Is it just me, or have all the kitchen towel companies come together to play a joke on the consumers? It’s like they said Hey, you know what would be funny? Let’s make really fun kitchen towels. But instead of acting like towels they just LOOK like towels. Hee-hee.
Clearly I have a problem kitchen towels.
In short, my problem is this: Why can’t I find kitchen towels that are absorbent? You know. Like actually soak up the water from your hands or drying dishes. Seriously. Do they exist? Am I looking in all the wrong places?
Please tell me your secrets. I know you guys must know something about where to get amazing all-purpose kitchen towels that are great for actual, real drying. Please share.
PS: Please can they be cute too? Every cute towel I see is so for looks and so not for getting the wet off of anything.
I can’t be the only one with this issue, am I? : )
I have cute towels for show – but when it really comes down to soaking something up I pull out the lovely surgical towels my husband has brought home from the OR. Not only do they soak up EVERYTHING, when you carry them to the laundry room they rarely drip. They are ugly, but they sure do the trick. We've done the "gallon of milk drop" and they did the trick.
I started using the microfiber towels from Pampered Chef or Tupperware. I've even picked up some mf dishclothes at Target before. Awesome for soaking up water and drying dishes. Have a great weekend!
I have the same issue, I've just started using the hand towels from the bathroom for my kitchen towels. I still buy the cute ones for holidays but for practical use, handtowels do the trick
I get the white bar towels from Costco. They are absorbant, they can be bleached if I have to clean up something like…oh…grape juice, and they are inexpensive. I have cute towels out on the stove…but hey don't honestly get used for much.
Did you know that using fabric softener keeps your towels from being absorbent? Maybe that's part of the problem, although I know lots of mine are made of fabric that just isn't absorbent to begin with. But try no softener for a while and see what happens. My washer/dryer repair guy told me this!
I was just going to say that the only towels that I use now are the blue surgical towels that I bring home from the OR, but it looks like "The Seaquist family" beat me to it!! They are made to be absorbent & they definately do their job. Unfortunately not everyone has access to these blue slices of awesomeness. I have never had kitchen towels that actually do what they are supposed to. I'm looking forward to more comments on your post because I would love to know where to get some good ones.
I buy microfiber towels. The are cheap (when you get them at Target/Walmart, etc.) and so long as you keep the fabric softener well away from them, they work well forever. QVC sells cute microfiber towels too!
I bought some at Kohl's last year that are Food Network brand and they actually ARE absorbent! I have the same issue and those are the best ones I've found! It was a four-pack of fall colors, but they had plain white ones as well!
Get towels that are 100% cotton and DON'T use fabric softener. This is totally my hubby's pet peeve too, so I've had to do some serious searching! I believe the bar towels everyone is recommending from Costco are 100% cotton.
I use the flour sack towels…anything else would be a waste of time. You can buy them at Target and Walmart for about $5.00 for 3 or 4. They're very absorbent and don't leave fuzz or streaks!
I recently replaced all mt kitchen towels and washcloths with these. I have blue, green and brown. I love that you can bleach them, but there is still a little color. They are absorbent enough for all my new baby dishes
http://www.clorox.com/products/overview.php?prod_id=freshcare
I was just going to suggest what Diana did. don't use fabric softener on any of your towels. there's my 2 cents!
Kitchen/restuarant supply house and buy 100% cotton bar towels. Not as large as the kitchen towel, but work great and they even have some fun colors. I do stick with colors that are less likely to fade as they are washed with a small amount of bleach.
welll…..since you asked.
If you find them get the white with blue stripe, NOT the blue rags, they are linty & fall apart. 
Yes, they make good ones, the best I've found that are absorbent are the ones from Williams Sonoma, but they are kinda pricey, and they are ordinary cute not super cute but good thick cotton towels.
