seethe your kitchen towels will help with bacteria , odor , and stain , but there are some major drawback .
The kitchen towel does not get the credit it deserve . From wipe up kitchen experiment last amiss to drying dishes to consistently getting left behind duringlaundry ladder , this baseborn essential go through a lot . But what ’s the right way to keep it uncontaminating and sanitary ?
Kitchen towels , by their very nature , get into contact with various solid food residues , grease , and moisture on a steady ground , creating an ideal surroundings for bacteria to thrive . They ’re also primarily used on dishes and cutting tool , increasing the risk of contact with bacteria . Proper cleaning not only ensures hygienics but also extends the kitchen towel ’s lifespan and maintains its absorbency .
Credit: Nikolaeva Elena / Getty Images
Can you boil kitchen towels to clean them?
Boiling has long been touted as a foolproof method to desexualise anything and everything — including towels . The thought is simple : Heat kills bacterium . By immersing towel in boiling water , proponents indicate you’re able to extinguish germ efficaciously withoutthe need for coarse chemical substance .
While we do n’t recommendboiling clothes to clean them , as the extreme hotness can damage the fabric and make other proceeds , when it comes to hyper - durable , low - cost kitchen towels , the hurt might be an satisfactory consequence : If your kitchen towels tend to have a short life-time before you toss them , reuse them , or repurpose them for other non – food - adjacent needs , having that life-time bowdlerise by repeated stewing might not be a expectant heap . That said , if you ’re particularly impound to your kitchen towels , pull in freshness towels , or otherwise object to the estimate of throw to replace those towel on a regular basis , you might be better off not boiling them to maintain some seniority .
Best Practices for Kitchen Towel Care
fan of the method acting have it right : Boiling your kitchen towels does kill any bacterium in the material . But doing so , without using any additive , wo n’t remove all the solid food residue , stain , dust , or lallygag smell kitchen tag can give off . You need soap for that . In many cases , these tips for taking aid of your kitchen towel might be as effective ( or even more effective ) than roil them .
Regular Washing
Aim to wash kitchen towels frequently , ideally after each use if heavily soiled , to prevent bacterial buildup .
Hot Water and Detergent
Most of yourdetergents will hit bacteriaandresidue in a received washables machine cycle withdetergent and hot water(typically around 140 ° Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit or 60 ° Anders Celsius ) .
Separate Towels
forfend mix kitchen towels with other laundry item to prevent cross - pollution .
Air Dry
Whenever possible , tune dryyour towel in lineal sun , as UV rays can further help clean them .
How to Boil Your Kitchen Towels
If you ’re still get problems with stubborn odors and stains , you may add seethe your kitchen towel as a last footprint to your washing procedure . Throw them in thewashing machine , separately from your clothes . Turn up the temperature jell on your washing machine , and then dry your towels normally . Boil some water in a spacious pot and put your towel in it . tot whitener if needed ( and if your towels are of a colour that wo n’t be ruin by the whitener ) and stir occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes . Remove them from the pot and set up them to air ironic . This should give you squeaky clean resultant . And if the stain just are n’t budging , you might have to try your handwriting atlaundry stripping .
