"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.
10 Creative Uses For Tea Towels
If you think a towel is only meant for drying dishes, think again. The tea towel is incredibly versatile, offering a range of uses both in and outside of the kitchen.
1. Enjoy With Breakfast
Whether it’s a bowl of oatmeal or a warm cup of coffee, tea towels make for a superb serving accessory. They help keep bowls and mugs in place, and also catch any drips or spills. Tea towels also bring a beautiful and uplifting design to any table.
2. Give As A Momento
Since the 18th century, tea towels have been passed down to generations as heirlooms. Ideal for a bridal, wedding or a housewarming gift, a personalized tea towel carries both a meaningful and practical sentiment.
3. Wrap Your Baked Goods
Keep your cinnamon rolls, muffins and bread warm by wrapping them in a tea towel. If you’re giving away your baked goods as a gift, tea towels make for personal and eco-friendly wrapping.
4. Personalize Your Guest Bathroom
Hang tea towels in place of traditional hand towels to add a splash of style and décor to your guest bathroom. Pick a pattern or symbol that matches the general theme of your bathroom.
Hang tea towels in place of traditional hand towels to add a splash of style and décor to your guest bathroom. Pick a pattern or symbol that matches the general theme of your bathroom.
5. Use As A Hot Pad
A tea towel, especially when folded, acts as an effective hot pad. Place your warm dishes or baked goods on the tea towel to let it cool down.
6. Line Your Serving Tray
To catch drips and spills, line your serving tray with a tea towel. After all, this was the original purpose for the delightful little towel.
7. Keep Your Greens Crisp
When you rinse leafy greens, they need a clean place to dry. Tuck them in a tea towel and carefully pat them dry. They’ll stay crispy and extra fresh.
8. Decorate The Table
A tea towel can add some festivity to your table by using it as a placement or cloth napkin. Choose designs that bring extra life and energy to the dinner party.
9. Store Your Clean, Wet Dishes
Exchange your bulky drying rack for a beautiful linen. Lay a tea towel on your counter, and rest clean dishes and utensils there to dry.
10. Line Your Cabinet Shelves
Take clean tea towels and place them flat inside your kitchen cabinets. They’ll absorb excess water from dishware and glasses—plus add a decorative look. You’ll want to periodically wash your tea towels so your cupboards stay fresh.
With their versatility and beautifully-crafted material, tea towels make for exceptional additions to any home."
Above taken from article first seen here but there is also an updated article here
~ tips on how to store tea towels ~
see here
For everyday use my tea towels are similar to the red, green and blue checked ones in the picture, but I do keep some for a more special occasion like Christmas when they are used to add a little decoration. What type of tea towel do you like to use?
All the best Jan
29 comments:
...I never knew where the term came from.
Very useful they are!
I can't believe there are so many functions that tea towel can serve! I usually use it to wipe whatever dirt is on my face or hands
I have traditional commercial tea towels, high end decorative tea towels, and tea towels that are from mid century. My grandmother embroidered two sets of tea towels, one towel for each day of the week. They were different. One set was very Victorian, the other set had a Mexican feel to it. Each day was different in both sets. I found them in my grandmother's linen cabinet when she died. To my knowledge, she never used them. I think she just liked to embroider and found that enjoyable.
The tea towels are very useful!
Take care, have a great day!
Jamie Oliver bashes nuts in those ;-)
We have themed ones. Henry the Lion, or Aussie-themed... one even Bavarian-style.
Tea towels, vintage are sold for high prices online. I saw in a magazine, holiday stockings made with tea towels. I use terry tea towels, the cheaper the better.
tiene muy buena utilidad. Desconocía la fecha en que empezaron a utilizarse.
I imagine toweling of some sort has always been used throughout the centuries, cooks of all sorts would need something to wipe up messes or their hands.
Interesting article!
hugs
Donna
I didn't know tea towels went that far back.
Gosh I have kitchen towels - how would I know if they were tea towels or not?
Here is one more use of such towels:
11. To incite a divorce by using such a "rag" to wipe out a cast iron frying pan... :)
Una entrada muy interesante, no sabia que fueran tan antiguos. Besos.
My tea towels are all hand me downs, but not exactly heirlooms, as most are rather tatty. But I will use them till they - or I - fall apart! Hugs, Valerie
How interesting and so many uses. I have a good many of them. Like the storage idea.
I have some that were my grandmothers!!
I need to get some new tea towels, thank you for the reminder. I do use them daily.
Towels we MUST have!!It can be a pretty litte cloth too!Thanx for sharing!
I love the idea of lining cupboard shelves with them. I could kick myself for not thinking of that. I sent a load to the charity shop recently.
I have the one, which is all I need.
I use a terry towel for every day but I love the linen towels for certain things too. I just sorted through my tea towel drawer...well, TWO drawers and organized them today. What a coincidence to see your post!
for me...tea towels are the good towels, for hanging and show, more a decoration!! i use terry cloth towels my my sink for drying whatever needs drying. we do use our dishwasher for washing dishes and it drys everything pretty well!!
I love tea towels and use them in some of the ways here but I didnt know their history. The really beautiful ones I tend to hang and look at more than use because once they are washed, they are never quite the same! But I do line baskets with them and love giving them as gifts!
I remember my grandmother making her tea towels. I believe the material was like muslin and she made them big. :)
I love tea towels:)
Thanks for the great ideas Jan, all the best!
I have all different kinds of tea towels and have had friends and family make me some too, makes it extra special, some good ideas for using them that I didn't think of, I do use old ones that are a bit warn to put in between my non-stick pans so that they aren't stacked on top of one another and possibly get scratched.
That's a pretty way to keep tea towels handy.
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REPLY TO Abdul rehman
Many thanks for your comment.
I have edited the post to also include your updated information about tea towels.
All the best Jan
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