don’t throw in the towel(s)

Kitchen towels have exactly one job, and that’s to actually absorb water. We’ve all fallen for those cute holiday prints or boho designs, only to realize the fabric is polyester. Instead of drying, synthetics simply push water around and develop a strange, sticky texture after a few washes. 100 percent natural cotton or linen offers tightly woven fibers that are lint-free, highly absorbent, and only get softer with age. These charming tea towels and dish cloths are beautiful, functional, and can last for years.

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City Bird, June & December cotton flour sack tea towels
I fell in love when I bought one of these super soft, oversized tea towels at Indigo Wild in Walker’s Point. This Michigan-based artist offers several hand-illustrated designs, each hand-screen printed. Several other designs I like (plus other June & December items) are also available on the shop,app site, including Huckleberry Marsh.

Dear Juniper mushroom melange woodland linen tea towel
This striking golden hued tea towel in 100 percent European linen features a hand-drawn print of woodland mushrooms in non-toxic ink and is truly a work of art. It’s also OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified: Safe from 1,000-plus harmful substances. The pear orchard design is also pretty.

Magnolia Jo’s wildflower cotton and linen tea towel
This beautiful towel by Joanna Gaines features a subtle print of purple and pink wildflowers with taupe and olive green foliage. It’s currently on sale.

Williams-Sonoma orange print cotton tea towels, set of two
These reasonably priced vintage look tea towels featuring citrus and foliage are made of OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certified cotton: Safe from 1,000-plus harmful substances.

Zazzle, French country vintage pear botanical illustration cotton tea towel
This quaint antique-looking pear towel with text and a postal mark is exactly the kind of vintage feel I like.

Wayfair Birch Lane Sorene floral cotton tea towel, set of three
Inspired by the lush gardens of Southern France, this set of tea towels comes in a vibrant pink, lavender, and green colorway.

Wayfair Canora Grey Durkee linen tea towels, set of three
Also inspired by Southern France, this abstract floral tea towel set comes in a few colors; I like the striking red/green and blue patterns best.

Wayfair Red Barrel Studio Blossom cotton tea towels, set of three in different colors
This cute Scandi-style set of three comes in light blue, olive green, and mustard gold.

Amazon Michel Design Works lemon basil cotton tea towel
I have a few antique-inspired towel designs by this company, and they are a high quality, slightly stiffer, durable cotton with colors that remain vivid through repeated washings over the years.

Amazon Ulster Weavers Scandi-inspired woodland creatures cotton tea towels
Ulster Weavers has been in business for 100 years, and these eco-friendly, durable cotton tea towels are high quality and may outlast me. I have the squirrel design linked above as well as the fox design; woodland hare and woodland owl also are available.

Amazon Now Designs Floursack cotton dish towels, set of three
These cotton floursack dish towels are so soft and pleasant to use. Because they are more thin, they won’t last as long as some of the more durable fabrics. However, I still have one left from a set of three I purchased many years ago, so they do last for years. Each set has three towels of different colors, and there are 11 colorways from which to choose. I also love the accompanying cotton waffle weave dish cloths — they are the only ones I use in my kitchen.

Amazon CPC block print cotton waffle weave dish cloths, set of six, various designs
These unique, new to me cotton waffle weave dish cloths come in a few pretty Indian block print designs.

Amazon Generic Swedish dish cloths, pack of eight
Swedish dish cloths are made of cotton and paper, so over time they degrade, but they are decorative and useful for dish washing and taking the place of paper towels for some kitchen jobs. I love the William Morris-inspired arts and crafts designs linked above, as well as this similar set of six, this set of four early 60s-inspired vibrant fruit patterns, and a similar set of four fruit designs with French text by the same company with a slightly different look.

Don't throw in the towel(s). Upgrade your kitchen with charming natural cotton and linen tea towels that are not only functional, but serve as beautiful decor.