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10 best tea towels for sparkling clean pots and glassware
Washing up may be boring, but that doesn’t mean your kit needs to be. Take a look at our pick of the best tea towels to keep your dishes diamond-clean and streak-free.
By Natasha Gregson | Last updated May 17, 2024
Tea towels are a household essential, but if you decide to scrimp on your tea towel purchases, you’ll soon find that it’s a false economy. A cheap tea towel won’t absorb water anywhere near as well as a high-quality one, and you’ll end up spending twice as long on a drying job that turns out to be half as good, streaky or leaves your dishes still feeling damp. Poor quality towels can also leave your dishes covered in lint and quickly become discoloured, misshapen and unsightly.
When investing in your kitchen routine, whether it's something small like tea towels or a big-ticket item like an American fridge freezer, you want to make sure what you're spending your money on actually makes your life easier. That's where we come in. Our team of trusty experts are always on hand to help you choose the right buys for your budget, so we’ve done all the hard work for you and come up with our pick of the best tea towels out there.
Our first port of call was the Mumsnet forums, home to the largest online network of parents in the UK, where we extensively researched the tea towels rated on our Talk boards. When we had compiled a list of Mumsnetter recommendations, we then combed through authentic consumer reviews and expert opinions, whittling our shortlist down to the top 10 buys to ensure we're only suggesting the very best.
Here are the best tea towels for drying dishes in 2024.
Plus, for more Mumsnetter-approved buys for your kitchen, don't miss our guides to the best oven cleaner and glass cleaner.
Super absorbent
Durable and long-lasting
Quick-drying
High price point per towel
Price per towel: £6 | Pack size: One | Fabric: Cotton
When it comes to finding a good quality tea towel that is absorbent, excels at quick drying and leaves plates streak-free, Mumsnetters couldn’t speak more highly of Lamont Poli Dri. Very much a case of ‘you get what you pay for’, Mumsnet users (along with a whole host of five-star reviewers) felt that these tea towels were certainly worth the additional cost.
The Lamont Poli Dri tea towels are made from thick, super-absorbent premium cotton and come in a choice of 12 colours to match every kitchen aesthetic. Durable and hardwearing to stand the test of time, they also wash well without becoming misshapen. Whether you choose to wash pots by hand or in the best dishwasher, we think they're a worthwhile buy to add to your kitchen.
Budget-friendly
Absorbent
Crease easily
Can shrink after washing
Price per towel: £1 | Pack size: One | Fabric: Cotton
If you’re on a tight budget at the moment (energy prices anyone?!) or are simply trying to keep costs down, then you can’t get much cheaper than these IKEA HILDEGUN tea towels.
Don’t be put off by the budget price, however. Whilst they’re not the thickest towel on our list, they’re still surprisingly absorbent and come in a clean, simple design with colours that won’t run.
Some reviewers did find that they need ironing after washing to avoid creases, and there is a risk they may shrink from repeated use, but for 75p we can't grumble too much.
Related: Discover the best integrated dishwasher, as recommended by Mumsnet users
Larger pack size
Absorbent
Generously sized
Some reviewers found threads came loose during washing
Price per towel: Approx £1.50 | Pack size: 12 | Fabric: Ring-spun cotton
Bored of always washing your tea towels or not being able to find one when the dishes are piling up on your drying rack? This larger-sized multipack from Utopia includes 12 towels meaning no matter how much you find yourself at the kitchen sink (sob), you will always be able to get your hands on a clean dishcloth when you need it.
Available in a choice of seven bold and bright colours, the Utopia tea towels are generously sized and made from thick, high-quality, ring-spun cotton - a fabric which is not only absorbent but durable and long-lasting too.
These towels do require a pre-wash to fluff up before use and some reviewers did notice that the odd thread came loose, but for a reasonably priced set of tea towels that does the job, we still rate these as a large, multipack choice.
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Absorbent material
Quick and efficient drying
Won't fray or become misshapen
Less eco-friendly choice
Price per towel: Approx £2 | Pack size: 8 | Fabric: Microfibre
Some traditional style tea towels can feel like you’re simply moving the water around on the dishes as you dry, whereas microfibre towels offer significant levels of absorbency that can make your dish drying quick and efficient every time.
Made from thick material and larger in size than many, these durable towels are hemmed at the edges to prevent them fraying or becoming misshapen after washing. They also come in a wide range of colour choices with white and colour stripes, from a subtle and classic grey to a fresh lemon yellow.
Won’t crease or lose shape
Muted, classic colour choices
Costly
Price per towel: £5 | Pack size: One | Fabric: Terry cotton
From a trusted household brand, Mumsnetters and consumers couldn’t speak more highly of the John Lewis Terry Check Tea Towel, with multiple exclamations that these are the best tea towels in terms of thickness and durability.
With a high-quality design that won’t crease, crumple or lose shape, these soft and absorbent terry cotton towels come in a choice of five check print colours in a muted, more classic colour tone which will feel at home in every contemporary kitchen.
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Super-absorbent microfibre
No streaks left behind
Costly
Could be bigger
Price per towel: £5 | Pack size: One | Fabric: Microfibre
For fast and efficient dish cloths that won’t leave streaks on your dinner plates, the Lakeland e-Cloth Microfibre Tea Towels are a popular choice. In a traditional black and white check design, these will blend well into every style of kitchen, whilst the super absorbent microfibre dries and polishes your dishes at the same time.
Whilst a few reviewers felt they could have been bigger, many rated this choice for helping glassware sparkle and shine, so they're ideal for a quick polish after a cycle using the best dishwasher tablets.
