great idea! I am not a sponge user! So, I agree with you! Happy New Year!

I use mostly terry cloth ones and some cotton woven ones. Lots of folks here seem to really like microfiber towels. I am going to order some and give them a try. I use the dish towels for drying the dishes and wiping down counters (once they are damp from drying the dishes). I do still use a sponge for cleaning dishes, but it gets soaked in bleach water daily to kill bacteria.

The best towels I've found are the ones I've linked below. They are the best IMHO. I am on my second set (in 20 years!)--they wear like iron, and continue to dry even when very damp.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ritz Flemish Wonder Towel

Honestly, my favorite ones are regular bath towels, in the hand towel size. They usually don't have the cute designs though. They seem to hold up the best, and are so much more absorbent than "kitchen" towels.

These look and feel great in the store, unfortunately I have only seen the green, blue and red. I wanted the beige or brown. An intended stocking stuffer for my Mom, maybe by Mother's Day the other colours will make it here. They have been featured in a few different magazines.

Here is a link that might be useful: mukitchen

I have "nice" towels for drying hands and dishes but for cleaning the countertop I use rags: old T shirts and old bathroom towels. The price is right :) and better than buying something, trying to keep it looking clean for a while, then eventually getting nauseated by its grunginess and buying another something.

Another vote for Ritz. I have the ones posted above by Cat Mom, and also have solids that I bought at bed Bath and Beyond. They wear like iron and never fade - amazing towels.

Dian57 -- you must have been reading my mail! I was gonna post about this very subject today!

Can anyone vouch for how absorbent the Ritz towels are?

My 100% cotton Williams & Sonoma dish towels are ready to be replaced. No complaints with them -- just wondering if the Ritz (or anything else) are more absorbent?

I can! They really absorb a lot. When I first bought them years ago (as a die-hard terry towel user), I was skeptical, but I wouldn't trade mine in for anything. We'll use one 'til it's practically sopping wet before swapping to a dry one when drying a bunch of items, and it'll still continue to work well.

My original ones were purchased at BB&B, but after they stopped carrying them years ago, I was thrilled to finally find them online (even ordered some for my mom a couple of years ago when she wanted some new ones!). Half of mine are all white and half are white with the black windowpane design. I wash the white ones with my whites (with bleach) and the black/white ones with other stuff, and both types look new after years of use.

Wow, thanks!

I knew I'd return from work to some wonderful ideas. You guys never fail.

Dianne

I have several drawer fulls of the William Sonoma cotton waffle weave towels. I really love them and they still look new today after 10years. I wash them at 190F and don't really use paper towels in my kitchen. On average a roll of Viva towels last about 5weeks in my kitchen. I purchased some white waffle weave towels from Crate and Barrel and really like them too. I always wait until William Sonoma has discontinued a color before I buy them. This way you get them for under $8/pack of 4.

Good luck!

I use microfiber for basically all cleaning chores - wiping, dusting, bathrooms etc.... what a wonderful invention

For dish drying I love linen - I collect old linens & put them to good use in kitchen & powder room -

GL

I buy mine from Costco. They have terry cloth towels in a pack of like 8 - nice big size and thick. This I use to wipe hands. Then I also got the microfiber pack of (16?) from the automotive section for about $16. This was recommended by GWers. This I use to wipe granite counters and stainless steel whatever. I also use sponge for cleaning dishes and sink.

Amazon has 5 pc Ritz Flemish dish towel sets for $15-$16 w/ free shipping ($25 order). Lots of different colors. I use terry towels for hands and have a lot of crummy woven cotton ones. Going to try the Ritz ones from Amazon next time I need to fluff up an order to get free shipping.

Years and years ago I bought a couple dozen blue terry hand towels and washcloths from Sam's Club . . . maybe the same ones Budgeteer got at Costco.

I use them for both hand and dish towels and have washed and bleached them constantly. Some of them are just now beginning to fray. I go through several a day so they've been laundered hundreds and hundreds of times. I've been thinking of getting new packs for my new kitchen . . . but I'm very intrigued by the Ritz Flemish towels! I may have to try some of those!!

homepro01: I was going to write the same thing. I only use the Williams-Sonoma ones also but like you I wait for the color to go on sale! I don't really care what color I get -I will use anything! I usually stock up when they go on sale. They make great gifts too - especially bridal showers. I always throw a package on top of the gift or in the wishing well.

I am interested in the Ritz towels too. I will have to keep an eye out for them.

For a while I was only using the WS waffle cotton dish towels. Have previously used the Ritz, which I also like.
Then I found some waffle weave microfiber towels at the hardware store. They are Gourmet Classics microfiber and I love them so much I use them far more than the others. Still have the cotton towels but don't use them as often since these came along.

I have a ton of stainless and glassware so the micro towels are amazing.

Here is a link that might be useful: microfiber towels

Rococogurl,
WS sells that same microfiber. I have a few of them but I don't love them as much as a I love my cotton ones. But I have over a hundred of these cotton towels, wash a load weekly and use about 10 of them a day. They have lasted over 10years.

Jillie,
All my friend look forward to events where I have to give them gifts because I am good for the WS towels and a fancy dish soap. I have a knack for finding them on clearance somewhere.

Good luck!

I can only find the Ritz Egyptian dish towels on Amazon, not the Flemish towels. Am I correct in assuming that these would be different products? Has anyone used the Ritz Egyptian towels? The colors and patterns appear to be prettier, but a dish towel has to earn its keep by working not just sitting around looking pretty.

I'd also like to know if the Ritz Egyptian and Ritz Flemish are different or actually the same. Anyone know???

They do look pretty. The fabric looks different from the Flemish version, so I couldn't tell you how well they would work or hold up, or not. :-(

I use my kids old burp clothes (which are actually cloth diapers but were never used as such!) They are great for wiping up spills and scrubbing the counters... but they don't look too nice for company!

I use the WS cotton ones. Do they ever wear out? My oldest ones are at least 10 years old and have no frays. And they just keep getting softer and softer. I use the oldest (softest) ones for removing waterless cleansers on my face and they feel sooooooooooooooo nice.

-Babka