There’s something about spring that urges us to open windows, let in the light, and freshen up every corner of home. We often tackle cupboards, rugs, fences. But what about the day-in, day-out items that quietly bear the brunt? Tea towels are one of those humble heroes of the kitchen. They dry hands, wipe spills, help in baking messes, and sometimes even do double-duties near hot pans. But how often do we think about how we care for them?

In the spirit of renewal, I also want to bring in another layer of meaning, how our cleaning practices can be aligned with tikanga Māori, respecting ancestral ways and cultural values. The two don’t have to clash; in fact, they can enrich each other.

Why proper care of tea towels matters

• Hygiene & safety

Tea towels touch dishes, hands, counters, sometimes food itself. Without proper cleaning, they can harbour bacteria or odour.

• Longevity & performance

Too-harsh treatments, fabric softeners, or poor wash conditions can make fibres stiff, faded or worn prematurely.

• Sustainability

The better we care for these everyday workhorses, the longer they last before needing replacement therefor good for your budget and the planet.

Tikanga Māori and Laundry: What Clean Cloth Nappies Taught Me

I came across a beautiful article by Clean Cloth Nappies about the intersection of tikanga Māori practices and modern laundry science. Clean Cloth Nappies Here are a few insights that resonated deeply and ideas for how to weave them into caring for tea towels.

1. Separation by body part / “head, body, hips down”

According to tikanga Māori, some traditional practices suggest washing and drying certain body parts with distinct towels (e.g. the head, the body, and then from the hips down). Clean Cloth Nappies

While that level of segmentation isn’t always practical for every household, it suggests a principle of intentional separation, that respectful dividing of loads or items with particular purpose or cleanliness significance.

You could take inspiration from this by:

• Keeping kitchen towels separate from personal items like bath towels.
• Ensuring that anything from “below the waist” (in a cultural sense) isn’t mixed with those that touch food surfaces or hands.

This echoes tikanga’s guidance that kitchen linens (tea towels, hand towels, etc.) shouldn’t be washed with anything that touches “the bottom / genitals” in some practices.

So, even if modern laundry science might allow more mixing for convenience, honoring tikanga might call for extra care and separation in your load planning.

2. Washing bedding separately

Tikanga can also include washing bedding apart from other laundry, as mixing big bedding items can tangle and reduce effective washing. Clean Cloth Nappies points out that this aligns well with good laundry practice, since bulky items like fitted sheets can wrap around smaller items and reduce the mechanical agitation needed for a thorough clean.

That means your tea towels should never just be thrown in with big duvets and heavy linen - treat them as light, precise loads needing good flow, rinse action, and care.

3. Balancing tikanga with science

While the scientific reasoning for combining some loads (e.g. tea towels with nappies to boost agitation and loading) is there, tikanga can still be respected which may require separate handling - which is okay.

This balance is key: you don’t have to reject good laundry science to honour tikanga. You may just need to adjust your routines, loads, or timing.

Common mistakes (yes, we’ve all done them!)

• Running cold washes only - might not kill off lingering germs.
• Using fabric softeners - while they smell lovely, they coat fibres, reducing absorbency.
• Letting towels sit damp in laundry baskets - a recipe for mildew and smell.
• Overloading machines - items don’t rinse properly, leading to heavy, stiff towels - I’ve learnt first hand just how stiff towels and tea towels can become when there isnt a sufficient rinse
• Underloading machines -friction is important to a thorough clean so while you may think putting less laundry in with more water may be more effective, getting the right amount of laundry to the right water level is also important to a thorough clean.
• Correct detergent dosage - use the box for a guide but also take into consideration how hard your water is, harder water will require more detergent. How dirty a load is, the larger and dirtier the load is, a laundry booster (such as vanish)  may be beneficial. Even as pre wash then follow with a hot wash. 

 Clean Cloth Nappies has heaps of interesting and useful info on a range of washing tips for more than just Nappies and has been my stain removing Bible! 

Best practices: Fresh, respectful, long-lasting towels

✨ Wash hot when possible - 60 °C is excellent, if your machine can manage it, to freshen and sanitise. Otherwise the old school method is to pop your tea towels in a large pot of water and bring to the boil for 5min.

✨ Skip fabric softeners - use vinegar or baking soda as natural softeners that won’t reduce absorbency.

✨ Line dry in sun, if possible - not only energy-friendly, but the sun’s UV helps naturally disinfect and gives that crisp fresh feel. However a run through the tumble drier every now and then doesn't hurt either and does help keep them lovely and soft.

✨ Rotate often - keep multiple towels in circulation so none works “all day every day.”

✨ Load thoughtfully & separately - treat tea towels as their own group: no mixing with heavy bedding or laundry items that hamper movement or violate tikanga principles.

✨ Respect kitanga (intention) - when we wash with respect, knowing why we separate or care for items, our household routines gain deeper meaning.

A spring refresh with deeper meaning

Spring is the time of renewal, growth, and re-awakening. It’s the perfect moment to give your kitchen a gentle reboot-starting with the simplest of pieces: your tea towels. As you fling open the windows, hang your fresh linens out in the sun, and bring new life into your routines, this year you can also bring in cultural mindfulness.

Do a tea towel audit: which ones feel tired, stained, too thin? Which ones carry stories, holes or stains you aren’t proud of? Tuck those away or retire them. And bring in fresh, bright ones that not only serve their purpose beautifully - but do so with intention, respect, and care.

At Little Fallow, we see the tea towel as more than just a piece of linen. It’s a humble workhorse, a daily touchpoint, a small thing that holds home together. Hanging over the sink, folded near the stove, it becomes part of the rhythm of country life. By caring for them well - with both technique and a respect for tikanga - you make every day just a bit gentler.

👉 When you’re ready to refresh your kitchen, take a peek at our Little Fallow tea towel collection. Thoughtfully designed, pretty to look at, and made to be cared for (and to care for) your home.