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Kitchens are made cuter by colorful glassware, kitschy mugs and stunning ceramic dinnerware. But they also tend to be cluttered with not-so-pretty necessities—cast iron cookware, sponges, dish towels and the like.
There’s little you can do to elevate the appearance of your cast iron cookware—and perhaps even less when it comes to sponges. But dish towels—dish towels you have some control over.
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Dish towels—also known by the inherently more appealing name “tea towels”—are an undeniable must-have. Something‘s gotta help you wash your dishes, clean your countertops and dry your hands. Tea towels can serve all three of those purposes, making them a natural addition to any kitchen.
Even better: Tea towels can look good doing all those things—an oft-overlooked fact of kitchen shopping. Many home shoppers (myself included) opt for the cheapest-yet-heartiest tea towels they can find, trading fashion for function. But that’s not necessary. Plenty of retailers offer genuinely cute tea towels that can get the job done when you need them to and dress up your kitchen when you don’t.
Want a tea towel that adds a pop of color to your minimalist space? Or makes you smile with a tongue-in-cheek phrase? Or educates you about all your favorite succulents? Me too. All of these things—and more—are currently on offer. You just have to know where to look.
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Ahead, you’ll find 21 truly delightful tea towels that are equal parts cute and practical. Use these to clean your dishes—and brighten your space—and pop them in the washing machine when they’re getting dirty. They should pop out good as new.
Mineralogie Tea Towel, $13 at Paper Source
Get your crystal fix every time you step into your kitchen.
Woven Geo Dishcloths, $24 at Anthropologie
Equal parts hearty and cute.
Greetings from Lake Wine Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
Perfect for vino lovers who keep a clean kitchen.
Red Stripe Kitchen Towels, $8 at World Market
Simple, cute, practical—need I say more?
Long Romantic Fridge Walks Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
A tea towel that knows you better than you know yourself.
Succulents Tea Towel, $13 at Paper Source
Infuse your space with succulents without expending energy trying to keep them alive.
Rosé All Day Dish Towel, $13 at Anthropologie
Can’t argue with that.
Palace Portrait Dish Towel, $18 at Anthropologie
I don’t even know what to say about this one—other than: It’s adorable, and I’m obsessed with it.
Get the Hell Out of My Kitchen Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
Not gonna lie, this one’s hanging on my oven right now.
Bitch I Am the Secret Ingredient Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
So is this one.
Sandira Dish Towels, $24 at Anthropologie
Pom-poms are having a moment, K?
Crane Chinoiserie Kitchen Towel, $4 at World Market
Basically art in tea towel form.
My Safe Word Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
If the message on this tea towel rings true, you might not have any dishes to do. But it’s still worth having around for decorative purposes. (And you’ve gotta clean your countertops with something, right?)
Bodrum Dish Towels, $28 at Anthropologie
The more prints, the merrier.
Multicolor Cats Kitchen Towel, $6 at World Market
For the cat lovers among us.
Clusterfuck Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
A tea towel that speaks for itself.
Baker Stripe Dish Towels, $20 at Anthropologie
Cute enough to brighten a space. Subtle enough not to overpower it.
I Go All the Way Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
Cute and kitschy at the same damn time.
Fleurs Tea Towel, $13 at Paper Source
For shoppers who spend the entire year dreaming of spring—or, you know, people who just like flowers.
Humans Are My Side Bitch Dish Towel, $11 at Blue Q
Pro tip: The Blue Q tea towels in this roundup pair particularly well together.
Paint + Petals Dish Towel, $18 at Anthropologie
So cute it might make washing the dishes fun.