What Are Tea Towels Used For? Your Complete Guide

Tea towels are perfect for drying crockery, cutlery, and glasses. But they’re more than just practical: tea towels are designed to be highly absorbentandattractive, which makes them useful for everything from covering homemade bread to adding a little personality to your kitchen.

Unlike throwaway kitchen paper, tea towels are endlessly reusable, making them a moresustainable choice andsaving you money over time. That’s exactly why it’s worth investing in quality ones that can withstand daily use.

In this guide, we’ll explore all the ways tea towels can be used, and where these unassuming but incredibly helpful cloths came from.

What Is a Tea Towel?

A tea towel is a lightweight, absorbent kitchen cloth and an everyday essential in most homes. Often found hanging within easy reach, tea towels are typically used to dry dishes, glassware and hands, as well as mop up small spills in the kitchen.

What sets tea towels apart from other kitchen towels is their versatility. Because they’re thinner and quicker-drying, they’re ideal for tasks that need a gentler touch - like polishing glassware, covering baked goods, or lining a bowl of freshly washed salad leaves.

Traditionally, tea towels were made from linen, prized for its strength and lint-free finish. Today, cotton tea towels are far more common, offering excellent absorbency, durability, and a softer feel that suits everyday kitchen use.

Tea towels have come a long way from their origins in 18th-century tea service. Today, they’re a kitchen staple, designed with both practicality and style in mind.

Why Are They Called Tea Towels?

The name “tea towel” dates back to 18th-century England, whenafternoon tea became a popular social ritual. Tea towels were originally used to insulate teapots and keep them warm during tea service, as well as to dry delicate porcelain cups and plates without leaving lint behind.

Over time, their role expanded beyond tea service to general kitchen use, but the name stuck. What began as a cloth reserved for teapots and china became a hardworking staple for all kinds of kitchen tasks.

12 Ways to Use Tea Towels

Perhaps the reason tea towels have become a kitchen classic is their versatility. Here are 12 ways we use ours - let us know if you can think of any more!

1. Drying dishes and glassware

Tea towels are perfect for everyday drying, especially when you want a streak-free finish. In a busy kitchen, it’s best towash tea towels daily.

2. Drying your hands

Tea towels can work for hands too, but for a more hygienic option, it’s worth having a dedicatedhand towel.

3. Polishing glass

Lint-free tea towels are ideal for polishing champagne flutes and wine glasses before hosting a special dinner.

4. Covering dough while it rises

Making pizza or sourdough? Place a damp tea towel over your bowl to prevent proving dough from drying out.

5. Wrapping bread

Great forzero-waste trips to the shops, bakery or farmers’ market. It can also help keep the crust crisp while the inside stays soft.

6. Lining a bowl for drained salad/spinach

Placing washed leaves on a clean tea towel is one of the best ways to absorb extra moisture and avoid soggy salads.

7. Handling warm pans

A tea towel can work in a pinch, but only if it’s completely dry, folded thickly, and fully covers your hand. (A damp towel conducts heat and can cause burns.)

8. Storing salad in the fridge

A slightly damp tea towel helps salad leaves stay fresh longer by providing just enough moisture. Learn more in our guides toeco-friendly food storage and how tostore vegetables in the fridge.

9. Cleaning up spills

With kids, pets, and cooking from scratch, spills happen. Tea towels help youclean upquickly and move on.

10. Drying surfaces

After wiping down counters, drying them helps keep your kitchen fresh and reduces damp patches where mould can grow.

11. Table presentation

Use a clean tea towel in a bread basket, or as a quick tray liner for snacks and nibbles. There’s a reason tea towels are so popular in food photography.

12. Gift wrapping

Tea towels make an easy, eco-friendly alternative to disposable gift wrap using the Japanese art of furoshiki. Here’s how:

If you’re looking for tea towels that are absorbent, durable and made from organic cotton, ourorganic cotton tea towels are designed for everyday kitchen use.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the proper use of a tea towel?

Tea towels are best used for everyday kitchen tasks like drying dishes and glassware, polishing, wiping up small spills, covering dough while it proves, wrapping bread, and lining bowls of washed salad leaves. They’re designed to be lightweight, absorbent, and quick-drying, making them a reliable staple for everyday cooking and cleaning.

What is the difference between tea towels and kitchen towels?

A tea towel is typically lighter and more versatile, often used for drying, covering food, and presentation. “Kitchen towel” is a broader term that can include thicker dish towels, hand towels, microfibre cloths, and general cleaning cloths.

In short, tea towels are a type of kitchen towel, but not all kitchen towels are tea towels.

Are tea towels just for drying dishes?

While drying dishes is what most people use them for, tea towels are also handy for polishing glassware, wrapping bread, covering dough, draining salad leaves, drying surfaces, and even gift wrapping.

Their versatility is one reason they’ve remained a kitchen classic for generations.

Is it unhygienic to dry hands on a tea towel?

It can be, depending on how the tea towel is used. If the same towel is being used for hands, dishes, and wiping surfaces, bacteria can build up quickly, especially if it stays damp.

For a more hygienic setup, it’s best to keep one tea towel for dishes and glassware, and a separate towel for drying hands, and swap them out regularly.

For everyday use, Wild & Stone’s organic cotton hand towels offer a soft, absorbent alternative to drying your hands on a tea towel.

Getting the Most From Your Tea Towels

Tea towels might seem like a small thing, but they’re one of those everyday kitchen essentials you end up reaching for constantly. From drying dishes and polishing glassware to wrapping bread, storing salad, and even gift wrapping, a good tea towel earns its place in your home.

If you’re ready to upgrade yours, our organic cotton tea towels are designed for absorbency, durability, and everyday use. And if you’re looking for more simple swaps to reduce waste at home, explore our range of eco household products for sustainable essentials you’ll actually use.