for decoration. Unlike your basic and super-absorbent hand or bath towels, tea towels are often made from cotton, linen, or a combination of these two materials.100% cotton is the best material for a soft, absorbent and sturdy dish towel as it has all the properties needed to provide superior performance in the kitchen. They are lint free and have higher absorbency to soak up messes.
Why use tea towels? Tea towels are a simple, beautiful, and sustainable solution to your kitchen needs. Unlike disposable cleaning supplies, tea towels are reusable, versatile, and environmentally friendly.
Why reactive printed tea towels (All Jessica Anderton Designs Tea Towels) are better quality than pigment printed towels.
Reactive inks give superior wash and rub fastness, along with brighter colour yield compared to pigment printing. They also allow the fabric to be machine washed without running the risk of colour fading. Other benefits include a softer feel to the skin and it will be less waxy.
Images show Champagne & Fizz Tea Towel and GIN Tea Towel.
Do's & Dont's; Just like any towel, tea towels still require washing to remove stains and prevent a build-up of bacteria. Immediately after purchasing, we recommend soaking your tea towel in warm water, as this will remove any excess oil left over from the manufacturing process and activate the absorbency.
Avoid fabric conditioner and instead, use detergent when washing your tea towel to retain its absorbency. Using fabric conditioner or fabric softener leaves an oily coating on the towel which becomes water-resistant and makes your towel less absorbent. To dry, simply hang your tea towels on a washing line or clothes horse. Although our tea towels can be machine dried, try to avoid this as it can harm the fabric over time. Tea towels tend to dry much quicker than other towels as they are smaller and thinner.
Top Tip: Tea towels should be ironed when they are slightly damp so that they can be stretched back into the correct shape.
How to display your tea towel
Tea towels can be displayed in a number of ways, either neatly folded over oven door handles or hung on a dedicated hook to add a splash of decorative colour to complement the overall kitchen interior. They are easy to fold and store neatly in a kitchen drawer if they offer a more functional purpose.
Uses for tea towel;
Give Them as a Gift - Need a special and long-lasting gift? Tea Towels make wonderful presents for weddings or anniversaries as they carry a practical and meaningful sentiment.
Framing your Tea Towel - Treat your tea towel like a piece of art. Displaying your decorative tea towel in a frame or as a wall hanging can freshen and brighten your home. Before framing, ensure your towel is wrinkle-free by ironing or steaming it as flat as possible to remove creases. As mentioned above, ironing when slightly damp can ensure it stretches back to normal shape.
Cooling Baked Goods - Can’t find a cooling tray in your kitchen? Your tea towel will do just fine. Gently place your hot baked goods on a clean towel to cool them down. Alternatively, keep them warm by wrapping them inside the tea towel.
Cover Bowls of Rising Bread Dough - Rather than covering your rising dough with cheap plastic wraps, use a tea towel! This fabric is reusable and better for the environment.
Keep Mugs and Bowls in Place - Whether you’re drinking a cup of fresh coffee or having your morning cereal, tea towels make a great serving accessory. They help hold cups and bowls in place, as well as catch any spills and drips that could stain your table.
Hold Hot Pots and Pans with Ease - Of course, ideally, you have your Champagne or GIN Double Oven Glove nearby, but when a hot plate needs wrangling in a pinch, a tea towel does the trick. Just make sure you fold it two or three times to get maximum heat protection!
Image shows Champagne & Fizz Double Oven Glove
Breathe Life to a Dull Bathroom - Impress your guests and improve the look of your home by hanging decorative tea towels instead of regular hand towels. Design tip: Choose a tea towel with a colour that matches the overall motif of your bathroom.
Decorate the Kitchen Table - Beautify your kitchen by using tea towels in place of the standard cloth napkins or table placemats. Our colourful and intricately designed tea towels bring energy and life to a lunch or dinner event. Alternatively, the Champagne & Fizz Placemats and Dining Set are perfect for giving your dining area a new lease of life.
Drip Drying Glasses - Of course, you use tea towels to dry the dishes, but you can also use one just to let glasses drip dry. We like to fold a tea towel in half and place it on a Jessica Anderton Designs BAR Tray to create a soft (and attractive) landing for our favourite glasses.
Gift Wrap - Wrap it! The Japanese art of furoshiki (wrapping objects in fabric) is a perfect opportunity to not only give two gifts simultaneously but also to get people to marvel at your ingenuity and dexterity. Alternatively, how about wrapping a champagne bottle in one of the best-selling Champagne Tea Towels? This is a unique way of gift-wrapping!
Are you convinced that tea towels can do a lot more than dry dishes? Hear what our customers had to say about their Tea Towels;
"I bought this as a little gift and I am delighted with the vivid colours, fabric and the overall finish. Thank you! I shall be back"
"Really good quality, arrived nicely wrapped and really promptly. It was a present for my best friend but very glad I decided to get one for myself too!"
"Top notch - never thought I’d get excited about tea towels…I bought one of each colour and love them. Beautiful quality and excellent personalised service. Strongly recommended."
"Fantastic design & print, I won’t be trying to hide this tea towel away!"
Shop the Best-Selling Tea Towels;