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Good Housekeeping has outlined seven ways to reuse old dish towels, including protecting stored dishes, making cleaning rags and wrapping gifts. Its advice also covers sewing a potholder, making a braided dog toy, keeping purses in shape and finding textile recycling or shelter donation options.
Good Housekeeping has published seven suggestions for giving old dish towels another use, ranging from household storage and cleaning to sewing, pet play and textile recycling. The ideas offer practical alternatives to throwing towels away, though whether recycling or donation is available depends on local programs and the condition of the fabric.
For uses around the home, the report recommends placing towels between stacked dishes and platters to cushion them in storage, and stuffing two or three into an empty purse to support its shape. Towels that are too worn for display can be cut into squares and used for dusting, spills, bathroom cleaning or garage cleanup. Sustainability expert Lizzie Horvitz, founder of Finch, recommends pieces about the size of a hand and says pinking shears can help limit fraying.
Some towels may also be reused in craft projects. The report suggests cutting away damaged areas and sewing usable scraps into patchwork fabric for a potholder. Carly Olds, an education specialist at Singer, advises cutting the finished fabric into uniform squares, using an existing potholder as a guide, and placing heat-resistant batting between fabric layers before stitching the border. The source does not provide testing or safety specifications for the finished item.
Other suggestions include braiding strips from two or three towels into a dog tug toy, using a towel as reusable gift wrap, and looking for textile recovery options. Horvitz describes tying opposite corners around a gift as a Japanese furoshiki-style wrap. She says some cities and retailers accept worn textiles, including stained or torn items; larger towels may also be suitable for animal shelters. The article does not name specific programs or confirm acceptance rules at any particular location.
Reuse Options Before Disposal
The suggestions give readers several ways to extend a towel’s useful life before discarding it. Reusing fabric as cleaning cloths or protective padding can replace a purpose-built household item; Horvitz says hand-sized towel squares can replace a surprising amount of paper towels. That is her assessment, not a quantified result: the report provides no measured savings, waste reduction or lifecycle comparison.
Reuse is not equally suitable for every towel. The report distinguishes between fabric that can serve a practical purpose and a towel that is truly spent, for which it recommends checking textile collection or shelter donation options. This matters because acceptance varies by municipality, retailer and recipient organization. Readers should confirm local rules before transporting items or assuming a stained or torn textile will be accepted.
The ideas also come with practical limits. A potholder must be sewn with appropriate heat-resistant material, and the source gives no performance testing. A homemade dog toy should be checked for damage, while a towel used as gift wrap should be clean and in good enough condition for presentation. These are reuse suggestions, not guarantees that every project will be suitable for every household or purpose.
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From Kitchen Cloth to Reusable Material
The source is a Good Housekeeping lifestyle report by Wendy Rose Gould titled “7 Ways to Give Old Dish Towels a Second Life.” The supplied material describes household and craft uses rather than a new product, regulation or formal waste-reduction program. Its news value is a practical roundup of options for people deciding what to do with towels that no longer belong in regular kitchen use.
The recommendations span three stages: continued use at home, conversion into another item, and possible recovery or donation when reuse is no longer practical. Horvitz provides the cleaning-rag, dog-toy, gift-wrap and textile-recycling suggestions, while Olds offers sewing guidance for the potholder. The report does not document a study comparing the environmental effects of these options, and it does not establish that all textile collectors accept household towels.
“Be sure to cut the patchwork fabric into uniform squares. I recommend using an existing potholder as a guide.”
— Carly Olds, education specialist at Singer, as quoted by Good Housekeeping
Local Acceptance and Project Limits
The supplied report does not state when it was published, quantify the environmental or financial effects of reusing towels, or identify specific textile collection programs. It also does not say which retailers accept textiles, whether local programs require items to be clean or dry, or whether animal shelters in a reader’s area need larger towels. Availability and acceptance rules remain location-specific and should be checked directly.
The article also does not provide detailed testing or safety guidance for homemade potholders and dog toys. It advises using heat-resistant batting in the potholder, but gives no material rating or construction test. It recommends thicker cotton for the tug toy, but offers no durability guarantee. Project suitability depends on materials, construction and condition; the source does not establish that every towel is appropriate for every use.
Check Materials and Local Programs
Readers can first sort towels by condition: keep intact pieces for storage, purse support or gift wrapping; cut cleaner usable fabric into rags or craft material; and set aside worn textiles for local collection inquiries. Before donating towels, contact the animal shelter or textile program directly to ask what it accepts. The report gives no named locations or announced follow-up, so any expansion of the listed options depends on local services and individual household choices.
For sewing or pet projects, inspect the finished item and its materials before use. The article’s next practical step is not a scheduled event but a check of what the towel can safely and usefully become, followed by confirmation that any recycling or donation destination will accept it.
Key Questions
What are the seven ways to reuse old dish towels?
The Good Housekeeping report suggests using towels to cushion stored dishes, cutting them into cleaning rags, sewing patchwork potholders, braiding dog toys, stuffing purses to help retain their shape, wrapping gifts, and checking textile recycling or animal-shelter donation options.
Can stained or torn dish towels be recycled?
Horvitz says some cities and retailers accept worn textiles, including stained or torn items. The report does not identify specific programs or their rules, so check with the local collection service or retailer before dropping towels off.
How can I make a potholder from towel scraps?
The report recommends cutting usable scraps into a patchwork sheet, then cutting uniform squares with an existing potholder as a guide. Olds advises layering heat-resistant batting between two fabric pieces and stitching around the edge. The source does not provide a heat rating or test for the finished potholder.
Can old dish towels be used to make a dog toy?
The report’s method is to cut two or three towels into strips about two inches wide, knot them together, braid them tightly and knot the other end. It says thicker cotton holds up best, but gives no durability guarantee; inspect the toy and stop using it if it becomes damaged.
Do animal shelters accept old towels?
The report says larger towels can be donated to animal shelters, but it does not name shelters or specify their requirements. Contact a local shelter first to confirm whether it needs towels and what condition or sizes it accepts.
Source: goodhousekeeping.com
