There are tea towels you choose because they look nice… and those you end up searching all over the kitchen for because they dry things off really well. With cotton, linen, blended fabric, honeycomb or jacquard tea towels to choose from, it’s not always easy to know which one will suit your everyday needs best.
And yet, a good tea towel can really make life easier: drying the washing-up without leaving streaks, quickly soaking up water by the sink, drying your hands or helping with meal preparation. At Anna et Moi, we love these little everyday items that become almost invisible… precisely because they do their job so well.
So, which tea towel should you choose? Here’s our comprehensive guide to understanding the materials, weaves, uses and best care practices.
How can you tell if a kitchen tea towel is a good one?
A good tea towel is about more than just its design. To be practical for everyday use, it must combine several qualities: good absorbency, the ability to dry quickly enough, a fabric that withstands repeated washing, and a size that is easy to handle.
- For crockery: look first and foremost for absorbency and a material that doesn’t leave too many fibres behind.
- For glasses: choose a fine, soft, lint-free cloth to avoid leaving marks.
- For your hands: choose a soft, absorbent fabric, such as certain types of cotton or honeycomb-weave fabrics.
- For a very busy kitchen: choose a hard-wearing material that can withstand frequent washing.
That’s precisely why it can be handy to keep your dish towels separate from your hand towels. That way, each can have its own specific role in the kitchen.
Cotton tea towel: the versatile classic
Cotton remains one of the most common materials used for kitchen textiles, and this is no coincidence. It is soft to the touch, easy to look after and effective at absorbing moisture.
A cotton tea towel is particularly well suited to everyday washing up, cutlery, saucepans and hands. It generally becomes softer and more comfortable after several washes.
If you’re keen to find out more about natural fibres, we’ve also written an article on cotton, from the flower right through to your home.
Linen tea towel: ideal for glasses and fine crockery
Linen is prized for its durability, the fact that it dries quickly, and its feel, which becomes softer over time. Its texture makes it an excellent choice for glassware, carafes or tableware where you want to avoid smears and loose fibres.
So don’t worry if a new linen tea towel feels a little stiff at first: like many beautiful natural fabrics, it becomes softer with use.
Do you like this fabric? Why not take a look at our article on washed linen – timeless and elegant.
Linen-cotton blend: an excellent compromise
This blend combines two complementary fibres: cotton provides a soft feel and good absorbency, whilst linen offers durability and quick-drying properties. It is a particularly good choice when looking for a versatile tea towel for everyday use.
For a family kitchen where tea towels are regularly put in the washing machine, this type of blend can offer a very good balance between comfort, effectiveness and durability.
Honeycomb, jacquard, plain weave: the weave matters too
The fabric is important, but the weave is just as important. Two cotton tea towels can feel very different depending on how they are woven.
The honeycomb
Its textured surface increases the fabric’s surface area and gives it a pleasant feel. It is particularly suitable for wiping hands or quickly absorbing moisture. It is lightweight and dries fairly quickly between uses.
Jacquard
With jacquard, the pattern is woven into the fabric. It is not simply a design printed onto the surface. This is what often gives these tea towels a more intricate look and makes them a real eye-catcher in a kitchen.
The classic canvas
Simple and effective, the cloth is easy to use and ideal for everyday cleaning. Its performance depends mainly on the quality of the fibre, the density of the fabric and how well it is looked after.
Which tea towel should you choose, depending on how you’ll use it?
| Usage | Recommended choice | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Wiping the crockery | Pure cotton or a blend | Good absorbency and easy to look after |
| Wipe the glasses | Fine linen or mixed-fibre fabric | Quick-drying and low-lint |
| Wipe your hands | Cotton or honeycomb | Comfortable to the touch and good absorbency |
| Intensive cookery course | Heavy-duty cotton or a cotton-blend | Retains its shape even with frequent washing |
| Kitchen décor | Jacquard or intricate pattern | The tea towel also becomes a decorative feature |
Why does a new tea towel sometimes absorb less well?
