Flour sack towels have been utilized for centuries all over the world. Everything around us has a history, and believe it or not, some of that history touch our daily life and we are not even aware of it. In the 1800's, many suppliers began to package flour, sugar and other foods in cotton sacks. This cut down on the need for bulky wooden barrels. These old fashioned flour sack towels were tightly woven bags and were later converted into useful items that could be utilized around the home. One of the most popular items is the tea towel, as these towels are very useful.

How Did Women Get Flour Sacks?

These sacks were found by the truckloads, and that is when individuals came up with the idea to utilize the resources that surrounded them. The sacks were cut into manageable sizes so that they could be used to dry dishes, wipe countertops and clean windows. From the 1800’s to the 1950’s, homes all over the globe utilized flour sacks for a variety of things within their home. Through the years a variety of foods were packaged in these sacks, including corn meal, chicken feed, sugar, and flour.

The Great Depression

Flour sacks are constructed from cotton and were tightly woven. Most sacks held 50 to 100 pounds of goods. From 1929 to the early 1940’s, America went through the Great Depression. Times were hard and resources were difficult to come by. Housewives become inventive, utilizing everything that came into their home. Frugal in their ways, these reusable cotton sacks were made into clothing, toys, quilts, curtains, pillowcases, undergarments, cloth diapers, dish towels and much more.

Printed Flour Sacks

Manufactures saw this and acknowledged that consumers were utilizing their packaging. Because of this, manufactures began to offer different prints on their sacks, such as flowers or pretty border designs, doll and toy patterns. This made it the idea to transform the sack into something appealing. In return, it helped manufacturers entice housewives to buy their brand of flour. This would also encourage women to swap and sell their printed sacks to one another. Allowing them to get a particular print or pattern that they wanted.

Flour sack clothing became increasingly popular during this era. Women would make beautiful dresses for themselves, as well as clothing for their children. The manufacture labeled their sacks with ink that was washable, which allowed them to be made into anything and everything.

More and more unique designs continue to appear on flour sacks, as manufacturers recognized the hard times that the economy had fallen on. It was a great way to get housewives interested in buying their products. In fact, there were such a large variety that clothing could be made for the whole family, including dad.

Statistics show that an estimated 3.5 million women and children wore flour sack clothing during the Great Depression. It just became a way of life, as times were very hard. Some of the most classic patterns were brought about and manufactures still use some of them today.

In fact, some flour sacks came with their own instructions and ideas of what to use them for. These were written in washable ink but gave housewives the opportunity to transform their sack into something useful. If you had good sewing skills, it may be difficult to tell that your clothing was once a flour sack.

Times Changed

Sadly, packaging changed in the 1950s. Flour companies found an easier and cheaper way of packaging their products with paper sacks. This decreased the use of flour sacks, but it is a trend that has not completely died. In fact, flour sack towels are a vintage item that is found in homes all over the world. They remind us of simpler times, as well as proven to be a staple in cleaning and cooking. These towels are safe to use around foods and provide a lint free experience when being used to clean.

Vintage unbleached flour sack towels never really died, but they are making a huge comeback in today's society because they are so useful. However, you will not find this type of towel in your local dollar store, drug or hardware stores. They are offered by online retailers, which means you can still gain access to them relatively easily.

Kitchen flour sack towels will always be superior to the terry dish towel. This is mainly because they offer a lint free experience, which cannot be found in terry cloth. Flour sack cloths are highly absorbent, appealing, easy to care for and can be utilized in a number of household and DIY projects. If you are looking for a slice of history to utilize throughout your home, the flour sack cloth is the perfect solution.

Todays Flour Sack Towels

In today's world, vintage is stylish, and the flour sack towel is no exception. Many homes still sport these amazing towels for good reason. Not only are they trendy, they are very durable and have the ability to absorb liquid really well. Better than traditional kitchen towels, and this is why many people rely on flour sacks for cleaning and cooking task.

Here are just some of the advantages that a flour sack towel can provide you.

★ Lint Free - Flour sack dish towels offer a lint free experience that is welcomed by those who are completing cleaning or cooking task. When using a towel to dry an object, you never want to worry about lint. Especially if that object is made of glass. Lint on your cooking utensils or glasses will not give your guest a great first impression. Designed with 100% cotton, Flour Sack Towels can be used to complete any task around the home or kitchen. You will find these types of towels heavily utilized in the food industry.

★ Cleaning Made Easy - Flour sack dish cloths and towels are the perfect solution for spills, as they have the ability to quickly absorb. Plus, they can be machine washed and dried. This means that you never have to be without your Mary's flour sack tea towels. They are naturally soft, so no fabric softener is needed to keep these towels looking and performing as they should.

★ Appealing  - If you desire a minimalist look, then you came to the right place. Not only do these vintage kitchen towels take you back in time, they are also a future proof product. They will blend with any decor, as they have a clean and simplistic appeal. Customization is a possibility, which will only make your lint free flour sack towels even more unique and personable. Sayings, monograms or a logo are just a few possibilities when wanting to alter the appearance of your towel. However, they are a classic looking towel that is setting many futuristic trends.

★ Absorbent - These towels are constructed to last, as well as give an optimal performance when it comes to absorbing the liquid. Flour sack is a naturally thirsty material, which means it will quickly soak up any liquid it is introduced to. This is why so many utilize them in cooking and cleaning tasks, as these are jobs that require a cloth that absorb liquid quickly. In fact, some people even choose to use these cloths to dry their hair after a shower or bath.

★ All Natural Surface - You will find that many parents use flour sack towels to care for their babies and toddlers because they are gentle on their skin. Babies have very sensitive skin, and that is why you want to only use items that are soft and comforting. Our 100% pure cotton flour sack towels offer the softness that a child needs and wants.

Final Thoughts

They make a great gift for any occasion and can help you complete a number of DIY projects. You can even personalize them with a name, monogram or logo. They are great to use for cleaning, cooking or in the bathroom. You may see them being used in restaurants, spas or catering events.

History has a habit of repeating itself, and many people find flour sacks to be quite fashionable. It is nothing to find these types of clothing still being utilized in the fashion industry. While these sacks got America through some of the toughest of times, they also taught us how to become resourceful in the things found around our homes.

These are some of the first products being utilized for DIY projects. If you are looking for a way to spruce up your decor, consider some flour sack art. If you are in need of some good cloths for cleaning or cooking, you will not be disappointed with the performance of a flour sack towel. You can buy these towels online, and they are still found in many retail stores. Diverse in their offerings, flour sack towels have come long ways, and have a very bright future ahead of them.