How To Wash Dish Towels: 3 Methods

Dish towels can have a short lifespan in the kitchen. The constant damp, drips, and spills cause them to develop a sour smell and ugly stains. Besides looking unappetizing, using a mildewed, stained dish towel for drying rather defeats the purpose of washing dishes. So we throw them in the laundry again and again, but they never seem to come out squeaky clean.

If your kitchen towels have become a dingy gray, covered in stains, or so crunchy that they practically stand up on their own, you don’t have to replace them just yet. Try one or all of the methods below to make your dish towels look like new again.

What You Need

• Liquid detergent
• Distilled white vinegar and baking soda
• OR oxygen bleach laundry booster
• Optional: Large pan and tongs, wool dryer balls

How To Clean Dish Towels With Baking Soda And Vinegar

If your dish towels are smelly, sticky, and stained, try refreshing them with distilled white vinegar. Vinegar can cut through grease, remove odors, and brighten and soften fabrics. Then add baking soda to the wash to brighten, deodorize, and soften even more. Don’t mix the two together, as the reaction can make a mess and cause the two cleaners to cancel each other out.

Step 1 (Optional): Pre-Soak Towels

If your once-white dish towels have turned an unrecognizable color, pre-soak them overnight. Fill a tub with a gallon of very hot water and 1 cup of distilled white vinegar, then submerge the towels.

Step 2: Pre-Treat Stains

Remove towels and wring them out. Add a dab of liquid detergent to remaining stains and lightly rub it in. Wait 15 minutes or as long as an hour before throwing towels in the wash.

Step 3: Wash Towels

Add the appropriate amount of detergent to the washing machine’s dispenser. Throw your towels into the tub along with 1/2 cup of baking soda. Run the load with hot water. Check towels to make sure all stains are gone before drying (if not, pre-treat stains and wash again).

Step 4: Dry Towels

Dry your towels without using dryer sheets, which leave behind a residue and reduce absorbency. For ultimate fluffiness and thorough drying, use wool dryer balls instead.

How To Wash Dish Towels With Oxygen Bleach

Chlorine bleach can make fabrics feel rough and will fade all colors. Instead, harness the power of a color-safe bleach like OxiClean to brighten kitchen towels.

Step 1 (Optional): Pre-Soak Towels

If you’re looking to brighten dirty towels, give them a soak first. Fill a tub with a gallon of hot water and a capful of oxygen bleach laundry booster (or the amount that is recommended on the label). Submerge and soak towels for six hours.

Step 2: Pre-Treat Stains

Remove towels and wring them out. Treat stubborn stains with another dab of liquid oxygen bleach, gently rubbing it into the fibers. Wait 10-15 minutes before washing.

Step 3: Wash Towels

Add your liquid detergent and the recommended amount of oxygen bleach laundry booster to the dispenser of your washing machine. Run the load on hot water.

Step 4: Dry Towels

Dry your towels thoroughly, using wool dryer balls if you have them.

How To Boil Dish Towels

If you have the smelliest dish towels around, boiling will kill any odor-causing bacteria. However, it may also shorten the life of a dish towel, so you don’t want to do this with every wash. Boiling should only be used with natural fabrics like cotton because the heat can damage or melt synthetics.

Step 1: Prepare The Water

Fill a pan about 2/3 of the way with water and bring it to a rolling boil on the stove. Add 1/8 cup of baking soda to the water.

Step 2: Boil The Towels

Using tongs, submerge your dish towels in the water. Boil for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Wash And Dry Towels

Remove the towels with tongs and hang them to dry before folding for use. Or, let them cool enough to pre-treat stains and then wash and dry.

Tips To Keep Your Dish Towels Clean Longer

Try these tips to keep dish towels clean and fresh:

• Don’t use them as pot holders or to wipe up food or spills.
• Always hang dish towels to dry rather than throwing them on the counter.
• Don’t toss them in the hamper while damp, either. Hang them up or over the side.
• Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda or a capful of oxygen bleach laundry booster every time you wash the towels.