My Retired Tea Towels

We all have them, the old tea towels that are worn out, faded or stained, that we don't care to use anymore and that we would never put out when company is coming over.

Over the years, I've accumulated my share of them too and I've found lots of uses for the retirees. They're practical and save me money too. Unless I use them as a rag for a particularly dirty job and throw it out, I wash them again and again. Many people use them for making crafts but I'm not inclined, so I'll skip the possible crafting uses.

• They can be used whenever and wherever I'd otherwise use paper towels in the kitchen and around the house. They're wonderful for cleaning windows because they don't leave paper lint.
  

• My favorite use is for wrapping veggies that are stored in the fridge because I don't care much for using plastic wrap or containers. Washed greens are loosely wrapped in a towel and put into the crisper. The towel absorbs the excess moisture, allows breathing room for whatever is inside, and keeps the veggies fresh.
  

• I don't use a salad spinner. I spread the washed lettuce on a towel, roll it up loosely and holding the two ends, I shake the towel around.
  

• The fridge crisper drawer is lined with a folded up towel. Once a week or so, it gets shaken out and replaced. No more washing the crispers for me because they're always clean.
  

• I've used them with the grandchildren as a bib, spit up cloth, baby wipe or emergency diaper.
  

• Keeping one in the car under the driver seat is handy. When I'm stopped at a red light I grab the cloth and quickly dust the dashboard.
  

• They're really handy when I'm doing my canning, especially when working with red beets or tomatoes. I go through a lot of them then and I don't have to worry about staining my good towels.
  

• They're a foot wipe when my dog comes in from outside on a wet day.
  

• I don't like to use plastic much, especially with food. When preparing food in advance for my guests, I cover the serving dish with a damp tea towel. This works well too for sandwiches made in advance of lunchtime, keeping them fresh.
  

• A dry towel is useful for covering baked bread, cookies, muffins, etc when they come out from the oven and need to be cooled before putting them into a container. The towel protects them from dust and household flies.
  

• They can serve as huge napkins when you're eating something messy like lobster or ribs. I had a corn roast once and gave everyone an old tea towel to mop up the drippy butter to keep face and hands clean.
  

• Hubby doesn't like using paper plates even at a picnic, saying that paper makes food taste funny. I have several old mismatched china plates that I keep in the picnic basket, wrapped in old tea towels to keep them from breaking. Covering the food keeps bugs at bay and they're also handy for sitting on so you don't get your clothes dirty from sitting at a public picnic table. In a pinch, I've used them to wrap food swap stuff that I've received from family and friends.
  

• They also make a good cape when shaving out hubby's neck or coloring your hair.

Besides crafting or sewing projects, what do you use your old tea towels for?