It’s a comment we often hear: ‘My tea towel is brand new, but it hardly absorbs anything!’ That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s poor quality.
A new textile may still contain finishing agents used during its manufacture and finishing. Washing it for the first time usually helps to soften the fibres and gradually improve their absorbency.
Mamimosa often says that the first wash is a small step that makes a big difference. Read her tips in our article ‘Why should you always wash your new laundry?’
How should you wash your kitchen tea towels?
Tea towels are in constant use throughout the day. They are handled by hand, exposed to damp and may come into contact with a wide variety of surfaces. It is therefore worth paying a little attention to how they are looked after.
- Always follow the instructions on the label.
- Separate the colours where necessary.
- Avoid overloading the machine so that the laundry can be washed properly.
- Don’t use too much fabric softener: depending on the type of fibre, using too much can reduce its absorbency.
- Make sure you let your tea towels dry thoroughly between uses.
To avoid any confusion when looking at the symbols, have a look at our guide to care labels. And if you’d like to find out more, check out our tips on looking after your household linen.
How often should you change your tea towel?
There is no single rule that applies to all kitchens. It all depends on how it is used. A tea towel used solely for drying clean crockery will not be subjected to the same wear and tear as a hand towel used all day long.
The right thing to do is simple: as soon as a tea towel has been damp for a long time, has become dirty, has developed a smell or has been used for several different purposes, replace it with a clean one. Having several tea towels to rotate between makes everyday life much easier.
A tea towel for every purpose: a good habit to get into in the kitchen
In a well-organised kitchen, it can be useful to assign a specific purpose to each cloth: one for washing up, another for drying hands, and perhaps another for those little mishaps on the worktop.
A different colour, pattern or texture makes them instantly recognisable. And if you like to coordinate your kitchen, you can complete your kitchen linen with a pretty kitchen apron.
And what about Oeko-Tex certification?
When choosing textiles for everyday use, certifications can also help you better understand what you are buying. The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 label focuses in particular on the presence of undesirable substances in textiles.
We explain exactly what role it plays in our article ‘Oeko-Tex: the label that’s really changing the world of home textiles’.
How to choose your tea towels in 30 seconds?
- Specify the intended use: crockery, glasses, hand washing or general purpose.
- Choose the fabric: cotton for versatility, linen for its lightness and quick-drying properties, or a blend for a good compromise.
- Take a look at the weave: honeycomb for an absorbent texture, jacquard for a more decorative finish.
- Check the care instructions: your tea towel must be suitable for your household’s washing routine.
- Think about rotation: having several tea towels for different purposes is often more practical than just one all-purpose tea towel.
Our advice at Anna et Moi
Don’t necessarily look for ‘the best tea towel’ in absolute terms. Instead, look for the one that suits your lifestyle.
In a home where the kitchen is a hive of activity, having a selection is often the most practical solution: an absorbent tea towel for washing up, a soft cloth for your hands and a thinner one for glasses. And since these little helpers are often left hanging in plain view, you might as well choose patterns and fabrics that add a touch of warmth to the room.
Discover our dish towels and kitchen tea towels
FAQ: How to choose and look after your kitchen tea towels
What is the best material for a kitchen tea towel?
There isn’t one single material that’s best. Cotton is very versatile, linen is particularly well suited to glasses, and a linen-cotton blend offers an excellent compromise for everyday use.
Why do you need to wash a new tea towel before using it?
The first wash helps to remove any manufacturing finishes and soften the fibres. This can improve the fabric’s absorbency over the course of the first few washes.
Which tea towel should you choose for wiping glasses?
A linen or fine blended cloth is often a good choice for glassware, as it dries quickly and tends to leave few fibres on surfaces.
What is the difference between a hand towel and a tea towel?
Hand towels are generally designed to prioritise comfort and absorbency when in contact with the skin, whereas tea towels are designed for drying plates, cutlery, pans and glasses. Keeping them separate also helps to organise daily kitchen hygiene more effectively.
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