Make stained tea towels look like new again with simple, DIY remedies

Tea towels are truly indispensable items for the kitchen: we use them to dry our hands, to dry off the work surfaces, and also as a type of oven mitt when we need to remove hot trays from the oven and we can't find anything else to use. And there are really a thousand other ways in which they come in handy in everyday life. And, of course, they get dirty, damaged and worn-out over time.

When a tea towel gets hole in it, there's not much you can do (except perhaps recycle it in creative ways). But if you need to remove stains and other dirty marks (which won't come off in the washing machine), then it's worth trying some alternative, DIY methods before throwing out a still-intact tea towel.

Creativo

• Sodium bicarbonate, or citric acid: take a small bowl and pour two tablespoons of bicarbonate or citric acid into it, then add enough water (very little is needed) to create a paste. With the help of an old toothbrush, take a little of the paste and spread it on the stain, covering it completely. Then use the bristles to work the paste into the fabric. It's best if you moisten the stain before you start, but don't soak the tea towel. Let the paste act for half an hour or so and then you put the tea towel in the washing machine, proceeding with a regular wash at high or medium-high temperature.
• Lemon juice: you can squeeze half a lemon into a glass and use the toothbrush to scrub the juice on the stain, increasing the dosage if necessary. Again, let the juice act for a while before putting the tea towel in the washing machine.
• Similar to using lemon juice, you can try mild bleach, white vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide. Do not mix these products together but you can add a little dish soap to each of these.

What's your favorite method to make your stained tea towels look like new again?