The Best Dish Towels

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Thurber
Published on
August 7th, 2019

The Cleaning Institute

Whether you’re drying dishes or are cleaning up a spill on the floor, you likely have a dish towel in hand while doing so. Dish towels are a universal item that are incredibly functional and durable for cleaning and maintaining a tidy home. They’re available in a variety of sizes and materials, which affects how well they work. If you want to purchase the best dish towels, we’ve done the work for you already. Our team tested a range of dish towels to determine which ones stood out on the market and were worth buying.

Testing Categories

Our team members have years of experience testing a variety of products to recommend our top picks to consumers. Part of our secret is using testing categories, which allow us to review specific characteristics and features of each product to determine how it compares to similar products on the market. When rating dish towels, the testing categories we used included Design, Quality, and Efficiency.

Design – We took a close look at the design and style of each dish towel to determine the overall appeal of each product.

Quality – The overall quality of each dish towel was one of our main categories. We examined this by evaluating the type of material used to construct the product and checked to see if it holds up well to frequent use and washing.

Efficiency – When testing each dish towel, our team reviewed how well it absorbed liquid when wiping down different types of surfaces.

Top Pick

Harringdons Kitchen Dish
Towels Set of 12-Tea
Towels 100% Cotton

The Harringdons Kitchen Dish Towels Set of 12-Tea Towels are eco-friendly and can be used for spills, wrapping, and drying. The generous size contributes to each towel’s versatility.

Price Check

Most notable upside: 12 tea towels are included in each pack, which allows the product to last long-term. The towels are machine washable and lint-free, and they have commercial grade hemming that prevents the thread from unraveling with multiple washes. The different color shades available make it easy to add a cheery touch to the kitchen and put the towels on display with their decorative look. Whether wrapping homemade bread in the towels or placing them underneath dishes that are drying, our team found this product to be extremely versatile.

Biggest downsides: The material of each towel is thin and is not absorbent enough for larger messes or spills. They’re also prone to wrinkling a lot and require air drying.

Honorable Mention

Utopia Towels 12 Pack Kitchen
Towels 15 x 25 inch
Cotton Dish Towels

The Utopia Towels 12 Pack Kitchen Towels 15 x 25 inch Cotton Dish Towels are both durable and efficiently designed, ensuring a product that can last for a long time and still look good.

Price Check

Most notable upside: The Utopia Towels includes 12 towels in each set and are woven with 100 percent ring-spun cotton, which offers extra durability with their design. The minimal look of the black and white towels allow them to complement different styles of kitchens and homes. Our team found the towels to be incredibly absorbent and are also soft to the touch.

Biggest downsides: The quality of these dish towels can easily become damaged, especially when they have contact with bleach, fabric softeners, and iron. Lint can also disperse onto other items in the washing machine. The towels need to be washed in warm water, with mild detergent, and tumble dried on low to prevent them from falling apart. Even with special care, loose stitching can occur on the hems.

Green Pick

Full Circle Tidy 100%
Organic Cotton
Dish Cloths

The Full Circle Tidy 100% Organic Cotton Dish Cloths are colorful and modern with extra scrubbing power due to the integrated loops. The product includes three towels in each set.

Price Check

Most notable upside: This product is our green pick because it’s made with non-toxic dyes and 100 percent organic cotton. It also doesn’t contain any harmful coatings, plastics, and chemicals. They also hold up well with frequent washing.

Biggest downsides: Some of the threading can unravel easily, and the cloth is thin. They are also made in China, which may affect how organic the material is.

All Our Picks

Choosing and Storing Your Dish Towels

Everyone wants to own effective dish towels to ensure they work well and can be used in multiple ways. The best dish towels have a thick texture and can absorb plenty of water or liquids when spills or messes occur. They should also have a large size to ensure they can be used longer without having to wash or dry them each time the counter is wiped off. Having a decorative print can also allow the towel to work as a decorative element in the kitchen that is easy to show off.

All dish towels need to be completely dry before they’re stored in a cabinet or cupboard to prevent mold or mildew from growing. If the dish towel is wet, consider hanging it on the oven handle or on the side of the sink to ensure all moisture evaporates.

The Best Dish Towels

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Thurber

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Harringdons Kitchen Dish
Towels Set of 12-Tea
Towels 100% Cotton

Utopia Towels 12 Pack Kitchen
Towels 15 x 25 inch
Cotton Dish Towels

Full Circle Tidy 100%
Organic Cotton
Dish Cloths

All Our Picks

Harringdons Kitchen Dish
Towels Set of 12-Tea
Towels 100% Cotton

Utopia Towels 12 Pack Kitchen
Towels 15 x 25 inch
Cotton Dish Towels

Full Circle Tidy 100%
Organic Cotton
Dish Cloths

Choosing and Storing Your Dish Towels

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The Best Dish Towels

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Thurber

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Harringdons Kitchen Dish Towels Set of 12-Tea Towels 100% Cotton

Utopia Towels 12 Pack KitchenTowels 15 x 25 inch Cotton Dish Towels

Full Circle Tidy 100%Organic CottonDish Cloths

All Our Picks

Harringdons Kitchen Dish Towels Set of 12-Tea Towels 100% Cotton

Utopia Towels 12 Pack KitchenTowels 15 x 25 inch Cotton Dish Towels

Full Circle Tidy 100%Organic CottonDish Cloths

Choosing and Storing Your Dish Towels

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Harringdons Kitchen Dish
Towels Set of 12-Tea
Towels 100% Cotton

Utopia Towels 12 Pack Kitchen
Towels 15 x 25 inch
Cotton Dish Towels

Full Circle Tidy 100%
Organic Cotton
Dish Cloths

Harringdons Kitchen Dish
Towels Set of 12-Tea
Towels 100% Cotton

Utopia Towels 12 Pack Kitchen
Towels 15 x 25 inch
Cotton Dish Towels

Full Circle Tidy 100%
Organic Cotton
Dish Cloths