Spring Cleaning: Don't Forget Your Potholders!

We know, we know, this is a totally boring and very mother-like reminder. But while our dishtowels regularly go through the wash and our apron makes it there sooner or later, how often do we really remember to wash our potholders and oven mitts?

We looked at ours the other day, like really looked, and realized that it must have been quite some time since we last ran them through the spin cycle. There were all sorts of little bits of dried something (tomato sauce?) and random unidentifiable smears (mashed potatoes?) around the edges where we grab pots and pans.

So into the washer they will go. Extra hot cycle, we're thinking!

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Comments (5)

If those are your pot holders, it might be nice to get some new ones. Wash those and donate them to a thrift store.

Yeeks. I cut my knitting teeth on some ultra-dense, tight-gauged potholders, ranging in style from mitten to trivet, and I wash those suckers weekly. Considering how much use they see on a daily basis, and how clumsy I am about keeping food in the skillet, they would be crusted-over fossils by now if I didn't.

I just use *dry* folded kitchen towels - I don't trust pot holders anymore after a couple scorch through incidents.

Ha, thanks for the reminder! My potholders are pretty much fossilized with stuff at this point. I keep forgetting to throw them in the wash...

I toss 'em in with the dish towels once a week whether they need it or not - and I'm one of those klutzy cooks who spills things, so they usually do need it.