The big dilemma in our house is the proper use of kitchen towels, so absorbency comes into play. My hubby is a chef, aka abuses the kitchen-towels-are-for-clean-hands-and-clean-dishes rule. He uses them for everything!! Messes, dirty hands, pot holder, steady a cutting board, drying lettuce, BBQ etc…. SO, my tip for happy life is- decent absorbent good quality hand towels and a bag from Restaurant Supply store of kitchen rags, the rags are not pretty but they sure work! And it they are within arms reach he prefers em to my CLEAN towels
since you asked
P.S. the dryer softener issue is true, but you can "bring towels back to absorbency" washing them with white vinegar…old trick I use for pool towels
~Ada
ourheartsarefullwith5tolove.blogspot.com
Good ol' fashioned flour sacks are the best … remember the days of dryiing dishes with siblings/family- and 'snapping' them with the wet corner of the towel ?? LOL — hmm… sounds like a scrapbooking moment! I will definitely try the mf towels that were suggested, but my grama's flour sacks have been the best!!
I have found the same thing with cute looking towels – they just don't seem to get the job done.
I recently found some decent looking (white with lime green trim) towels at the Dollarama store and they are good absorbing towels. They work so much better than the cute but expensive kinds for only $1.00 a piece.
I use hand towels, like for the bath room, and wash cloth in colors that match my kitchen. Really couldn't deal with what was offered as kitchen towels. And they want to charge an arm and leg for something that doesn't work. I buy flour sack material to dry dishes and pots. Can't remember where I bought the last batch.
I have towels for the kitchen that I just love. They are big and absorbent. They are fieldcrest brand,made in turkey. I think they came from like target or shopko. To make them cute I have machine embordered Winnie the pooh on them as I have a "Pooh"kitchen.
Stacy
Williams-Somona and TJ Maxx seem to be the best place I find them!
With most modern towels you need to wash them several times before they are absorbent. Also, don't use fabric softener, but you know that as you mentioned it in your laundry blog post a while back! I wash my towels in a mix of regular detergent (eco brand) and washing crystals of the old fashioned kind. The crystals make the towels super soft even though I rarely put them in the dryer to dry. I line dry my towels, and then fluff bath towels by putting them in the dryer on the airing cycle with a damp face washcloth to create humidity. Look at your detergent too, cos even though you might be avoiding fabric softener, lots of brands contain some form of softener themselves anyway – that's why I use an eco brand.
I love my Pampered Chef kitchen towels! They work great!
I had this annoying problem too. Now I use the Costco bar towels. Effective but ugly. So I have pretty ones that don't work and ugly ones that do.
Floursack towels are the BEST! My grandma actually embroiders the "days of the week" on them and gives them as bridal shower gifts, so mine mean something to me, but they also do the job! I don't know what I would use to dry dishes if I didn't have those! Of course the "cute" towels hang out for guests!
I am echoing the comments of others. I use 100% cotton white hand towels meant for the bathroom. They can be bleached and I never use fabric softener. Like others, I use the cute, seasonal towels as decor on the oven handles.
It's not technically a towel, but I've repurposed our old burp clothes, which were technically cloth diapers, as dish towels. They soak up everything! They definitely aren't "cute" though.
We got some nice ones at Walmart. They're brown and green, and are absorbant. Tip: don't use fabric softener with them, apparently it wicks away water. Hopefully that helps!
Microfiber towels–the big packs at Costco work well but aren't pretty. There are pretty microfiber kitchen towels now. I find them to be extremely absorbent. Ditto on the "no fabric softener" especially for microfiber.
hi becky,
i worked at williams-sonoma about 10 years ago. i still have the same towels i bought when i worked there because i can't find anything that works like they do. they look awful and my husband tells me i need to get some new ones.
so i say check williams-sonoma.
blessings,
alicia johnson
Ahh. Here in NZ I have two towels: a bathroom hand towel for drying hands, and a kitchen towel (we call them tea towels) for drying dishes etc. Keeping them separate for the separate task I think works.
To those who say to not put fabric softener on towels- how do you manage this from a laundry perspective? Do you wash towels separately, not put fabric softener on clothes that are washed with towels…? I've tried using those microfiber towels for cleaning instead of paper towels, but I always end up washing them with softener eventually. I can't keep track!
I am actually surprised that no one has mentioned Norwex. I guess it's not well known just yet. They are not fancy but these are THE BEST towels and cleaning rags in the UNIVERSE. They are amazing antibacterial microfiber cleaning cloths!!!!! When you clean your countertops, stainless steel, floors, etc., it feels so smooth and clean and you use no cleaning product except for these cloths and WATER!!! I am not a consultant, even. But my good friend is, so email me if you are interested in learning more, dmuhlestein@msn.com. Seriously, if you care more about clean then your cute dishclothes can just hang there and look cute. Also, you can check out their products at Norwex.com as well.
