Linen tea towels are classic kitchen essentials that help us with cooking and washing. These handy, hardy linens ensure our food prep space is sparkling and sanitary.
If you have linen tea towels hanging in your kitchen or are curious about why you should use them and what best care practices are, we have you covered.
Why Linen Tea Towels?
Linen is the preferred material for tea towels due to its durability, absorbency, and eco-friendliness. Derived from flax plants, linen is hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, and environmentally friendly — perfect for use in a busy and often humid room.
Linen tea towels are incredibly versatile in the kitchen. They’re excellent for drying dishes, wiping countertops, covering hot dishes, handling hot cookware, straining liquids, absorbing moisture, and wrapping and storing fresh herbs.
Linen is known for retaining its colour and shape after numerous washes, becoming softer with age, and not leaving lint on dishes. Their aesthetic appeal also makes them a stylish addition to kitchen décor.
Linen vs. Cotton: Which Is Better?
While linen is a stalwart material for tea towels, cotton is also commonly used. But what is the difference between linen and cotton tea towels? For starters, linen is more durable than cotton, though cotton has a bit more flexibility.
Cotton is softer and smoother than linen, but the former tends to pill more, and the latter wrinkles easily. Cotton barely edges out linen insofar as absorbency is concerned, though linen has stronger water-wicking abilities.
Linen edges out cotton as the more hypoallergenic material, so it's the wiser bet if you're prone to allergies. Both fabrics are breathable, with the final difference being that linen conducts heat and cotton doesn't. For these reasons, linen is the better option for tea towels.
$19.95
This lovely tea towel flaunts a charming design that will brighten your kitchen and make cleaning up more fun. It's made with love by our lifelong, family friends at Rain Goose Textiles. 100% Linen Super absorbent & colourfast Machine washable Hand… read moreTea Towel - Check Bird
How To Wash Linen Tea Towels
Linen tea towels are easy to care for. They should be machine-washed in warm water with a mild detergent, avoiding bleach. Hand washing with mild detergent is also an option, especially for delicate linen tea towels.
Treat stains promptly using gentle cleaning with liquid dish soap or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water for more challenging spots.
To prevent shrinking, we recommend line drying over tumble drying on a low heat setting in the dryer.
Don't Be Afraid of the Wrinkles
A characteristic of linen is its tendency to wrinkle, which many consider part of its charm. This is because linen is made from flax fibres, which have natural irregularities. These fibres are not as elastic as some other materials.
Linen is also prized for its slightly rustic appearance. To that end, some linen tea towels may not undergo heavy finishing treatments or chemical processes that keep the fabric smooth. This allows the linen to maintain its natural look but may contribute to increased wrinkling.
Ironing linen tea towels can help smooth out those wrinkles. Use a medium to high setting and iron the towels while they are slightly damp. Using a handheld steamer can also be an effective way to remove wrinkles.
When air-drying your tea towels, shake them out and smooth them with your hands before hanging them. When storing linen tea towels, fold them neatly to reduce the likelihood of deep wrinkles forming.
$19.95
This lovely tea towel flaunts a charming design that will brighten your kitchen and make cleaning up more fun. It's made with love by our lifelong, family friends at Rain Goose Textiles. 100% Linen Super absorbent & colourfast Machine washable Hand… read moreTea Towel - Lemons
Time to Upgrade: Linen Tea Towels for Your Kitchen
At Cedar Mountain Studios, we pride ourselves on having and creating things that last. In an era where built-in obsolescence is king, taking care of the things we have in our homes is a victory for sustainability, originality, and conscious living.
Trust us to be the artisans who can provide you with linen tea towels that will stand the test of time.
