{"id":2721,"date":"2024-02-10T14:28:45","date_gmt":"2024-02-10T14:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/?p=2721"},"modified":"2024-02-10T14:28:48","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T14:28:48","slug":"can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/","title":{"rendered":"Can I Put a Cloth Towel in the Oven?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Putting <strong>a cloth towel<\/strong> in the oven is generally not recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Can-I-Put-a-Cloth-Towel-in-the-Oven.jpeg\" alt=\"Can I Put a Cloth Towel in the Oven\" class=\"wp-image-2735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Can-I-Put-a-Cloth-Towel-in-the-Oven.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Can-I-Put-a-Cloth-Towel-in-the-Oven-768x403.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Cloth towels can easily catch fire or burn in the high heat of an oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there may be some specific cases where heating a towel in the oven could work, but extreme caution is necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_66_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Why_You_Should_Not_Put_a_Towel_in_the_Oven\" title=\"Why You Should Not Put a Towel in the Oven\">Why You Should Not Put a Towel in the Oven<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Specific_Cases_Where_Heating_a_Towel_in_the_Oven_Could_Work\" title=\"Specific Cases Where Heating a Towel in the Oven Could Work\">Specific Cases Where Heating a Towel in the Oven Could Work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Safer_Methods_for_Warming_Towels\" title=\"Safer Methods for Warming Towels\">Safer Methods for Warming Towels<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Microwave_Oven\" title=\"Microwave Oven\">Microwave Oven<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Iron_or_Clothes_Steamer\" title=\"Iron or Clothes Steamer\">Iron or Clothes Steamer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Hot_Water_Soak\" title=\"Hot Water Soak\">Hot Water Soak<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Heated_Towel_Warmer\" title=\"Heated Towel Warmer\">Heated Towel Warmer<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Heating_Pad\" title=\"Heating Pad\">Heating Pad<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#FAQs\" title=\"FAQs\">FAQs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Can_paper_towels_go_in_the_oven\" title=\"Can paper towels go in the oven?\">Can paper towels go in the oven?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Is_it_safe_to_use_a_moist_oven_mitt\" title=\"Is it safe to use a moist oven mitt?\">Is it safe to use a moist oven mitt?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#What_temperature_can_ignite_paper_and_cloth\" title=\"What temperature can ignite paper and cloth?\">What temperature can ignite paper and cloth?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Can_wet_cloths_go_in_a_microwave\" title=\"Can wet cloths go in a microwave?\">Can wet cloths go in a microwave?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/can-i-put-a-cloth-towel-in-the-oven\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_You_Should_Not_Put_a_Towel_in_the_Oven\"><\/span>Why You Should Not Put a Towel in the Oven<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The main reason you should not put a <strong>towel<\/strong> in the oven is because towels are made of materials like <a href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/what-is-cotton\/\">cotton<\/a> that can easily <strong>ignite<\/strong> when exposed to high heat. An oven can reach temperatures of 400-500\u00b0F, which is far hotter than the ~400\u00b0F ignition temperature of materials like paper and cloth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some key reasons you should not put a towel in the oven include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fire risk<\/strong>: Towels can easily catch fire in the oven due to their materials and fabric construction. This poses a serious fire hazard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Burn risk<\/strong>: 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oven damage<\/strong>: A burning towel could damage the heating elements or interior surfaces of the oven. Melted <a href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/what-are-synthetic-microfibers\/\">synthetic fibers<\/a> could leave residue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Toxic fumes<\/strong>: Burning fabrics give off toxic fumes that you do not want in your home or to inhale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Specific_Cases_Where_Heating_a_Towel_in_the_Oven_Could_Work\"><\/span>Specific Cases Where Heating a Towel in the Oven Could Work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dampening and heating a very small towel\/cloth:<\/strong> If you dampen a <a href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/what-is-a-fingertip-towel\/\">hand towel<\/a> or very <a href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/fingertip-towel-vs-washcloth\/\">small cloth<\/a> 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.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Using the residual oven heat after baking:<\/strong> 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/types-of-kitchen-towels\/\">oven mitts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Key Takeaway:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Safer_Methods_for_Warming_Towels\"><\/span>Safer Methods for Warming Towels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Microwave_Oven\"><\/span>Microwave Oven<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>Dampen towel with cool water<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wring out excess moisture<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Heat 30-90 seconds based on thickness<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check frequently while microwaving<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Be very careful removing the hot towel from microwave and have oven mitts ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Iron_or_Clothes_Steamer\"><\/span>Iron or Clothes Steamer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a standard home iron or handheld garment steamer, you can pass hot steam through a towel to warm it up rapidly. Just don&#8217;t let the iron directly touch and scorch the towel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hot_Water_Soak\"><\/span>Hot Water Soak<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heated_Towel_Warmer\"><\/span>Heated Towel Warmer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can purchase electric or hydronic heated towel warmer racks made specifically for warming towels. These provide a safe enclosed heating environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Heating_Pad\"><\/span>Heating Pad<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several common household appliances provide much safer options over using an oven when you need a warmed towel. The <strong>microwave<\/strong> in particular offers the fastest localized heating without fire risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs\"><\/span>FAQs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_paper_towels_go_in_the_oven\"><\/span>Can paper towels go in the oven?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>No. <a href=\"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/what-is-a-hand-towel\/\">Paper towels<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_it_safe_to_use_a_moist_oven_mitt\"><\/span>Is it safe to use a moist oven mitt?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_temperature_can_ignite_paper_and_cloth\"><\/span>What temperature can ignite paper and cloth?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most household paper and cloth fabrics will ignite between ~400-500\u00b0F when directly exposed. Since ovens readily reach and exceed this range, fire risk is extremely high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_wet_cloths_go_in_a_microwave\"><\/span>Can wet cloths go in a microwave?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, dampened paper towels and cloth can be safely microwaved to heat them. But care must be taken they don&#8217;t get too hot and do not include any metal pieces which could spark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cloth <strong>towels<\/strong> and fabrics pose high fire, burn, and other safety risks when placed directly in household ovens due to the high temperatures involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should never put cloth towels or other fabrics like clothing into the oven to attempt warming them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other than very specific edge cases, stick to safer methods like using the microwave, iron, or heated racks intended for warming towels instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By avoiding the oven and using common sense with household heating appliances, you can safely warm towels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2721"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2737,"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2721\/revisions\/2737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/towelsedition.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}