Tea Towels

[grapes_collector]

I desperately need some new tew towels, but the last few I bought were terrible. No absorbency at all, and tiny.....some of my handkerchieves are bigger.

I used to buy the  jumbo 3pack from Coles (sort of a cotton weave), but they dont seem to make them any more.

Can anyone suggest the most absorbent type of tea towel on the market ATM? Ta

[i-need-a-martini]

I buy either the teatowels from Freedom. I think they are $2.95 each and always at the front counter. You need to wash them first but then they behave like linen.

Or I buy real linen vintage ones off ebay. Anything souvenir from the 60's/70's is good (although the designs are often kitsch) and they are always in surprisingly good condition.

[imastawka]

Vintage sounds like me,  lol.

Think I may actually have some Irish Linen tea towels

hidden away somewhere.

We thought they were quite horrible to look at,  back in the 60's

Bet I've got some buried in the back of a cupboard      

[sineaterdoodah]

yank who's curious(WHAT A SURPRISE FROM ME!) , can y'all buy at all from restaurant supply depots? obviously,it's a bit higher price than the service people pay,but here we can,at about 12% above cost,with a food handler's card.

saves me a ton on tea towels,since my BFF detroys them regularly ,cleaning his bikes. 

just curious! 🙂

[lloydslights]

Barri, cleaning bikes with linen?   Let him use his old t-shirts.  

DEB

[katymatey*]

I like to look at op shops now and then. Have bought some great Irish linen tea towels for little money at times. Mostly they are new or near new. 

[lyndal1838]

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@sineaterdoodah wrote:

yank who's curious(WHAT A SURPRISE FROM ME!) , can y'all buy at all from restaurant supply depots? obviously,it's a bit higher price than the service people pay,but here we can,at about 12% above cost,with a food handler's card.

saves me a ton on tea towels,since my BFF detroys them regularly ,cleaning his bikes. 

just curious! 🙂

---

Years ago I had access to fabric warehouses.  One of them specialised in importing bolts of linen teatowel material.  I was able to buy a bolt of about 25-30 yards for a pittance.  Just cut off the amount needed and hem it.   I had some giant sized teatowels and kept the whole family in green and white striped linen teatowels for many years.

[sineaterdoodah]

lol,deb! i make him pay for them,most of the time. but i was just given a huge box of old cotton polo shirts,so that'll keep him away from my towels for awhile!

lyn,that's very cool,i'd LOVE to have some big ones for my hair. i have waist length hair,and the weight of wet hair combined with wet terry cloth makes my neck hurt.

[imastawka]

Turned the house upside-down. 

I know I've got irish linen somewhere.

Bought these instead.  Made for glass, so should be absorbent

     $10 for 3

[cherry*135]

I have quite a few Irish linen tea towels with nice designs on them from the 1980's on. I don't use them though. Mainly use the dishwasher and a few ordinary tea towels. I sold a few 'touristy' ones on ebay a few years ago.

I do buy the vintage linen ones firm OP shops occasionally and give them to one of my daughters who uses them. I think the supply of old good quality linen ones donated, - the touristy & special ones that were kept and not used - will start decreasing.

[sineaterdoodah]

good choice,stawka,you'll like them . after about 3 washes,completely lint free!   uumm....as long as you keep the cats away....uuummm...and don't allow bicycle cleaning .....uumm....or carwashing either.

😄

am,i don't know if tourist towels are the same there,of course,but here,they seem to always be"polished" to keep them pretty,and NOT USABLE! i boil them ,then wash them normally 3 times,and that...patina? ,i don't know what it is,but it FINALLY gives you a good towel,!