I agree cute is just cute. Absorbant, well I don't know if they make those anymore
I get mine at costco. Comes in a pack of some cute ones and some plain colored ones to coordinate. Granted seems like what they have now are not as cute as they were 4 years ago but they are nice and cotton like a bath towel and absorb. I also do not use fabric softner. Suposidly that prevents absorbtion
Ditto on no fabric softener! Can't stand it and it does prevent the towels from absorbing water. Becky- the red towel in your photo- I bought some bathroom towels with that same texture and they do not absorb water at all. Even my 6 year old said "Mom, what's wrong with these towels. They won't dry me!"
I use bathroom hand towels in the kitchen. I have found they are the only towel that is absorbent enough. You can find lots of cute prints at department stores!
Dryer Balls instead of fabric sofener. $10 dollars for two. But four of them work better than two. I agree with others…flour sack for absorbancy.
I found microfiber dishcloths at Ross's in a pack of 6 in bright fun colors for spring/summer for less than $5 & one side has a mesh-type fabric that acts as a scrubby, but very gentle. They seem very absorbent once they are laundered & I only use dryer sheets on towels. I've also crocheted some using 100% cotton yarn. These are fun to make & keep my hands busy while watching tv or riding in the car. For drying dishes, the bar towels are good, but the best ones I have are all-cotton that I've had for a gazillion years. They are super soft, but very,very absorbent — go figure!
By-the-way, Becky, when do we get to see some pics of all this remodeling/re-decorating that you've been up to? The little glimpses are making me so curious & I can't be the only snoopy one. Can I?
I have really liked the dishtowels that I got from Flylady. A few washes helped. She also sells Microfiber rags too that are nice.
I have found the MU towels to be awesome for my kitchen. http://www.mukitchen.com
I have found some cute towels at Target. They are terry cloth, like regular towels, and green or blue striped. I like them a lot.
Also, since you have a sewing machine, nothing says you can't buy the material you like and cut it up and make your own!
I use Norwex microfibre towels. They are absorbant and clean really well. They have a kitchen towel line that are cuter than the plain version. The big plus with these cloths is that you can clean with just water. I don't sell Norwex but you can probably google the website for more info.
William Sonoma all the way. I always pick up other cute towels to add to the mix but when it comes down to it, the ws ones are the ones by the sink getting used. Love them!
I am with ya. Order the ones from FlyLady. You will love them!
Costco sells towels that absorb pretty well. They are usually muti color, and are sort of ribbed. They absorb so much water. I like them. They are pretty basic looking.
I also like flour sack, which I think are cute, but they don't hold as much water as those Costco ones.
The only thing i can say is that do you use softener in the washer or dryer. They say that it repels the water. Just a thought. It might help. I don't use softener on any towels. My towels are still soft. Have a GREAT day.
Dawn
Becky, I used to feel the same way you do now. I went through so many towels and just hated how I couldn't dry my dishes (we didn't even have a dishwasher back then). Then I visited my mother-in-law and she had the most wonderful drying towels. I asked where she got them from and it was Costco. Since I didn't have a membership at the time she bought a pack for me and that's all I've been using ever since. And I love those towels!
I've been using Bamboo dishcloths and towels from a Canadian company – I'm sure you could find some there as well. But the bamboo is super absorbent, and very eco friendly. It's definitely worth looking around for.
Williams & Sanoma hands down, the best!
i have found the that IKEA $.049 ones are pretty good and it doers not upset me if they get stained or super dirty and they are easy to clean and bleach. i have the same issue you do, i want cute ones, and it seems that when i pull out the cute ones those are the ones my DH uses to clean red wine or grease stains or something like that !! aaaahhhh!!
Mine are from Crate & Barrel. I registered for them when I got married (2002) & the are still going strong!
Home Improvement Catalog has the best micro-fiber towels and cleaning cloths I have found. You can clean everything (mirrors, windows, counters, etc.) with just adding water to the cloths. The towels are awesome and hold a lot of water. Dries my dishes the first swipe no streaks.
Looove them!
