mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
Flour sack towels are my personal favorite. Absorbent and dry quickly.
Kitchen towels
- Thread starter mudbug
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Amen. Always have used them, always will. Mine are big 38x32-inch towels that I use constantly. Old, stained ones are now polishing cloths. They just never seem to wear out. I have some that are more than 20 years old and still going strong.
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
yes, aren't they the greatest? Also good for straining things when you don't have cheesecloth.
You can't beat flour sack towels! Don't think I ever used anything else until I went off to college - and nothing else has ever been as good.
One of my uncles had an "egg farm" and the chicken feed used to come in "flour sack" material. Grandma would take them, cut them in half, and hem them on her old foot tredle Singer sewing machine.
One of my uncles had an "egg farm" and the chicken feed used to come in "flour sack" material. Grandma would take them, cut them in half, and hem them on her old foot tredle Singer sewing machine.
Never seen a flour sack towel. I used cloth diapers for a long time. Wore them right out and now can't find any to replace them. So...I cut up an old flannel sheet. Works great for me.
Flour sack towels are the best, however I find that they're more expensive and don't last as long as terry towels.
One homemaker's hint. Don't use fabric softener in towels used for cleaning, such as dish towel. Softeners coat the fibers and reduces absorbancy.
Same goes for towels used for working on your car. Use only American made 100% white cotton towels. It's the best thing for drying and buffing car paint. Non American and colored towels have abrasive characteristics that will scuff the finish.
One homemaker's hint. Don't use fabric softener in towels used for cleaning, such as dish towel. Softeners coat the fibers and reduces absorbancy.
Same goes for towels used for working on your car. Use only American made 100% white cotton towels. It's the best thing for drying and buffing car paint. Non American and colored towels have abrasive characteristics that will scuff the finish.
choclatechef
Washing Up
Flour sack towels are all my mother ever used. I tried terry towels, but they aren't jack!
Back to flour sack or hucking towels I went.
Back to flour sack or hucking towels I went.
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
tell us about hucking towels. that's a new one to me.
choclatechef
Washing Up
Hucking towels are made of 100% cotton with a heavy sturdy, but not thick weave. It is a flat weave, not like terry cloth. They hold up better in my opinion than cotton sacking towels.
I don't know what else to say to describe them. They are widely available.
Mom liked to use just the sacking towels, but I like the cotton huck towels for most applications, though I keep the sacking towels also.
I don't know what else to say to describe them. They are widely available.
Mom liked to use just the sacking towels, but I like the cotton huck towels for most applications, though I keep the sacking towels also.
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
thanks for the 'splainin. I will have to keep my eye out for those. Is "hucking" or "cotton huck" how they would be labeled?
choclatechef
Washing Up
Mudbug. It would probably be cotton huck. I go by the feel, of the fabric since I know what it is. Yes. I would ask for cotton huck.
Wow! Cotton huck!!! I never thought of that, Choclatechef!! I just saw a 54" roll of this stuff at Joanne's and was admiring the even weave and heavy weight as a perfect embroidery/cross-stitch cloth. They had three different weights of this stuff, by the way...at the price of $1.49 a yard!!! I NEVER THOUGHT TO USE IT FOR TOWELS!!!!!!!!! Man! That's CHEAP!
Many, many thanks there, choclatechef! What a great Christmas Gift: Personalized Cotton Huck Kitchen Towels!!!!!
(Of course I'll never get 'em made if I can't stay away from here.....)
Many, many thanks there, choclatechef! What a great Christmas Gift: Personalized Cotton Huck Kitchen Towels!!!!!
(Of course I'll never get 'em made if I can't stay away from here.....)
choclatechef
Washing Up
Thank you. I was glad to help! Wow, I helped somebody! 
Claire
Master Chef
Believe it or not, a few years ago you could buy 'rags' at Walmart or Target that were perfect, lint-free towels at a fraction of the cost of kitchen towels. They were hemmed, with a herringbone weave and a blue stripe at the end. I bought up tons of them when I could. In the automotive department, they were for buffing cars!!! I agree that terry just doesn't cut it in the kitchen. I like to have stacks of towels. About half are flour sack, half these 'car rags'. When I'm cooking for a crowd, it isn't unusual for me to go through a dozen. Once a week I soak them in either bleach or oxi (prefer the latter, it doesn't wear things out as much). I don't think twice about grabbing a clean towel.
Recently, a week or 2 ago I got some dish towels and some dish cloths from big lots. The dish cloths are as thick as wash cloths and I haven't noticed any problems with them, the dish towels are as thick as good hand towels and I havent noticed them leaving lint on my glass ware.
The dish cloths were 6 for 3
and the towels were 2 for 3 or $4.
So if I go to the Fabric store they will know what I am talking about?
The dish cloths were 6 for 3
and the towels were 2 for 3 or $4.
So if I go to the Fabric store they will know what I am talking about?
PolishedTopaz
Sous Chef
Alix said:
Toys r' us or Babies r' us carries cloth diapers used to be on the bottom shelf in with the "binkies n' stuff.
Thanks for the info on cotton huck, choclatechef. Now that I know what to ask for ... I always feel a little self conscience going into a fabric store and being the only guy there that isn't a "tag a long" holding his wife's purse.
Audeo - my grandma used to embroidery/cross-stitch on flour and feed sacks all the time. She made kitchen towels, and covers for the sofa and chair arms, doillies, etc.
Audeo - my grandma used to embroidery/cross-stitch on flour and feed sacks all the time. She made kitchen towels, and covers for the sofa and chair arms, doillies, etc.
A big MEGA DITTO on thanks for steering us to Cotton Huck, choclatechef! I went to the fabric store and bought 25 yards of the stuff for right at $40, then proceeded to cut 40 towels with a finished measurement of 24x36 inches, and 36 12-inch-square dishcloths. Nice rolled hems on all. The stuff even sews like a dream! I'm going over this afternoon to fetch my sister's fancy-schmancy embroidery machine and will have three lovely Christmas gift sets of 10 towels and 6 cloths wrapped by the weekend! (The rest is mine, mine, MINE!!!)
Michael, gather thy courage, pal, and get thee to Hancock's or Joanne's! By my calculations, making towels out of this stuff cost me about 80 cents per towel and 25 cents per cloth!!!
Michael, I also echo your memories of grandmothers and needlework. I have the same addiction, I'm afraid. But their craftsmanship was off the charts! Mine worked two solid years daily to create a magnificent crocheted tablecloth! And she did many others, along with cut-work and embroidery, and made tons of lace. I could never do that. Hmmm...I did spend two years making a quilt, though...never, ever again!
Michael, gather thy courage, pal, and get thee to Hancock's or Joanne's! By my calculations, making towels out of this stuff cost me about 80 cents per towel and 25 cents per cloth!!!
Michael, I also echo your memories of grandmothers and needlework. I have the same addiction, I'm afraid. But their craftsmanship was off the charts! Mine worked two solid years daily to create a magnificent crocheted tablecloth! And she did many others, along with cut-work and embroidery, and made tons of lace. I could never do that. Hmmm...I did spend two years making a quilt, though...never, ever again!
choclatechef
Washing Up
Aw shucks! I am glowing with pride and happiness!
Glad you like the towels!
I am glowing with pride and happiness! Glad you like the towels!
debthecook
Senior Cook
I found the best for me from Walmart, long white with red stripes, soft, absorbant, CHEAP so I can use one everyday.
