Last Updated: June 10, 2024, 7:18 a.m.

A kitchen towel is made of absorbent material like cotton or linen and is used for various tasks such as drying dishes, wiping countertops, handling hot pots and pans, and cleaning up spills. They're a staple in most kitchens for their versatility and usefulness and often come in various sizes, colors, and designs. Funny kitchen towels have funny phrases, puns, or witty wordplay printed on the front of them. They add a touch of humor and personality to the kitchen while also serving their practical purpose. 

We looked at the sayings, absorbency, and size of the best funny kitchen towels and compiled a list of our favorites. The Funny Kitchen Towels By KLL is the best overall because of its excellent absorbency, family-friendly food-related puns, and waffled microfiber material.

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Towels are made from various materials and feature numerous print qualities. However, the search for the perfect towel can get quite overwhelming once you see the wide assortment of kitchen towels on the market. To help you out, we’ve prepared an in-depth guide explaining everything you need to know to find the ideal kitchen towel for your home.

Factors To Consider

Material

Kitchen towels are made from a variety of different materials, the primary ones being cotton and microfibre. Cotton is a natural material that can be trusted for dishes and kitchenware, along with providing a fair amount of absorbency. However, cotton materials tend to shrink in size after their first wash and may leave fiber feathers on utensils and dishes. On the other hand, microfiber cloths have tiny fibers which can get into the nooks and crannies of whatever you intend to wash. Microfiber towels absorb more water than cotton and avoid retaining any liquid, making them ideal for cleaning out spills in the kitchen.

Print

Sometimes we’ll find some pretty funny towel prints in the shop, however, not all prints are equally durable. Low-quality towel prints tend to get smudged and blotted down after a couple of washes, making the towel’s look the exact opposite of what you hoping for. Luckily, all the towels listed above feature high-quality and smudge-free prints so you won’t end up with a grey smudge on your towel after the first wash.

Weaving pattern

Weaving patterns are often overlooked when buying kitchen towels. The ability to absorb or retain moisture rests with the weaving pattern of your kitchen towel, making towels with a low-quality pattern a menace when cleaning spills. We’ve found the optimal weaving patterns to be flour-sack and waffle weave.

Lint-free

Many cotton towels tend to leave a residue of lint wherever they are rubbed. This can become quite frustrating and difficult to remove when drying dishes and countertops. To solve this, we recommend lint-free kitchen towels which avoid leaving fiber feathers after being rubbed on a surface.

Types of Kitchen Towels

Tea towel

Tea towels are made from soft thin cotton or linen material and, as the name suggests, are mainly used to dry and polish tea dishes. However, these towels can also be used as decor, napkins, liners for trays and baskets, and even as a slip grip under cutting boards. If you’re searching for a good tea towel, give a look at the set of 4 funny tea towels by FORTIVO.

Dish towel

If the name didn’t already give it away, dish towels are used to dry dishes and are thus made with highly absorbent materials. Dish towels also avoid leaving any residual lint after wiping dishes, making them ideal for keeping dishes spot-free. These towels should be kept away from normal kitchenware towels in order to prevent the spread of any bacteria. If your kitchen is in need of a high-quality dish towel, the funny flour-sack towels by KLL may help you out!

Taking Care of Your Kitchen Towel

Kitchen towels have needs as well, and they should be taken care of. To avoid your kitchen towel from looking old and smelling weird, here are a couple of things you should keep in mind:

Avoid cleaning raw eggs and meat

The smell and residue of raw eggs and meat can be quite hard to remove from a kitchen towel. In order to keep your towel fresh and clean, it’s best to refrain from using it to clean off raw eggs, meat and fish. If such a spill happens, it’s ideal to use disposable towels and tissues which can be thrown away afterwards.

Keep the towel straightened up

Turning a towel into a crumpled mess and throwing it down on the kitchen counter can often make your towel a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. In order to prevent any harmful bacteria from growing on your towel, it’s better if you wash your towel at the end of the day and store it straightened in a cool dry place. A good place to hang your towel can be oven handles or the sides of kitchen counters.

Allow them to dry before a wash cycle

Kitchen towels are used to clean up all sorts of messes in the kitchen, which leaves them filled with various liquids at the end of the day. Before starting a wash cycle, it’s advised to completely air dry your towel in order to keep them fresh and vibrant.

Use hot water to wash

Hot water is the kryptonite of bacteria and mold growing on your kitchen towel. Using hot water to wash off your kitchen towel not only helps with removing various types of bacterias but it also keeps your towel in top condition. Moreover, a dirty kitchen towel can also be soaked in vinegar to remove bacteria and smelly odors.

Terry Cloth vs Linen

Terry cloth kitchen towels feature a highly spongy material which is great for soaking up liquids. These kitchen towels are ideal for drying dishes, cleaning spills, and even drying off your hands. On the other hand, linen towels are the eco-friendly counterpart to terry cloth, and both feature the same purpose of drying and cleaning dishes and spills. Linen towels are extremely durable and rejuvenating for the skin, making them the perfect addition to your kitchen.

Preventing Musty Towel Odors

Kitchen towels are used to clean away various spills of ingredients and foods and can quickly become smelly. If the musty odor of your kitchen towel is becoming unbearable, it’s wise to try washing the towel with baking soda and vinegar. In order to remove the stench, add 1 cup of vinegar to your washer and give the kitchen towel a wash. Once the cycle is done, add half a cup of baking soda to your washer and give the kitchen towel another go. After the second wash cycle is completed, air dry your towels back to freshness!

Top Picks

• Best Overall: Funny Kitchen Towels By Kll
• Most Towels Per Set: Fortivo’S Funny Kitchen Towel
• Most Suggestive: Honey Dew Gifts Funny Kitchen Towel
• Most Explicit: Miracu’S Decorative Kitchen Towels

Reviews

What are kitchen towels used for?

Some common uses of kitchen towels include cleaning and drying dishes, vegetables, hands, and countertops. They can also be used as decor and lining for trays and baskets.

How often should I replace my kitchen towels?

This mainly depends on how frequently you use the towels and how well you take care of them. Most kitchen towers require changing after a solid year of rigorous use, however, this can differ if you feel at any point that your towel is no longer in usable condition.

What is the ideal size for a kitchen towel?

Most kitchen towels are measured around 20 x 30 inches, give or take. However, the larger the towel the better, as more surface area allows you to use less towel in one sitting.

What is the optimal material for kitchen towels?

Most kitchen towels are made of cotton and microfiber cloth. Both materials have their own advantages and drawbacks. However, we believe that microfiber towels offer better cleaning and absorb more liquid than cotton towels.