6 Ways to use Tea Towels in the kitchen
The likes of small household items such as cotton tea towels can feel negligible, easily slipping the thoughts of an average consumer. But it's essential to revise that concept, given that conventional cotton is known for using massive amounts of water, pesticides, and fertilizers.
Cotton fiber is the highest consumed material in the world, the primary raw material for thousands of everyday products. The global production total in 2019/20 was 122.12 million 480-pound bales of cotton. This sounds good on paper but imagine the environmental impacts— conventionally grown cotton releases around 220 million metric tons of CO2 emissions and a water footprint of around 8.2 trillion cubic feet annually. Meaning, the higher the production, the greater the negative impacts.
Given cotton is a high-demand material consumed heavily across the globe, the best thing to do is to look for products made of organically grown cotton, i.e. organic cotton.
Let's take a look at the overall soundness of organic cotton, its impacts, and some eco-friendly ways to use organic cotton tea towels around the house.
Impacts of Organic Cotton Vs. Conventional Cotton
The impacts of conventional cotton taxes environment, health & safety of the farmers and factory workers, and the wellness of the market-ready product consumers.
On the Soil
Conventional Cotton
Conventional cotton leaves a large environmental footprint. The majority of conventional cotton is grown from genetically modified seeds (GMO) to make cotton plants pest-resistant. They are then sprayed with enormous amounts of pesticides and insecticides (8.2 million metric tons of chemicals globally) to further combat the pest attacks. These chemicals have the potential to seep into the soil, alter its composition, and pollute the water table. The land also gets almost no time to recover its nutrients owing to continuous cultivation cycles, resulting in inhospitable land.
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is grown with biofertilizers and biopesticides, which biodegrade quickly and cause little or no harm to the groundwater. Most organic cotton (around 80%) is primarily rain-fed and grown in rotation, using less water while giving enough time for the land to recover. The outcome— healthier soil and cotton crops.
On The Health
The heavy doses of pesticides in conventional cotton plants leave residues on the fiber, which can cause skin irritation and other issues. One is less likely to be exposed to the harmful chemicals with organic cotton, be it farmers and factory workers or consumers.
Essential household items like bath towels and tea towels made with conventionally grown cotton may contain toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, ammonia, and heavy metals to enhance wrinkle resistance, colorfastness, and more. When in contact with skin, these chemicals can irritate the skin. If processed as per the Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS), the organic cotton fabric does not use toxic chemicals. It is dyed with non-toxic and low-impact colorants.
Using Organic Cotton Tea Towels
Conventional cotton carries remnants of toxic chemicals which are unsafe for human health. And most of the cotton products we use daily in our homes are in direct contact with our skin— bath towels, bed sheets, tea towels. Using organic cotton tea towels would reduce the chances of exposing our delicate skin to the toxins that conventional cotton fabric contains. Choosing organic cotton products can also help strengthen organic cotton production over time. Consumer demand stimulates production and supply, and this can change the current organic cotton's less than 1% of global cotton production status. Compensating a little more for organic cotton products will also support resource conservation, lower emissions, and improve livelihoods around the world.
So, while a humble organic cotton tea towel alone won't stop climate change, it can assist in reducing environmental impacts while also adding aesthetics to your house.
Here are six ways to make your daily tea towel use a great experience:
A Rest for Clean Dishes
Instead of cluttering your drying rack, use your organic tea towel for a nice dish rest. Lay down the towel on the counter and place your clean utensils on top of the cloth to dry. Organic cotton is highly absorbent, which promotes fast drying— you can use tea towels to wipe your dishpans and pots dry before storing them.
A Serving Accessory
Tea towels come in beautiful designs, making them a stylish serving accessory or a pretty placemat for hot breakfast bowls and other meals. It will also keep the crockeries in place and prevent any spills on the table. Beyond lending aesthetics to your dining area, it also makes your after-meal cleanup easy. Lastly, what makes organic cotton tea towels a great serving accessory is that it is non-toxic— they are safe to have around meal preparation and consumption.
Use as a hand-towel
We usually use paper towels to wipe our hands dry after doing some kitchen chores, and they go to the bin immediately. It doesn't only waste money but also adds to waste generation. Organic cotton tea towels instead are non-toxic, reusable, absorbent, and multi-functional, making them the perfect replacement for paper towels.
Wrap for Baked Goods
Keep your bread, cinnamon rolls, or muffins warm with organic cotton tea towels. Line a bowl or basket with a clean towel and put the treats inside to keep them warm until ready to serve. They even make great eco-friendly wraps if you plan on gifting baked goods.
Wipe for messy counters
The absorbent quality of organic cotton tea towels is life-saving when it comes to wiping a messy counter. Plus, you can wash the towel after cleaning the mess and keep reusing it. Organic cotton is durable— your tea towel will also last longer and prevent money loss on buying new dishcloths.
Stores herbs and greens
Drying leafy greens and herbs after washing them makes them last longer. And, tea towels are an excellent choice to do just that. Tuck the greens in the towel and gently pat them dry to keep your greens fresh and crispy. Use the cloth to store your greens in the refrigerator instead of using plastic. This will prevent the produce from rotting, allowing you a fresh delight every time to pop them out to prepare meals.