Whim Flour Sack Kitchen Dish Drying Commercial Grade Towels, Set of 4, White

Price: $13
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours
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Reviewer: Mark Lamendola

My first requirement for any cloth-type material used in the kitchen is that it is made from natural fibers. These towels are made from 100% cotton.

I absolutely will not use polyester in the kitchen (or wear it), because when polyester melts on skin it actually melts into the skin and that can make a very serious burn out of what would otherwise be a very minor burn. Polyester is also prohibited apparel in electrical work for this same reason. The polyester people now call their dangerous product "microfiber" in hopes people won't notice. Do not use microfiber towels in the kitchen.

Not all cotton cloth is the same. In fact, there are wide variations in quality. When I look at a cotton cloth, I test its weight and examine the weave. This is a quality fabric. I think a heavier weave would be better for a dish towel, but I did find that I can dry dishes even better with this towel than with my some of my regular (and thicker) towels. This is much larger than those other towels, so I simply wadded it up to maximize surface area usage. These proved to be pretty absorbent. Not only that, they don't leave any fibers on what you wipe them with (as do most kinds of towels, which is why dish towels are markedly different from bath towels).

Another test of a material is how well it recovers from wadding. All of my dress shirts are 100% cotton, yet resist wrinkling almost as well as the polyester blends that many men wear. Proper ironing and judicious use of sizing helps, but you still need a good material. After using one of these towels wadded up, I could merely snap it and hang it on the drying ring near the sink to restore its shape.

Not having encountered this type of towel before and not being the professional chef mentioned in the promotional text for this product, I'm not familiar with all of the uses for flour sack towels. I do know these are well-made and durable.

A couple of tips on the care for these.

1. Don't use the recommended amount of detergent or soap when washing (holds true for all clothing, linens, etc.); it's way, way too much. Typically, people can cut back to about 20% of the recommended amount and their clothes will come out even cleaner. But use a good product from the organics aisle, not the smelly, chemical-laden stuff in the consumer aisle. And never use "fabric softener" as it's actually quite gross (read the label).
2. Don't dry them completely in the clothes dryer. This is true for all fabrics. That degree of drying actually damages the material. So does high heat. Always dry on the lowest setting and remove while still slightly damp.