Although “tea towel” can sound like a fancy way of saying “dish towel,” the two actually differ. When you examine them more attentively, these distinguishing features become much clearer, but what is a tea towel? It’s more than simply a charming kitchen décor or accent. It used to be more of a luxury addition to your kitchen or dining room linens, but nowadays, it can be used in many different ways in any kitchen and even at outdoor barbecues.
There are a few features of this occasionally lovely kitchen linen to take into account in order to fully comprehend what a tea towel is, what it is used for, and where to buy one of your own. If you don’t know it, you may already have tea towels, but you’re having trouble understanding why they won’t absorb water when you’re trying to dry your dishes. Or perhaps you still don’t know what to do with the printed tea towels you have sitting in a drawer.
Admittedly, a tea towel may appear to some people at first glance to be just like a dish towel. Additionally, it only makes sense for the two towels to appear interchangeable to you if you have never used a tea towel. Simply said, a tea towel is not often intended to be used as a towel for kitchen cleaning or drying, but rather more as a decorative piece. Tea towels have other applications that go beyond keeping everything clean, but dish towels are often used to dry dishes and absorb any water left on the counter after washing them.
You can line a plate, tray, or basket with tea towels before filling it with non-messy foods. Alternatively, you can dry fruit and vegetables with a tea towel after washing them. They can also be used as temporary counter covers for hot meals or as cloth napkins. There are undoubtedly many applications, but tea towels differ from dish towels in several ways.
Most tea towels are constructed of soft but sturdy linen. Tea towels are created from a less absorbent fabric than dish towels, which are composed of terry cloth and designed to better absorb liquids in the kitchen. In order to enhance their appeal, they are frequently embroidered or printed with fashionable designs or inscriptions. Tea towels should not merely have a uniform colour.
Instead of dry dishes and cleaning up liquid spills in the kitchen, they are made to be shown. Tea towels require particular cleaning procedures as well because they are produced from a different fabric than the majority of dish towels. Tea towels that are coloured should be washed and dried separately from other materials. However, due to the thin fabric, tea towels usually dry on the line quickly.
Tea towels aren’t necessary for every kitchen. In fact, you could possibly go for years without needing one. However, once you hear about tea towels and realize how lovely all of the printed designs may be, you may find it difficult to resist. Fortunately for you, there are numerous ways to use tea towels and get enough mileage out of them to make them worthwhile.