Surrounded by food and drink, it’s no surprise that our kitchen textiles can become filthy fast. Which is why we need to make sure that we are taking the proper care to both clean and disinfect them. 

• Tea towels
• Aprons
• Oven gloves
• Tablecloth
• Napkin 

Tea towels 

Tea towels can always be relied upon to mop up spills and wet areas. They come into constant contact with a number of different bacteria throughout the day, which is why they should be washed at the end of every day. 

Tea towels are often made from linen, which is a very durable material. As such, you can wash them in your washing machine on a regular setting, at a temperature anywhere between 30 and 50 degrees Celsius. It is best to use a biological detergent to wash your tea towels as they contain enzymes that will help break down proteins, fats, and starches. After washing your tea towels, dry them completely, either by tumble drying them or leaving them to air dry, before reusing them. 

Aprons 

Similarly to tea towels, aprons are prone to having food and drinks splashed onto them. If you wear your apron every day, you should wash it every other day, unless something spills on it that could stain in which case wash it immediately. 

Before washing your apron, first pre-treat any stains that you may have. Food stains, for example, can be incredibly stubborn and therefore hard to remove, so it’s best to pre-treat those before putting your apron straight in the washing machine. After pre-treating your stains, tie your apron strings together and place it in a mesh laundry bag. This will help prevent your apron strings from becoming tangled in your other washing. If your apron is white, you may want to use liquid chlorine bleach to maintain the crisp whiteness of your apron. If not, or if your apron is any other colour, then use an oxygenated detergent on a cold wash setting. Completely dry your apron before re-wearing. 

Oven gloves

Oven gloves protect our hands when handling hot trays. In order to do this, they are made from an array of heat proof materials which need to be cared for when washing. To maintain the cleanliness of your oven gloves wash them every month, or when they become heavily stained. It’s important to always check your oven glove care label before washing.

To lift dried food stains from your oven gloves, begin by adding half a cup of mild laundry detergent to a gallon of warm water. Soak a dish cloth in the detergent, and then wring it out so it is damp. Gently dab your oven glove with the dish cloth, focusing on any particularly dirty spots. Continue dabbing until you are satisfied that all the dried food stains have been lifted, and then leave your oven glove to dry for 30 minutes.  

After 30 minutes, wash your oven glove in the washing machine per the care label instructions. If your oven gloves are particularly greasy, you may want to add baking soda to your washing machine. 

Tablecloth

Tablecloths are often used to decorate and protect a table from food and drink stains. As such, they should be cleaned every month to avoid them becoming dusty, or when they become heavily stained. 

If your tablecloth requires pre-treatment, e.g. if it has food stains on it, use your fingers or a soft bristled brush to rub heavy duty laundry detergent into the stains. Leave your detergent to sit for 15 minutes before putting your tablecloth in the washing machine. 

To machine wash your tablecloth, set your washing machine to a cool cycle and, if your machine has one, use a permanent press cycle. This will help reduce wrinkles on your tablecloth. Using a heavy duty laundry detergent will help to lift any stains on your table cloth, and fabric softener will provide a protective coating to your tablecloths fibres which will prevent food and drink stains from penetrating the fabric as quickly. 

To dry your tablecloth either tumble or air dry, however, if you are using a tumble dryer use a low heat setting. Make sure that your tablecloth is completely dry before putting it back on your table. 

Napkins

Linen napkins are much more pleasing to the eye than the paper alternatives. They will often become heavily stained with food and drink, so it’s always best to hand wash them after every use to ensure that all stains are fully removed. 

To hand wash your napkins begin by filling a sink with warm water and adding a gentle laundry detergent. If your napkins are white, you may also want to add a small amount of bleach, or natural alternative, to maintain their crisp whiteness. Add your napkins to the water, and gently swish them in the water with your hands, rubbing and squeezing them to ensure that the detergent is being fully absorbed. You may want to use a soft bristled brush to scrub any particularly tough stains. Continue this until you are satisfied that your napkins have been cleaned and all stains have been removed. Remove your napkins from the detergent water and rinse them with clean lukewarm water. Continue rinsing until there is no detergent left. 

To dry your napkins, use a low heat setting on your tumble dryer or lay them on a flat surface to air dry. Make sure that all of your napkins are completely dry before reusing them. 

If you are having difficulty cleaning your kitchen linens, let us do it for you. Laundryheap does not only wash and dry clean clothing, we also care for bed and kitchen linens. Book your Laundryheap order by heading to the Laundryheap website or downloading the free Laundryheap app.