I didn't read through the other posts to seee if these were mentioned yet or not, but the ONLY towels I use in my kitchen are the waffle weave from Williams-Sonoma. They work wonderfully for me!
Good luck!
I love the "bar mop" towels that I get at Target in big huge packages. They're not super fancy but they're super absorbent.
You could make them cute… but that'd take time I just don't have.
I had the same problem… and then my mom bought me the "Salsa Dish Towels" from Crate & Barrel as a house warming gift. They are great! Cute, absorbant, and they come in 6 great colors. I am not sure what kind of dishes you have, but I have Fiesta Ware and the colors match perfectly!
Norwex Microfiber dish towels. the best.
Do you use fabric softener? That could be the problem.
I too used bathroom hand towels, they are soak up the water and you can get all colors to match the kitchen too, they just don't have pretty teapots on them or anything! Love reading these posts.
I will jump on board for the William-Sonoma towels! I have used them for years (and tend to be a snob when I get others as gifts since they do not absorb). I think the colors are cute and do change around for the seasons…I wait until they go on sale! Still have a few sets from about 10 years ago….
Another fan of Williams Sonoma towels that are blue and white stripe. They work great.
Trader Joe's has some nice ones that absorb really well. Not sure where they'll stand on the "Cute" factor, but for functionality, they're great!!
Spring Maid from Walmart are nice and thick! Works for me:)
http://www.norwex.com/category.php?lng=7&ctg=5&cnt=223
Norwex has amazing antibacterial microfiber cloths! I love them and have them for the kitchen and bathrooms. This link brings you to the kitchen towels.
Also, I tried it out Norwex VS Sham-Wow contest for who can hold the most liquid. Norwex won.
I agree with CAS. I would love to know more about your remodel/decorating. Most especially, I am intrigued about your cabinets. Did you paint, reface or replace? I'm curious, because I hate my cabinets and can't decide what I want to do about them.
I have to disagree – the Walmart and Target "cute" towels are HORRIBLE at absorbing… I'm so glad you did a blog on this, since we had the same issue. I broke down one day and bought the William Sonoma dish towels (slightly more expensive at first glance, but since they come in packs of 5 or so, it kinda evens out). They have super cute color combos, and have been awesome for absorbency. Try them!
Old fashioned linen towels are terrific but hard to find. When my towels become gross I boil them with some cream of tartar. That is something I never did when my children were little though as it is dangerous.
I agree, I thought it was just me. If you find some "normal" towels please let us know where you found them. Thanks
*floursack (total childhood memories)
* microfiber (Starfiber is the best, find em at janitorial or special cleaning places. I'm excited to try the Norwex everyones talking about, too.)
p.s. You seem like someone who would totally dig the Sargent Steam cleaner. I sure love mine. Amazing what it can clean with steam and pressure. No more runny nose while cleaning with chemical products. it's a higher quality than the Shark, etc. sargentsteam.com
I love the Williams Sonoma ones.
I have found the ones from Costco are really good…they soak up the water..they are really good quality and they are trendy colours….hope this helps….as I know how frustrating it is……
Samantha
I'm still using my Williams Sonoma towels I purchased over 20 years ago. Love them. I bought a pack of ELLY towels from IKEA, but they seem to be more linen than cotton and so don't absorb well. I also bought some from Trader Joe's years ago, but they are so thick that they are hard to use — KWIM?
As for storage, in my mini kitchen all my storage is on display — I have a three tiered wire vegetable rack hanging from the ceiling — they all go in there.
Have a great day!!
We have the same problem here. Pretty towels are for looks.
When it comes to cleaning, drying, mopping, sopping up, etc. I go for ever handy and not so pretty microfiber "rags". I buy them at Sam's Club… they come in four fun & funky colors – blue, orange, yellow, and lime.
Best of all, they have replaced paper towels. We use them as napkins, washcloths, towels… at one time, they even lined the bottom of our guinea pig cage instead of that messy litter junk.
You cannot go wrong with good microfiber towels/rags.
Another vote for microfiber … also plain old flour-sack towels can be dressed up quite nicely.
