Tea towels, oven gloves and aprons: what to look for
Kitchen textiles are bought on price and regretted within a fortnight. Three small things decide whether they work.
Tea towels: fibre first
- Linen — the best drier by a distance. Very low lint, dries glass without smears, gets softer with every wash. Costs more and starts out stiff.
- Cotton (flat woven / herringbone) — the sensible everyday choice. Absorbent, durable, cheap enough to own a dozen.
- Terry cotton (looped) — holds the most water, so it is good for hands and spills, but leaves lint on glassware.
- Microfibre — excellent on glass and stainless, but it holds smells and cannot be washed hot without damaging the fibre.
New tea towels smear because of the finishing treatment applied at the mill. Wash them twice before first use, hot, no fabric conditioner — conditioner coats the fibres and is the single most common reason a tea towel will not absorb.
How many, and how to run them
Six minimum, ideally ten. The rotation that works: one for drying dishes, one for hands, one for surfaces — and they never swap jobs. Different colours or a hanging position for each is enough to keep it honest.
Wash at 60°C to actually kill bacteria. Anything used on raw meat surfaces goes straight in the wash, not back on the rail.
Oven gloves: what the rating means
A heat rating is a contact time, not an absolute. "Heat resistant to 250°C" usually means it survives brief contact at that temperature — not that you can hold a hot tin for a minute.
- Silicone — waterproof and grippy, the only sensible choice for lifting wet or steaming things. Can feel clumsy for fine work.
- Cotton double mitt — comfortable and easy to wash, but useless once damp: water conducts heat straight through and you get a steam burn.
- Aramid / treated fabric — the best all-rounder for oven work; higher tolerance and still flexible.
Check the cuff length. Most oven burns happen on the forearm hitting the shelf above, not the hand. A glove that reaches past the wrist is worth more than a higher temperature number.
Aprons
- Cross-back — no neck strain, stays put, easy to put on. The best choice if you cook for hours.
- Neck loop with waist ties — adjustable and cheaper, but the loop pulls on the neck and the ties work loose.
- Bib coverage matters more than length. Splashes land on the chest, not the knees.
Cotton canvas or a cotton-linen blend takes heat and washes hot. Waxed and coated aprons repel liquid but cannot go in a hot wash, which limits them to tidy work.
Placemats and runners
Cork and felt-backed mats protect against heat. Cotton and linen mats look better but need washing. Whatever you choose, check it is machine washable at 40°C or higher — a mat that needs hand washing gets used twice.
See kitchen & table linens, towels and racks & holders.
