photo by george billard
Flour sacking towels are truly indispensable. I like these from Williams-Sonoma which I doubt are cut from actual flour sacks any more, but are made of a very absorbent unbleached organic cotton that is lint-free. They have an almost gauzy quality that I love and makes them very handy for myriad household tasks. I’m sure our great-grandmothers were doing all sorts of things with kitchen towels like these: drying dishes, polishing glassware, straining foods and covering rising dough. I also love to tie one around my waist as a makeshift apron. When they get a little dingy, torn up or stained, I transfer them to the “rag basket” under the sink and use them to mop up spills, for dusting and general cleaning. I use fewer paper towels this way, and find that these simple towels are super functional and incredibly handy. Get you some.
i agree with you, these are beautiful. isnt this what we call mal mal in pakistan and in india, too? i bought tonnes of mal mal dupattas (veils) to use for storing my shawls which i have collected over the years. mal mal is also lovely for wearing as a sarong on the beach! and now, from you, i have learnt, we can use it in the kitchen, it’s a lovely lovely fabric! thanks for the tip. x shayma
Posted by shayma on 3.23.10 at 3:34 pmI love the towels and the fact that using them or a similar cloth instead of paper emphasizes the first 2 (and often skipped) principles of reduce-reuse-recycle.
Posted by Philip on 3.23.10 at 8:12 pmYes, the sustainable factor is definitely a good incentive, if not the main benefit.
Posted by laura on 3.23.10 at 9:33 pmmal mal is fine muslin- where is my brain today? buona notte. x shayma
Posted by shayma on 3.23.10 at 10:31 pmYour dulcet commentary is all music to my ears!
Posted by laura on 3.23.10 at 10:42 pmI am in complete agreement. A good dishtowel is worth its weight….or rather its lightness.
Posted by Vetivresse on 3.24.10 at 2:22 pm