A tea towel is a soft cloth made of linen, cotton or a combination of the two, and usually has an imprinted or woven design for decoration. Tea towels, which are approximately the size of a hand towel, date back to the 18th century, when they were originally used at tea ceremonies and to dry expensive fine china. Today, tea towels are found in kitchens and homes across the globe. They’re used for a variety of purposes, from keeping leafy greens crisp to covering warm baked goods.
The everyday tea towels I use are very similar to those shown in the above image, but there are many different designs available. From Christmas ones, to flowery ones even school class ones ... yes, I have a couple of those gifted me by the grandchildren!
It is of course important to keep them clean and hygienic and I share this recent article that you may find interesting.
"Microbiologist settles debate on how often you should wash your tea towels
A microbiologist has settled the long-lasting debate on how often you should wash your tea towels. The kitchen essential is used for pretty much everything from wiping spills to drying pots and pans. They do a lot of cleaning, yet when it comes to cleaning the towels themselves, people seem divided on how to handle it.
Some claim they should be cleaned daily, whilst others wait until it seems necessary, such as when they smell, or there are stains on them. Now, the debate has been settled.
According to the expert Dr Primrose Freestone from the University of Leicester, tea towels should be changed every day. This is because the essential can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria. If left for too long, you risk spreading dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella across your kitchen surfaces.
Dr Freestone told the Daily Mail: "You could get sick if the tea towel has mopped up fluids with infectious bacteria in them and then re-used to contaminate a previously clean area."
On Reddit, where the discussion recently reignited, one person said they would only change their tea towel "when it stinks. When it looks dirty."
Similarly, another said: "I change things when they get gross. So, when you can see stains on the dish towels and cloths."
Though you have others who, as the microbiologist suggests, do swap out their dish cloths more often.
One commented: "Dishcloths and rags every day or every other day, MAX every third day. Anything else is gross when they're used in the kitchen."
Dr Freestone explained that when tea towels are used regularly for drying dishes and cleaning up mess, "an environment is created which favours growth of bacteria with dampness and nutrients".
She added: "Kitchens favour this growth by being quite warm environments. Bacteria which can cause food poisoning can grow well at room temperature."
So the next time you use a tea towel to dry some pots, or clean up a spill, it's worth putting it away to wash it before using it again."
Related post - 'Tea Towels ... date back to the 18th Century' - read it here
A microbiologist has settled the long-lasting debate on how often you should wash your tea towels. The kitchen essential is used for pretty much everything from wiping spills to drying pots and pans. They do a lot of cleaning, yet when it comes to cleaning the towels themselves, people seem divided on how to handle it.
Some claim they should be cleaned daily, whilst others wait until it seems necessary, such as when they smell, or there are stains on them. Now, the debate has been settled.
According to the expert Dr Primrose Freestone from the University of Leicester, tea towels should be changed every day. This is because the essential can easily become a breeding ground for bacteria. If left for too long, you risk spreading dangerous bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella across your kitchen surfaces.
Dr Freestone told the Daily Mail: "You could get sick if the tea towel has mopped up fluids with infectious bacteria in them and then re-used to contaminate a previously clean area."
On Reddit, where the discussion recently reignited, one person said they would only change their tea towel "when it stinks. When it looks dirty."
Similarly, another said: "I change things when they get gross. So, when you can see stains on the dish towels and cloths."
Though you have others who, as the microbiologist suggests, do swap out their dish cloths more often.
One commented: "Dishcloths and rags every day or every other day, MAX every third day. Anything else is gross when they're used in the kitchen."
Dr Freestone explained that when tea towels are used regularly for drying dishes and cleaning up mess, "an environment is created which favours growth of bacteria with dampness and nutrients".
She added: "Kitchens favour this growth by being quite warm environments. Bacteria which can cause food poisoning can grow well at room temperature."
So the next time you use a tea towel to dry some pots, or clean up a spill, it's worth putting it away to wash it before using it again."
Words above from article seen here
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All the best Jan
All the best Jan
This sounds like a good idea. I do wash mine daily.
ReplyDeleteI use and toss in the laundry pretty regularly..
ReplyDeleteMuy lindos. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDelete...my Sweetie is incharge!
