Bar Towels
Bartender towels are ubiquitous across the industry because every type of bar needs a quick, convenient way to clean up messes. Bar towels, also called bar mops or bar mop towels, are the bartender's first tool to clean up small messes and keep business moving. More
Bartender Towels: What You Need to Know
Every bar employee should have a readily accessible bar towel because these pieces are so universally useful. A simple cotton bar towel can help dry glasses and keep your countertop clean, which reduces accidents. By reducing accidents, you can lower the amount you spend replacing broken glass and lower the chances an employee or customer gets hurt on broken glass, for example.
Cotton bar towels are an inexpensive way to keep your serving area clean without leaving to grab cleaning supplies. Bar mops, as they're often called, frequently have different colors so they can be used for different purposes without cross contamination. This additional safety feature can set you off on the right foot with the health inspector on top of reducing the odds of a contamination mishap. Whichever style of bar mop towel you choose, these inexpensive additions will make your barkeeper's life easier.
Common Questions About Bar Towels
Why do bar towels have a stripe?
Bartender towels often have a colored stripe on them to differentiate their different purposes. This stripe makes it easy for the bartender to tell at a glance which towel should be used for drying glasses and which can be used for spilled food, for example. HACCP protocols help operators ensure their food is prepared and handled safely, and one of the principles of HACCP is using color-coded equipment wherever possible. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, which you can read about in our HACCP principles guide. Color-coded towels provide users an easy way to maintain sanitary practices without slowing down business. Additionally, because bar mops are inexpensive, you won't have to invest lots of money to ensure you're cleaning the right way.
What is the difference between a bar mop and a kitchen towel?
Bar mop towels are the thickest and most absorbent type of restaurant cloth, and as such are best used for cleaning up wet spills usually found around the bar area. Many bartenders carry a plain white bar towel to wipe up any spilled liquor, water, etc. on their counter, which keeps the area clean until it can be sanitized at the end of the night. Kitchen towels are used for a wider variety of purposes, including cleaning equipment with harsh chemicals. Bar towels usually last longer because they aren't subjected to the same type of use. Bar towels often are made to be lint-free so they don't leave behind cloth fibers on glasses or customer-facing surfaces, which presents a better overall feel for your establishment.