Cut down ( 1/4 to 1/2 of recommended OR only every other time you wash them) on the amount of detergent in the wash machine and NO fabric softener on 100% cotton towels. This advice works for face clothes and bath towels as well.
for one I rarely use fabric softener on towels since it does seem to limit the absorbency. Mostly I buy a pack of white terry garage towels at Costco. They are absorbent and when they look a bit stained I can bleach them. Plus they are cheap enough I never feel bad about tossing them out.
My favorite dish drying towels are the flour sack towels from Walmart. They run about $5 for 4 of them. They're larger than a normal towel and absorb great.
I have a bunch of decorative dish towels with crochet tops that we use for our hands. There is always one hanging from the drawer handle next to my sink.
Yep, those microfiber towels are amazing. They suck up the water just by looking at it, I think. (not those things you get at the county fair that come in big sheets – although they work well for other stuff.) But I do not have any cute ones. Just the ugly flourescent yellow ones that come in a bundle from Costco. They may be in the automotive area. They have such a strange feeling but they sure do work.
We use the Costco ones – they are solid colours (not my fav colours) but I keep cute seasonal ones hanging on my stove handle and just use the Costco ones for actual drying. They aren't even expensive. We don't use fabric softener on anything (too many chemicals)and we use all Melaleuca enviro products in our house.
Hi Becky,
I have rave reviews on the Martha Stewart kitchen towels at Macy's. My dad gave them four stars. Look for the plain towels with a weave. They also come in gorgeous colors.
Melissa
Try skipping the fabric softener when you wash and dry a load of towels, as fabric softener can make things less absorbant. It helps!
I use white bar towels from Target. They aren't that cute but they do the job and can be bleached. I also never use softener on my towels. Even my bath towels. I want them to soak up the water, not move it around. Good luck!
yep, that's what I've noticed. The uglier they are the better they work… one of life's little disappointments
I can't stand that the towels come in a 2 pack with 2 different designs. Which means you really need to buy 2 packs for 4 towels. I really like the 2 towels to match-so I think that is a marketing gimmick.
Hi Becky,
My hubby bought us tropical towels (our theme) from tropicalbreezedecor.com. They are fun, cute prints; dry dishes and hands; and clean up lots of messes. I toss the in the wash and they come out fine. The prints do begin to fade after LOTS of use, but they actually work – the terry cloth ones do.
I use flour sack towels for drying dishes. Just plain white, nothing special, but they work great.
I found some really absorbent and cute towels at Costco about 6 months ago. I was having the same problem but these ones are really thick and soak up the water great. They came in packs of 6 with 2 prints and 4 solids (2 of each color). Don't know if they're still carrying them or not….
I stopped buying towels in the kitchen section for the same reason. I only use hand towels from the bathroom section now because they actually DO absorb water. They are not as cute, obviously. But they get the job done!
Crate and Barrel has towels that are a waffle weave that work wonders. I always had that problem before I found the towels at Crate and Barrel. Also I wash/dry them a couple times before I use them and that seems to help. Plus, they always have cute styles:)
The new clorox towels are PHENMOMENAL! Since they are made to be bleached, they never get the old musty towel smell, AND they never look dirty. LOVE them. They're sold at both Target and Walmart, and I'm sure plenty of other locations.
You made me giggle as that looked like my towel drawer a few years ago.
I fell in love with Norwex products about two years ago – our son has had a liver transplant so as few chemicals as we can have in the house the best (but we need things clean too!). Norwex has silver woven into its microfiber so everything they touch is disinfected – other brands are typically dipped in antibac solution so it washes out.
Norwex towels & cloths are soft and can last for days without washing (without stinky dishcloth syndrome happening!). Best of all, I clean our home with water.
I started as a consultant last fall as their company is founded on strong principles and excellent products. Let me know if you want more info – products are at http://www.norwex.com or my email is rhondakitch@gmail.com.
Have a great weekend!
Becky, love your blog I look at it almost everyday. You might want to look on QVC for some absorbant towels. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
NORWEX dish towels are amazing for absorbancy and they dry super fast. They're expensive, but they're worth every penny. They have matching dish cloths too. They're plain, but they're nice.
The blue surgical towels are also called HUCK TOWELS and you can buy them lots of places online. Car washes use them too.
