Putting a cloth towel in the oven is generally not recommended.
Cloth towels can easily catch fire or burn in the high heat of an oven.
However, there may be some specific cases where heating a towel in the oven could work, but extreme caution is necessary.
Why You Should Not Put a Towel in the Oven
The main reason you should not put a towel in the oven is because towels are made of materials like cotton that can easily ignite when exposed to high heat. An oven can reach temperatures of 400-500°F, which is far hotter than the ~400°F ignition temperature of materials like paper and cloth.
Some key reasons you should not put a towel in the oven include:
- Fire risk: Towels can easily catch fire in the oven due to their materials and fabric construction. This poses a serious fire hazard.
- Burn risk: Even if fire does not occur, the towel could get extremely hot and cause burns if touched. Hot steam from the towel could also burn skin.
- Oven damage: A burning towel could damage the heating elements or interior surfaces of the oven. Melted synthetic fibers could leave residue.
- Toxic fumes: Burning fabrics give off toxic fumes that you do not want in your home or to inhale.
So in nearly all cases, it is not worth the risk of trying to heat up or dry a towel in the oven. There are safer methods for warming towels that will be covered later in this article.
Specific Cases Where Heating a Towel in the Oven Could Work
Although not generally recommended, there may be some very specific use cases where heating up a towel carefully in the oven could work successfully and safely. However, extreme care must be taken.
Some examples include:
- Dampening and heating a very small towel/cloth: If you dampen a hand towel or very small cloth and heat it on low for just 1-2 minutes maximum, it may warm up without igniting. This still carries risk and must be watched closely.
- Using the residual oven heat after baking: After baking something, the oven will still carry significant residual heat. If you quickly put in a towel for 1 minute or less immediately after turning off the oven, it could warm the towel without igniting it. However, this still carries some risk if heat is too high or towel stays in too long.
The key in above risky examples is using a very short heating time of 1 minute or less, watching extremely closely the entire time, and taking all proper precautions like oven mitts.
However, even when taking precautions, trying to heat towels in an oven still poses unnecessary safety risks in most cases. There are safer methods that work just as well covered next.
Key Takeaway: While some very specific use cases could allow careful heating of a small towel in the oven, it still carries unnecessary risk. There are safer methods for warming towels.
Safer Methods for Warming Towels
Given the fire, burn, and other safety risks of putting towels in the oven, here are some safer methods you can use instead to warm towels:
Microwave Oven
A microwave oven is typically the safest and fastest option for heating up a towel. Just be sure the towel does not have any metal pieces that could spark. General directions are:
- Dampen towel with cool water
- Wring out excess moisture
- Heat 30-90 seconds based on thickness
- Check frequently while microwaving
Be very careful removing the hot towel from microwave and have oven mitts ready.
Iron or Clothes Steamer
Using a standard home iron or handheld garment steamer, you can pass hot steam through a towel to warm it up rapidly. Just don’t let the iron directly touch and scorch the towel.
Hot Water Soak
Soaking a towel in a sink, tub, or bowl filled with hot water from the faucet will allow it to absorb heat and become nicely warmed all the way through.
Heated Towel Warmer
You can purchase electric or hydronic heated towel warmer racks made specifically for warming towels. These provide a safe enclosed heating environment.
Heating Pad
Placing a towel atop an electric heating pad designed for sore muscles and pain relief allows the heat to transfer into and slowly warm up the towel.
Several common household appliances provide much safer options over using an oven when you need a warmed towel. The microwave in particular offers the fastest localized heating without fire risk.
FAQs
Can paper towels go in the oven?
No. Paper towels should never be placed in the oven as they can easily ignite just like cloth towels. Treat paper towels the same as cloth and keep them out of direct high heat.
Is it safe to use a moist oven mitt?
No. You should never use an oven mitt to handle hot items if the mitt is wet or moist. The moisture causes more rapid heat transfer through the fabric, posing high risk for steam burns or heat scalding.
What temperature can ignite paper and cloth?
Most household paper and cloth fabrics will ignite between ~400-500°F when directly exposed. Since ovens readily reach and exceed this range, fire risk is extremely high.
Can wet cloths go in a microwave?
Yes, dampened paper towels and cloth can be safely microwaved to heat them. But care must be taken they don’t get too hot and do not include any metal pieces which could spark.
Conclusion
Cloth towels and fabrics pose high fire, burn, and other safety risks when placed directly in household ovens due to the high temperatures involved.
You should never put cloth towels or other fabrics like clothing into the oven to attempt warming them.
Other than very specific edge cases, stick to safer methods like using the microwave, iron, or heated racks intended for warming towels instead.
By avoiding the oven and using common sense with household heating appliances, you can safely warm towels.
