When you’re cooking up a storm, a kitchen towel is one of those unassuming bits of kit that is truly multipurpose, used to dry dishes, utensils, and hands, grab hot handles, pull trays out of the oven, or mop up countertop spills. You can even place kitchen towels underneath mixing bowls to prevent them from slipping, use them to dry delicate herbs, or lay them on top of proofing sourdoughs and other breads to prevent them developing a skin. Given all this, it’s no wonder that this reliable piece of fabric can become thin, torn, and ragged after a few years of culinary abuse. However, before throwing your old kitchen towels away, consider repurposing them into cleaning rags for use all over the house.
To give your worn-out kitchen towels a new lease of life all you need to do is get a sharp pair of scissors and cut them into smaller pieces before using them as rags for cleaning down cabinets, dusting shelving, or gleaming-up dirty mirrors. You could even use them in the garage to shine your car or in the bathroom to dry off your shower cubicle. They may not be as pristine as they were in their original condition but they’ll definitely be good enough to remove grime and grease. Better yet, once they’ve served their purpose, simply pop them in the washing machine, dry thoroughly, and stack up in a cleaning cupboard for next time.
Old kitchen towels make ideal cleaning rags
As kitchen towels are made of absorbent materials, such as cotton, linen or terry cloth, they’re awesome for soaking up liquids. Their thin, flat-weave texture means they also dry fast and are ready to reuse quickly, unlike paper towels that need to be discarded after a single use. Also known as dishcloths or tea towels, these textiles don’t leave lint or streaks behind on glassware.
Quality kitchen linens with attractive motifs can enhance a kitchen space and lend it character and warmth in addition to fulfilling a practical role. But once they become old or torn, they can ruin the aesthetic of your kitchen and make it look drab and dirty, which is when repurposing them is ideal.
Repurposing your dish towels is a frugal move that will save you money as well as conserve resources and reduce waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. While it may seem like a small action, a commitment to reusing materials adds up in the long term. To optimize your kitchen towel storage, place some labeled dollar store containers inside your drawers or cupboards to help separate new towels from older cleaning rags.