I love the flour sack white towels best, but HOMEGOODS has some super cute ones that are ultra good at absorbing! that is the only place I have found cute good ones. I think they are all cotton. I think the microfiber ones stink!!!!! and I don't use dryer sheets, so not sure why, but they just don't absorb anything!
tara
towels with color don't absorb as well b/c the cotton fibers have already absorbed the dye for the color, so the fibers have little absorbency left. stick with white cotton towels – not very "cute" but they are practical.
the towels we use are the bar mop towels/dishcloths from williams sonoma (i used these for burp cloths when my children were babies – i sewed cute ribbon on the edges) and waffle towels from crate and barrel (i can't find them online at the moment but our local store had them just last week). and when they get old and grungy, we donate them to our local animal shelter. good luck!
Becky – your picture inspired me to clean out three kitchen drawers and roll up my kitchen towels as you did… so that is how I spent my Saturday afternoon. POTD (Found lots of missing items too!) Smiles,
Susan
I too have this problem with some towels. I agree with the no fabric softener, use about 1/4c of plain vinegar instead which does not hurt the towels but strips all the fabric softener build up from them. Also I found ones that have a velour/velvet feel are hopeless as absorbing anything. Good luck…
Hi Becky.. this topic so cracks me up because I think about it everytime I go to wipe something up! I can't wait to read through the suggestions! Just another ti=hing to add to your list mightbe pencils. What happened to the pencils, I used growing up that would stay sharpened? Todays pencils are so cheap and hard to keep sharpened! Just food for thought!
Ha! I so agree…makes me think of my grandma's towels….soft and cottony and absorbent. But I have to chime in on the Williams-Sonoma towels – my Mother's Day present 4 years ago, and they are just now looking dicey. Seriously. Good towels.
Kohl's sells wonderful kitchen towels made from bamboo. I think they may be a Food Network product. The one's I bought were cute lime/sage green with white and chocolate brown stripes.
Another vote for the striped towels from Williams Sonoma. I bought mine 15+ years ago and they're still going strong! I haven't found any others like I like nearly as well.
Yikes I'm the 102nd comment so that just goes to show that this probably a mutual problem. I will find a good towel, and guess what happens to it? It disappears. The washing machine doesn't eat it with the socks, but it just plain disappears. I will finally find it in my husband's rag bin. Yes!! His rag bin. I get so dang mad because we all know it is really hard to find a good towel. I am in the search too and when I finally find one, I plan on hiding them between uses so that my husband doesn't find it.
I use the 'flour sack' dish towels. either from Walmart or Kmart. (those are the only discount stores we have in our town.
) They are the greatest! Not only do they absorb but they are all cotton and after they wear out they're great to use as dust rags. 
I bought some at Kohl's, Food Network brand, that are great and they have really nice colors to pick from. Plus you can get them really cheap with coupons. I love all the cute towels too, but they just don't work well. More for decoration.
I swear by the IKEA ones. Not THAT cute though, but work like a charm.
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I agree with the ladies that say NO FABRIC SOFTENER
For really tough stuff I use (NEW) cloth diapers. Those babies soak up everything! Otherwise I go for cute with a bit of absorbancy. Good luck!
The Food Network ones from Kohls are wonderful. We love them at our house.
LOL….
Totally having the same problem. My old and raggedy towels dry best, but….they're old and raggedy!
My all-purpose work horse kitchen towels are from the Williams-Sonoma outlet. $4 for a pack of 3. Absorbant, thick and hold up to tons of washing. Classic stripes in lots of colors bound to coordinate with any kitchen. Such a bargain.
I buy cute "holiday" towels but those end up just for looking at – kind of like those hand towels you weren't allowed to use as a kid when company was coming over.
I was just at Costco and saw packs of 10 towels that seemed like they would be really absorbent, but were also really cute. They were pretty affordable, though I don't remember the exact price!
If you use softner in your towels, stop. The softner makes towels less obsorbant. It is absolutely true. It does work. I tried it on mine and it made a difference.
Flour Sack towels like our mothers used to do embroidery on! You know, a different design for every day of the week! (Baking, Cleaning, Wahing, Ironing, Shopping etc.) I was fortunate enough to get twelve sets of seven towels embroidered by my mother as part of my trousseau when I was married 32 years ago. I have two sets left that I use very gently on special occasions! For every day I use the "naked" ones you can buy at Target or Wal-mart. Next time you are in Utah, stop in at Mormon Handicraft and you too can have a set of hand embroiedered ones for around $30! A real buy!
