The humble dish towel is often overlooked but undoubtedly a kitchen essential. However, when there’s a spill in the kitchen, dish towels disappoint since they’re not super absorbent. Because of this, you probably reach for disposable paper towels instead, which are typically made with virgin wood and contribute to deforestation.
That’s why you should consider adding some Swedish dishcloths to your kitchen arsenal. They are much more absorbent than dish towels or paper towels, can often be thrown in the dishwasher or laundry to be cleaned and are made of cellulose and cotton, which means most of the time they can be composted once you’re done with them.
Most dishcloths are pretty similar to one another, but you can look to see if they’ve been crafted with responsible materials such as organic cotton and cellulose from FSC-certified forests. Beyond that, just pick which ones you think look the best and meet your budget.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of our personal favorites to give you some dishcloth inspiration so you can lower your impact on the planet.
$24.99 $17.99 at Amazon
Our favorite Swedish dishcloth, this option is ultra absorbent and comes in a pack of fun colors so you can designate certain cloths for the kitchen and others for the bathroom. Read more in our review here.
$12 at Who Gives A Crap
We’ve also tested and loved these cloths from Who Gives A Crap, a brand that offers alternatives to traditional paper products. These colorful cloths come in a three-pack and can be tossed in the dishwasher or washing machine for an easy clean. The brand also offers bamboo paper towels if you need a disposable way to clean up too.
$18 at Package Free
These cloths from Package Free are made with a mixture of cotton and plant cellulose, which means they can be composted when you’re all done with them.
$9.99 $7.99 at Grove Collaborative
Another stylish set of dishcloths, these ones from Grove Collaborative are 100% plant-based and biodegradable. To clean, you can rinse them and throw them in the microwave for one minute to disinfect.
$12 at Dropps
You might know Dropps for the brand’s eco-friendly laundry detergent, but it also offers a solid range of kitchen cleaning products, including these Swedish dishcloths. Made with cellulose from FSC-certified forests and repurposed cotton from the textile industry, you can feel good about replacing your paper towels with these.
$9.99 at EarthHero
This three-pack of dishcloths from Full Circle is also made with a blend of cellulose and cotton and can be composted at the end of its life. Plus, Full Circle is a Certified B Corporation and ships its dishcloths in plastic-free packaging.
$20.85 $17 at Thrive Market
These cloths from Three Bluebirds are also compostable and made with cotton and FSC-certified cellulose.
$15 From $11 at Food52
The dishcloths from Food52 are compostable, made in Sweden and designed to hold 16 times their weight in water. You can throw these in the dishwasher or washing machine to disinfect after you clean so you can use them over and over.
$11.99 at Amazon
The brand that makes our favorite compostable dish brush also makes dishcloths. Featuring simple designs and made with cotton and cellulose, no mess stands a chance when you have a stack of these at the ready.
$7.99 at Amazon
These colorful and cute dishcloths are imported from Germany and 100% biodegradable and compostable.
$6.95 at Etsy
This dishcloth has a gorgeous design to help make cleaning feel a little less tiresome. Crafted with cellulose from FSC-certified forests and Fairtrade and GOTS-certified organic cotton, they can handle any sort of spill or mess.
$18 at Etsy
If you like to inject humor into your cleaning routine, Bish Cloths feature funny sayings and takes on popular song lyrics from Carly Rae Jepsen, Alanis Morissette and The Police.
$6.95 at Etsy
This, with its heart pattern, is a sweet way to show a member of your household that you love them — and maybe to take the sting out of it when you ask them to clean up after themselves.
