Don’t get it twisted, tea towels are the handiest kitchen must have around.

Tea towels are one of those ubiquitous must-haves in the kitchen that most of us probably don’t think about until we need one, but tea towels are the workhorses of the kitchen. Not only can they be used to dry dishes, but they also have a multitude of uses in the kitchen.

• Cleaning up spills
• Covering rising dough
• Lining baskets filled with bread or fruit
• Teapot cozy
• Potholders
• Absorbent surface for drying greens
• Apron stand in
• Keep mixing bowls steady and cutting boards from sliding

In addition, tea towels may not seem that sexy, but they are a critical part in controlling the havoc that paper towels and other throwaway paper products exact on our environment. Reusable towels are a cost-effective way to deal with spills and kitchen cleanup. It’s also possible to find towels made from eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton, linen, and bamboo.

Tea towels also make awesome host or housewarming gifts as evidenced by the aforementioned usefulness, but they also easily personalized to your giftees decor and/or interests. Believe it or not, it’s possible to find towels decorated with everything from hand-embroidered flowers to screen printed song lyrics.

Whether you are in the market for some more tea towels, or need some onhand housewarming and host gifts, read on to discover some fun tea towels.

Fun & Eco-friendly Tea Towels

1. Cat Tea Towel

Pay attention cat people, here is a towel just for you. Made from organic cotton and screenprinted with eco-friendly inks.

2. Shop Local

This towel offers a  reminder to shop local and support your local farmers and businesses. Keep it your hood.

3. Linen Towels

For simplicity’s sake, consider using plain linen towels. Linen fabric is made from flax and is an eco-friendly alternative to other types of textiles.

4. Kitchen Conversion Towel

It’s already a well-established fact that kitchen towels are handy, but this towel takes the cake. It features all sorts of recipe conversions, like dry and liquid measurements, temperature conversions, and more.

5. Etiquette Towel

In the same vein, this towel breaks down some of the most important rules of etiquette. This just might be a good gift for the passive-aggressive among you.

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When The Eco Luxe Life sent me SKOY Cloth as part of my quarterly packet of goodies, I was initially skeptical. Really? A paper towel that’s meant to be reused? Is that sanitary? Or perhaps slightly insane?

But then I tested it out and discovered that for most cleaning needs, it works just as well as – if not better than – a regular paper towel. It’s sturdy enough for repeated use and it came out squeaky clean when I ran it through the dishwasher – not a trace of dirt or residue! But if you don’t have a dishwasher (or choose not to use it), you can also throw it in the clothes washer or microwave it for 1-2 minutes while damp.

I use my SKOY Cloth for cleaning up light messes around my apartment, since the company’s website discourages using it with chlorine (I assume other harsh cleaning products are a no-go). Seeing how it’s reduced my paper towel usage also inspired me to add a few old t-shirts to my rotation as rags so I can reduce my paper towel consumption even further. Unfortunately, my old t-shirts aren’t quite as absorbent.

According to the SKOY Cloth website, Europeans have been using a similar product for years. In fact, SKOY draws its name from Skoj, which is a Swedish word meaning “just for fun.” That attitude shines through in the whimsical colors and patterns of their product, too.

Since paper towels account for 3,000 tons of landfill waste every single day, it would have an incredible environmental impact if more of us reduced our dependence on disposable paper products.

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