Your kitchen might look clean, but is your tea towel silently spreading bacteria?
Experts recommend washing tea towels daily. Bacteria can survive on damp towels for up to 48 hours, especially in warm or humid kitchens. Avoid using the same towel for hands, dishes, and countertops. This small change can make a big difference to your kitchen hygiene.
So, what’s the best way to keep your tea towels clean and safe? Let’s explore.
Why do tea towels attract bacteria so easily?
In a warm, damp kitchen environment, tea towels can become the perfect breeding ground for bacteria—especially when not fully dried after use.
Research shows that 30–50% of kitchen towels may carry E. coli or other harmful bacteria. This is often caused by cross-contamination: for example, wiping your hands after touching raw meat, then using the same towel to dry clean plates or baby bottles.
To stay safe, a clean-looking towel isn’t always a clean towel.
What’s the ideal frequency for changing tea towels?
Although some people change their towels weekly—or even less—food safety experts advise changing them daily.
In hot seasons, or after heavy cooking sessions, towels should be replaced even more frequently. The risk of bacteria growth is higher when your kitchen stays humid for hours at a time.
The easiest solution? Keep a few fresh towels on rotation.
Should you use different towels for different tasks?
Absolutely. Using one towel for everything is a common mistake—and one of the riskiest.
Experts suggest having separate tea towels for:
- Drying hands
- Drying dishes
- Wiping countertops or spills
Use different colors or tags to avoid confusion. This simple habit reduces cross-contamination and keeps your entire kitchen cleaner.
For families or food-related businesses, this is a must.
What’s the correct way to wash tea towels?
Washing at low temperatures or rinsing with cold water doesn’t remove harmful bacteria. A deeper clean is necessary.
Wash your towels at 60°C or above, using a quality detergent with disinfecting properties. Always dry your towels completely before storing or reusing. A wet towel can become more harmful than an unwashed one.
Cotton towels are best, as they handle hot washing without damage—like the ones we offer at BLANC.
When is it time to replace your tea towels?
Even the best towels don’t last forever. If your tea towels show signs of:
- Wear and tear
- Lingering odour
- Stubborn stains that won’t wash out
…it’s time to say goodbye.
We recommend replacing your kitchen towels every 3 to 6 months, depending on usage. Old towels can be cut up and reused as cleaning cloths or pet rags—an eco-friendly solution.
At BLANC Tea Towel, we provide small-batch custom tea towels that make replacing and refreshing your designs easy—ideal for shops, designers, or gifting businesses.
Good habits start with a clean towel.
Changing tea towels daily, using them for the right tasks, and washing them properly will protect your kitchen from hidden germs. Don’t wait for food poisoning to take action—your health is worth more than one towel.
