We were chatting away about something or other and soon enough all the washing was done. All that was left was a bit of drying. I reached up and grabbed the towel hanging on the rack near me and began to dry the dishes in the strainer. Mid-sentence, Aunt Gillian interrupted herself and exclaimed, "What are you doing?!" confusion must have been written all over my face because she went on, "Why are you using a hand towel to dry the dishes? You should be using a tea towel for the dishes." Feeling a little silly I explained I had no idea there was a difference between the two towels - and to be honest did it really make that much of a difference?
So I got a mini lesson right there and then about kitchen towel rules and etiquette. One must always have a hand towel and a tea towel in use in ones kitchen for both have unique purpose.
- the Hand towel: used to dry your hands after washing, or used to wipe food and juices off your hands while cooking (ie - perhaps you are making some tomato sauce and you get a little on your hand and so you wipe the sauce off on the hand towel). It is understood that this towel may get dirty quickly.
the Tea towel: Used to wipe clean dishes dry, also can be used to cover dishes to keep them warm before being placed on the table. This ensures that clean dishes are always wiped with a clean towel, and that guest are not presented with a dirty towel covering the food they are about to eat.
Huh - it made so much sense! I decided to try it out for myself and probably if ever you come to my house and have a peek into my kitchen you will find some version of this kitchen towel advice being put to practice... though I will admit that I am not as vigilant about it as Aunt Gillian!
6 comments:
Dear Abi-well, you didn't learn the difference in towels from me! but I very well remember a similar scenario in a kitchen in Mexico-the kitchen of another missionary who instructed me on the difference between hand towels and dish towels-it does make sense. . .but I have yet to take up the practice! Yeh for Aunt Gillian! much love. . .
And my husband thinks I'm just crazy and making up stuff when I say there is a hand towel and a dish towel!
That's one thing I've thought about, but where do I put the tea towel? and where do I put the hand towel? I only have one rack...I do, however, have a hook for a floor towel, so for me there would be three sets of towels (the floor towel wipes up all the drips of water that irrrrrritate me like crazy!
ooh! I like the floor towel idea Gab - definitely could add that one to my kitchen...though perhaps not just yet as I can hardly keep up with my two sets as it is.
I am totally with you there Steph - I don't think N's catching on to this towel business very well either.
My Mom tended to have towels made of different materials. A softer, fuzzier version for the hand towel, and a smooth (often striped?) version for the dish/tea towel. So there would be little guessing about which is which. Not that I always succeed in keeping them separate...eventually I just throw them all in the wash and start over when I don't know which has been used for what! ~Priscilla
I have a floor towel, and a not-floor towel. high class, yeah?
Post a Comment