After mugs, knick-knacks, cats and dogs - tell us about your teatowels

Germ-laden tea towels

Mine are black or brown. I still have my Gransnet one somewhere, unused.

I have two French metis torchons, they are huge!
I bought than as vintage but they had never been used, they had been exquisitely embroidered with someone’s initials then stored.

The metis cloth is like cardboard until it has been soaked for 48hrs in cold water and vinegar.
With every wash they get softer and softer, I have had them many years and consider them an heirloom!!!

I hope in many years our grandchildren will be using them.

Mine are purely functional and very rarely get used to dry dishes. I'm too lazy to dry up, although my mum always did.

I have about sixty or more tea towels, some brought back from our second home.
I think my favourite is a very good linen one depicting Raffles hotel, closest I will ever get to an exotic holiday.

More as memento's than practical use. I used to have quite a number as I gave D an ottoman with tea-towels, large damask tablecloths and various other linens because there was no room here for it as she's the one with the large home now.

I’ve got about 6 that I use and about 10 that are just too lovely to use.

To those who don’t use tea towels, how do you dry the dishes? I hate leaving stuff draining and would far rather dry everything up and put away.

Love my tea towels and iron them nicely - I like them to be colour co-ordinated, most of them are blue or cream with a few floral ones.
As I love sewing I sometimes embellish them with a pretty border. I also fold them in half and use them as tray cloths.

My mum loved a nice tea towel. After she died I took a lot of her collection home with me and used them, she’s been gone fifteen years now and they gave me a lot of comfort and connection during this time. I’ve been able to gradually let go of them as they’ve become worn and the years have passed. I’ve got some nice ones too, some I don’t use - my girls both had one made in primary school which had their pictures (hand drawn) and their names on. I’m making each of my daughters a small memory box to leave them when I’m gone (please God not for a while yet) and I shall put the tea towels in along with other memories. Without wishing to get too sad or sentimental during this stressful time, life is precious and we should use these moments to tell those we love, friends and family how much they mean to us. Wishing you all stay safe and well and enjoy your t towels if you have them.?

I use them once only. They are washed at 90 degrees with extra Vanish and ironed with a steam iron for extra sterility. I get a fresh one out every time I empty the dishwasher to dry the plastic which doesn't get properly hot. I then use it to dry the couple of bits of hand washing, then rub the counter and the sink dry then they go in the wash. Same with the dishcloths. New one every day. We were well trained in hygiene in the Junior Red Cross.

ANYWAY - I've found that poem - hooray! It was on a teatowel my parents gave me once. I copied out the poem before it disintegrated into shreds.

Just a line to say I'm living
That I'm not amongst the dead
Though I'm getting more forgiving
And mixed up in the head
I've got used to my arthritis
To my dentures I'm resigned
I can cope with my bifocals
But - ye gods - I miss my mind.

Sometimes I can't remember
When I'm standing by the stairs
If I'm going up for something
Or have just come down from there.
And before the fridge so often
My mind is full of doubt
Now did I put some food away
Or come to take some out?

If it's not my turn to write dear,
I hope you won't get sore
I may think I have written
And don't want to be a bore
So remember I do love you
And wished that you lived near
But now it's time to mail this
And say "goodbye, my dear"

I'm standing beside the mail box
But my face - it sure is red
Instead of posting this to you
I've opened it instead.

Oh, and having now read Pikachu's link, I would add that I wouldn't dream of drying my hands on a teatowel. I have a separate towel for that. Doesn't everyone? I don't trust DH to do that though, hence the frequent teatowel turnover.

Jacky thanks for bothering to read my link