We use our kitchen towels to wipe up spills, wash dishes, dry dishes, and wipe your hands so they can get pretty grimy and smelly quickly. They can start to smell dirty before they look dirty!
How to wash kitchen towels
Keep your kitchen towels fresh and clean easily with just a few tips
Let your towels dry completely in between uses, hang damp towels over a rack to dry completely. Growing up every kitchen had a built-in drying rack like this one on Amazon.
Don’t toss your damp dirty towels in with the other laundry.
Machine Wash
- Right before washing I sprinkle baking soda on the towels.
- When laundering always wash in HOT water. Don’t let wet towels sit in the washer.
- Always dry in a hot dryer until fully dry, mildew will grow on a warm and damp cloth.
- Use a cup of distilled vinegar in the rinse cycle to rid any lingering smells.
Hand Wash
I live in a condo and we can’t have washers in the units so I tend to wash most smaller items by hand and leave the heavier stuff for the laundromat.
- Fill a plastic tub with 1 cup vinegar, laundry detergent and very hot water. I use this tub from Joseph Joseph that fits perfect in the sink and has a drain for easy emptying.
- Hand agitate the towels for a couple of minutes and then let soak for 10-15 minutes.
- Rinse well and place towels in a portable spinner and spin dry. When towel are done spinning they will still be damp. Hang over a rack in a well ventilated area to dry. A box fan helps with air movement and will dry the towels quicker.
Maybe I’m strange, but hand washing is relaxing and I love doing it. Try hand washing your kitchen towels and next thing you know you’ll be washing a lot more things by hand.
