Le torchon suédois, l’incontournable pour une maison green ! - Simplethings

The Swedish tea towel, the essential for a green house!

The little story of the Swedish tea towel

The Swedish tea towel was born in 1949. It all started in the mid-1930s, when the young Swedish engineer Curt Lindquist succeeded in manufacturing a cellulose sausage skin in his father's mechanical workshop. He was then looking for an alternative to rags that did not dry… This ingenious idea came to him thanks to his work in the Norrköping factory, which made sponges from cellulose; he took home a thick cellulose sponge, and borrowed his wife's meat grinder to grind it! In order to attach the cellulose, he decided to add cotton.

The factory where he worked, which was called Celloplast, then launched into the production of these unique rags. The regenerated cellulose was fortified with cotton fibers and mixed with glauber salt, large crystals of sodium sulfate. The mass was then rolled, steamed and the glauber salt washed off. We thus obtained a fabric of cellulose and cotton, with pores at the former location of the crystals: it is these pores that allow the cloth to absorb 15 times its own weight in liquid (up to 3/4 cup) !

Today there is only one screen printing company in Sweden that prints on tea towels. The printing works exports a few million tea towels each year...

a Swedish tea towel above a sink

A biodegradable composition, with many ecological advantages!

When microfiber cloths hit the market, environmentally conscious consumers were first won over! Indeed, they allowed a quick and effective cleaning without the need for cleaning products. Unfortunately, these microfiber cloths are made of plastic, therefore not recyclable… They therefore contribute to the pollution of the planet and the oceans.

The Swedish tea towel is much more respectful of the environment! With a 100% ecological and healthy composition, in cellulose (wood pulp) and cotton, it is 100% biodegradable. It can therefore be thrown away with compostable waste.

In addition, thanks to their exceptional lifespan, these ecological cloths are perfectly in line with a zero waste approach. They can be washed up to 200 times, giving you months of use for each one!

Finally, each eco-friendly tea towel alone replaces the use of 17 paper towel rolls: no more wasted paper (which represents a quarter of our waste)! Adopting the Swedish tea towel is thus helping to reduce plastic packaging and all waste in landfills. A great green ally for the planet!

1 Swedish tea towel replaces 17 paper towel rolls

The green must-have for fast and effective cleaning

Wondering (still) why this amazing kitchen towel has been a staple in Swedish kitchens for over 60 years? Because beyond its ecological benefits, it is a must for a healthy and resplendent home, with ease!

Ultra absorbent, the Swedish tea towel has the same properties as a sponge. It also squeezes very easily, in order to absorb more. In addition, its texture is ideal for removing residue! This eco-friendly cloth is the essential accessory for cleaning all surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom, and even windows because it leaves no streaks. It is also perfect for washing granite, stainless steel, laminate and glass pans.

In addition, the Swedish cloth is naturally antibacterial due to its very fast drying capacity. You can say goodbye to the foul smell of ordinary kitchen towels that stay damp for so long! This quick drying also prevents the Swedish cloth from becoming a breeding ground for bacteria, which is the case with sponges... Is it time to clean your cloth? Just throw it in the washing machine: you have 200 wash cycles to keep enjoying it!

The Swedish tea towel is compostable and biodegradable

So, seduced? It's up to you to test now! That's good, we offer you a nice range of swedish tea towels with various patterns, to give pep to your daily life. There is something for every taste !

Do not hesitate to give us a feedback…

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