The large pack size offers excellent value for money
Durable
Requires thorough pre-wash before use
Price per towel: Approx £2 | Pack size: 10 | Fabric: Cotton and polyester mix
Another larger pack size that offers excellent value for money, the Vogue Wonderdry Tea Towels are made from a cotton and polyester mix that won't shed on your plates, so long as you do a thorough pre-wash before use.
Large in size, thick and absorbent, these are hard-wearing tea towels you can wash and reuse time and time again.
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High quality
Suitable for everyday use
Could be thicker
Price per towel: Approx £3 | Pack size: Three | Fabric: Waffle cotton
Whether you wash pots by hand or have a dishwasher (or even a slimline dishwasher), it's a good idea to have a basic set of tea towels to hand. If you’re after a set of towels that are both absorbent and machine washable for easy, everyday use, these simple yet effective John Lewis ANYDAY towels come in packs of three mixed colours so you can always have one on rotation.
Each tea towel comes with a traditional border pattern in one of three on-trend colours: terracotta (orange), ochre (yellow) and dusty green (mint). They're not the thickest towel on the market, but this basic set offers great value if you don't want to pay £5 a pop for one tea towel.
Polishes and dries simultaneously
Style of tea towel is catering industry recommended
Lightweight
Not as soft or fluffy as other tea towels
Price per towel: Approx £3.50 | Pack size: 4 | Fabric: Linen cotton mix
If you’re bored of always seeing streaks on your glassware and find yourself repeatedly needing to polish your wine glass before you top it up, a set of linen towels could be the perfect solution.
Made from a cotton and linen mix, these durable tea towels are often seen in bars and restaurants, and whilst you shouldn’t expect them to be as fluffy and soft as some other tea towels, they’re a great option for successfully drying and polishing your glassware at the same time.
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Striking conversation starters
Bold and bright designs
High price tag per towel
Price per towel: From £12 | Pack size: One | Fabric: Organic cotton
If you like your tea towels to make a statement and aren’t afraid to pay a little more for the luxury, Radical Tea Towels offers a wide range of striking tea towel designs with a political slant. From literary figures to rebels, philosophers and women’s rights campaigns, these tea towels are a great way to spark up a conversation during house parties!
Made from organic unbleached cotton, and printed, cut and sewn in the UK, they’re also generously sized and absorbent. We think they'd make a great housewarming present too.
What’s the best material for tea towels?
For an unbiased view, you can’t beat the recommendations of thousands of happy consumers and, when it comes to tea towels, they all agree that the best material for tea towels is microfibre.
Unlike some of the thinner traditional cotton tea towels, a decent microfibre towel absorbs moisture more quickly, which helps you to dry dishes much faster to ensure a swift, streak-free finish.
Thicker, high-quality cotton, particularly double weaved, waffled or terry cotton, however, can still offer a highly absorbent tea towel choice for your kitchen.
How often should tea towels be washed?
The answer to this largely depends on what kitchen tasks you’re using your tea towels for and how often you’re using them. If you’re simply using your tea towels to dry just-washed dishes, then you won’t need to machine wash them that frequently.
However, thanks to tea towels being so absorbent, they are also the perfect home for bacteria, mildew and even mould, so it’s always a good idea to wash them every few days.
If you’re using your tea towels for more than just drying, such as wiping surfaces or to mop up spills or food messes (and everything in between), then you need to be washing your tea towels every day – although as long as you have three or four then this shouldn’t be a problem.
How often should you buy new tea towels?
Like any household item that takes a hit day in, day out from cleaning, your tea towels will eventually start to show their age and need replacing. The more you look after them, the longer they will last, so wash them frequently to stop the build-up of bacteria.
If you get to the point where your tea towels don’t smell too fresh even after a hot wash, then it’s time to say goodbye, chuck them in the kitchen bin and invest in some new ones. Look to replace your tea towels every two years.
What are the most absorbent tea towels?
The most absorbent tea towels to buy are the superb Gryeer Microfibre Tea Towels, which aren’t just thick and soft but can soak up even the messiest of spills in seconds.
For overall all-round quality, durability, and streak-free drying with more eco-friendly fabric, we rate the slightly more expensive Lamont Poli Dri Tea Towels which wash well and get the job done quickly and efficiently.
How we chose the best tea towels
Products tried and tested by Mumsnet users
When it comes to household products, our Mumsnet community have tried a huge range of products - the good, the bad and the ugly. We first sought out the trusted opinions of the Mumsnet users, many of whom have a favourite type of dish towel that they rate, recommend and use in their own home.
We gathered our users' opinions on the brands they rated as well as the fabrics and styles that they felt were the most efficient and effective when washing their dishes, glassware, and Tupperware.
Expert recommendations
Next, we looked for reviews and feedback from industry experts on the best kitchen towels. We want to be confident that the products we recommend are fit for purpose, so we looked out for award-winning products or those that were well regarded in the catering and food industries.
Authentic consumer reviews
Finally, to bring you our definitive list of the best tea towels you can buy today, we thoroughly investigated genuine, in-depth customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon, John Lewis, Lakeland and to get wider consumer experiences regarding our shortlist of the best tea towels.
Related: The best freezer according to Mumsnet users
About the author
Natasha Gregson is a Senior Content Editor at Mumsnet and oversees all home content on the site. An avid foodie, she loves nothing more than trying new culinary creations in the kitchen, which often includes testing out and researching the latest time-saving gadgets and accessories for Mumsnet.
With several years of editorial experience under her belt, she has written on many topics, covering everything from fashion to health, parenting to entertainment, and has had work featured in national publications including The i Paper and Stylist Magazine.
When she’s not busy seeking out the top products and advice for Mumsnetters, you can find her searching for the next best restaurant, watching live music, curling up with a good book, cross-stitching, or enjoying a good hike or swim.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.
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