Life Hack: How to get tea towels that soak up water and why you should wash them before using
Sick of your towels just moving water around? here's how to make sure you get the most absorbent ones possible
Have you ever bought a plush set of tea towels and discovered to your dismay when using them that they can barely soak up a thimble-full of water?
Too often we can be deceived by soft and fluffy towels that seem like they’d dry the washing in your kitchen sink in a heartbeat but that turn out to be ineffective, merely moving water around a surface rather than soaking it up.
There are some things to look out for when buying new towels and, if you fear your towels aren’t as good as they should be, some tricks to hopefully make them more absorbent.
If you’re on the hunt for new towels, there are certain things you should absolutely avoid. First, ignore the design and colour of the beautiful options on the shelves before you and focus firmly on the label attached that informs you of the material each towel is made of.
Cotton is commonly used as a fabric for towels, along with linen and microfibre, but it is the most absorbent material of the lot. The perfect tea towel is made of cotton and has a waffle weave — the extra surface area means even more absorbing capabilities. You could also repurpose old cotton bed sheets by cutting them down to towel size.
Many towels are made from linen, chosen for its durability as well as it being less likely to shed fibres and fluff when being used to dry crockery. Its lightweight quality alongside those traits means linen is perfect for drying glass and fine china.
Microfibre boasts some impressive functions, including the ability to hold up to eight times its weight in liquid. They can also dry twice as fast as traditional fibres which means you could cut your dish-drying time significantly. The downside is they are a less eco-friendly choice and they may not be as durable as cotton or linen towels.
Before you use the towels for the first time, put them in the wash. In a recent TikTok video, cleaning guru Ann Russell describes her tried-and-tested method to get the most absorbent towels possible.
“When you buy them, the very first thing you need to do is wash them quite hot. If you’ve only got a couple, pour a kettle of boiling water and wash them that way.” She says this is to remove a “dressing” added to the fabric that makes the material look better. However, she says it “clogs up the fibre so they don’t absorb water”.
“When you buy them the very first thing you should do is wash them and then they should work.”
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