I hear ya!! I way overuse paper towels for just that reason! None of my kitchen towels really absorb anything….more like just push the water around. I'll have to read through all these comments to see what your other readers have to say on the subject……and in the meantime, if you find one that works for you, please do share! :>
Make sure you aren't using fabric softeners of any sort.
Another vote for 100% cotton white bar towels but I buy mine at Bed, Bath, & Beyond with a coupon. I have a few pretty ones for looks but these can be washed in hot water with bleach and are inexpensive enough that I can throw them away without feeling too bad when they get really stained.
Williams-Sonoma – the best. I only buy on sale or at the outlet.
Williams Sonoma are the ONLY ones I'll ever use. I still use the same ones after 15 years of marriage. Still absorbant.
Hi Becky,
I use Crate & Barrel towels. They are white (bleach friendly) absorb like crazy and last for a crazy amount of time. I've come to terms with not having "cute" towels. The cute towels are for the bathroom.
Jen C.
I LOVE my pampered chef Microfiber towels for absorbancy – they come in some pretty solid colors. they are the BEST MF I have found. I bought some cheap ones at Family Dollar and they do not absorb- so the pricey PC ones are the ones to get.
I will check into those bar towels at Costco myself tho!
Hey Becky…do you use Downy or a fabric softener of any kind? If so, that will keep your towels from absorbing water as it works as a lubricant. I LOVE Downy in everything but have had to stop using it in my towels for that very reason…felt like I could never get dry after showering. Sadly, my towels aren't as soft anymore nor do them smell as yummy. According to Wikipedia…(that just makes me sound so intelligent!) fabric softeners also makes diapers less absorbant! Who knew?!
"they" not "them"…oh, I'm not so intelligent now, am I? Pays to proof read..yikes.
I love the William Sonoma striped towels. The colors change with the seasons, so I buy them when the new season colors come out and they put the past season on sale. They are thick and absorbent! I buy them as gifts, I love them so much. Never noticed the dryer sheet problem. I'll have to pay attention next time I get new ones. Oh, and they last!
Here's another vote for the WILLIAMS-SONOMA towels…seriously, they also LAST!! I am on my second set…just got them two years ago, and got the first set in 1992…They also seem to get better as they get older! Really love them…how often do you say that about a utility object!!
a couple others have mentioned them, but i'll do it again. the Clorox Freshcare towels (found at walmart and kmart) are absolutely WONDERFUL@
Williams Sonoma makes awesome dish towels. They aren't super cute (as in no fun patterns, mostly just stripes) but they work well.
Kohl's has cute decorative cotton dish towels that actually work by soaking up water
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I totally agree!!!! Holy cow! Why can't they be pretty AND functional? Surely you can make pretty and absorbant material!!!!
Hi Becky!
I have had decorative wash cloths and towels as well as ugly, absorbent cloths. My favorite way to have both at once is knitting 100% cotton wash cloths and towels: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jabaguan/4542060037/. I learned this pattern last summer and made several as Christmas gifts. They are absorbent and sturdy. I love them and can personalize them to my kitchen colors easily. Hope this helps!
Catherine
Hi Bedky!
My all time favorite dish towel for absorbancy is also the flour sack dish towels. To make them look a little nicer, I applique on them then my children dig through the drawer to find their favorite ones to dry with. Sometimes its to match with the holidays and then at times its just fun things! Have fun with it!
Becky – do you find that it is harder than heck to get the rings off the drinking mug cups with your magic bullet? I bought one and LOVE it…use it a couple of times a day, but trying to get the ring off after I've had my shake is a nightmare!! Don't know if they are all as bad or if I just got a lemon.
Dragging so late you won't even see, but do you use fabric softener? Don't. For any towel…body or otherwise.
bath towels…still cute but way more absorbent than kitchen towels
Not sure if someone said this already but, I use microfiber dishcloths. They are the only super absorbent ones I've found. But they aren't as cute as the others.
I find this to be true of bath towels too at times…even the good name brands that youdon’t expect it from. My husband says all it does is rub the water around…maybe they need to be washed several times to remove some kind of coating or something!?!?!?
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