ReplyDelete"when used regularly to dry dishes and clean up mess" I have a problem with this statement. I NEVER use teatowels for cleaning up mess, that's what worn out old hand towels or bath towels are for. Tea towels get used in my kitchen ONLY for drying dishes, glassware, cutlery and of course pots and pans but those things are CLEAN, so the tea towels only get damp and are hung on the rail to dry for the next drying session. They go in the weekly wash.
ReplyDeleteI also take issue with the size of most tea towels, in my opinion they are simply too small. I have several that are close to double the usual size and prefer those over the smaller ones which double as table napkins for me and of course they go straight into the laundry hamper after being used.
This is really good information, Jan!
ReplyDeleteMy tea towels are used only for drying clean dishes so I change them every two or three days. I keep a separate kitchen hand towel. If I cover food with a clean tea towel it goes into the laundry right after.
ReplyDeleteI usually end up with 2 in the week's laundry, more if there's been a lot of company ( and dishes).
ReplyDeleteHaving a dishwasher we don't often use a tea towel but if we do it gets changed after each use.
ReplyDeleteI wash it as often as possible!!!
ReplyDeleteI change tea towels at least daily, I often use more than one per day.
ReplyDeleteThey dry cleaned stuff after all. Same with towels in the bathroom - you come out clean out of the shower, you just dry yourself. So far we´re still alive and kicking (well, atm not that much kicking but that has other reasons....).
ReplyDeleteMy friend would say: All the water wasted to wash these items too often, especially in these dry times.
Everybody should decide individually?
This is really interesting. In my case, I don't have a set schedule, but I do it regularly, or when they get particularly dirty.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Regards
If "'Tea Towels ... date back to the 18th Century'" they should have been washed at least once since then.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I usually keep one for cleaning and one for drying and change them twice a week but I'll change more often. Luckily, I adore tea towels and have a huge collection :-)
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
I only use tea towels to dry crockery, pots and utensils in the kitchen. They usually get changed every day or two more often if needed. Any other spillages or clear ups I use another towel or cloth.
ReplyDeleteJan, thank you so much for sharing this article. As I read down over it, I kept thinking, "I hope I am doing this properly". Alas, I am. My tea towels and dish cloths are changed out daily.
ReplyDeleteI think that's smart advice, but I must admit I don't really follow it. :(
ReplyDeleteIn our house my wife does the laundry so I have no idea. I do the dishes, though!
ReplyDeleteI only use those towels to dry my hands while working in the kitchen. I let my dishes air dry and clean up messes with antibacterial wipes.
ReplyDeleteI change mine every other day. I have three. One to use, one in the wash, and a spare. X
ReplyDeleteI only use mine to dry my hands as well. However, I do wash them every other day.
ReplyDeleteIch habe ein separates Tuch für Gläser, das ich etwa alle drei Tage wasche. Ein Tuch für Geschirr, das nicht in der Spülmaschine war und ein Tuch für Küchenflächen wie die Arbeitsfläche oder der Herd. Diese Beiden kommen jeden Abend in die Schmutzwäsche.
ReplyDeleteGOOGLE TRANSLATE
ReplyDeleteJ.P. Alexander
Muy lindos. Te mando un beso.
Very nice. Sending you a kiss.
Neuer Gartentraum
Ich habe ein separates Tuch für Gläser, das ich etwa alle drei Tage wasche. Ein Tuch für Geschirr, das nicht in der Spülmaschine war und ein Tuch für Küchenflächen wie die Arbeitsfläche oder der Herd. Diese Beiden kommen jeden Abend in die Schmutzwäsche
I have a separate cloth for glasses that I wash about every three days, a cloth for dishes that haven't been through the dishwasher, and a cloth for kitchen surfaces like the countertop or the stove. These last two go into the laundry every evening.
I'd never clean up a mess with a tea towel. That's what paper towel and sponges are for in my kitchen! Most of my tea towels came as souvenirs from places I visited and I really use them mostly for decoration.
ReplyDeleteI will say I don't change them every day, I don't hand wash every day so my tea towel for drying doesn't get used every day, but my towel I use to dry my hands after washing them does get it more often since that is used many times a day.
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Yo solo los uso para secarme las manos, los suelo cambiar cada uno o dos días. Besos.
ReplyDelete