Design tea towels – how to find the right one for your home
1. Design tea towels and their materials
The material is clearly the most important factor in a tea towel's design. Each fabric not only looks different, but also has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- Tea towels made of 100% cotton are particularly hard-wearing and suitable for everyday use. Depending on the weave, however, they can shed lint quickly, so they are best for anything that doesn't need a gentle touch, such as frying pans, saucepans and everyday crockery.
- Tea towels made of pure linen look light and natural and are particularly good for polishing fine cutlery or drying delicate glasses. This is thanks to their long fibres and dense weave. However, linen shouldn't go in the tumble dryer, as it would shrink considerably.
- A cotton and linen blend combines the advantages of both materials, making it an all-rounder for everyday use.
- Microfibre, on the other hand, is particularly absorbent, which makes microfibre towels ideal for surfaces that need to dry quickly and without streaks. They also remove water marks and make stainless steel and chrome shine again. However, never use fabric softener when washing microfibre tea towels – it reduces their absorbency and they won't pick up dirt as well.
2. Texture and pattern of tea towels
With so many patterns available, you can find the perfect design for your kitchen. Classics include plain, striped, checked or marl tea towels. Graphic, floral and seasonal patterns and motifs, on the other hand, create a real eye-catcher. For a particularly harmonious look, choose the same pattern or colour scheme as your oven gloves or pot holders to create a cohesive set.
Pronounced surface textures don't just look good – they are also particularly absorbent. You can choose from these types:
- Terry towelling (1) feels soft in the hand and resists creasing.
- Waffle piqué (2) is just as absorbent, but it can lose its shape after washing and should be pulled back into shape while still wet.
- A knitted (3) design tea towel is robust, firm and crease-resistant, and its texture gives it a distinctive look and feel.
- Dense, even and fine textures (4) are particularly good for polishing cutlery and glasses.
3. The right care
Always wash tea towels before using them for the first time to remove any residue from production and ensure they are as absorbent as possible. Most tea towels can be washed at 60°C, though some only at 40°C – so always check the care label.
As a general rule: the higher the washing temperature, the more germs are removed.
Always hang up tea towels that are damp or wet after drying up, so they can dry and germs don't multiply.
It's also a good idea to air-dry flat-woven tea towels made of natural fibres smoothed out, or to iron them after drying, as they crease easily.
"Although tea towels mainly come into contact with clean dishes, they can still end up with unsightly, stubborn stains that don't fully disappear in the wash. In that case, dry the tea towel in the sun and let its natural bleaching effect do the work instead of chemicals." – Viktoria, interior expert
4. Summary – what to consider when buying design tea towels
- Whether you choose black tea towels, grey tea towels or a colourful design – deciding on the material is at least as important as choosing the colour. Pure cotton, 100% linen, a blend of the two or microfibre: each has its own advantages.
- For a particularly stylish look, match the colour or pattern of your tea towels to other items in your kitchen, such as oven gloves and pot holders.
- Tea towels with a pronounced surface texture look distinctive and are also very absorbent.
- Always wash new tea towels before using them for the first time. When it comes to temperature: the higher, the more germs are killed. But always follow the care instructions too.
- To remove stubborn stains, simply let your tea towel bleach in the sun.
Buy design tea towels online at Connox – your benefits at a glance
- high-quality design tea towels – originals from top design brands
- personal support from our customer service team
- fair delivery costs
- secure payment thanks to SSL encryption
Shopping advice at Connox
Would you like to buy design tea towels online but need some help? Our customer service team is always happy to help. We'll support you with advice while you shop, make recommendations and answer your questions quickly. Then simply sit back and have your chosen items delivered straight to your door.
