It seems harmless enough, almost instinctive, to drape a tea towel over the oven door handle while cooking. In the rush of preparing meals, convenience wins, and the towel is right where you need it. Yet this everyday habit hides risks that often go unnoticed. When an oven is on, heat radiates outward, slowly surrounding the door and handle. Fabric left there absorbs that warmth for long stretches, creating conditions that can quietly lead to scorching, weakening fibers, or damage that only becomes obvious later.

Heat isn’t the only concern. Even a thin towel can interfere with how an oven door seals, especially on modern appliances designed for precision. A door that doesn’t close fully can allow heat to escape, forcing the oven to work harder, cook unevenly, and waste energy. Over time, this small obstruction can affect performance in ways that frustrate home cooks without them realizing the towel is the culprit behind inconsistent results.

Safety adds another layer of concern, particularly in homes with children or pets. A dangling towel is easy to grab, pull, or brush against, and it doesn’t take much force for a hot oven door to open unexpectedly. Grease and moisture absorbed by the towel can also worsen the problem, making the fabric heavier, grimier, and more likely to slip or fall. Repeated exposure to heat shortens the towel’s lifespan too, leaving it stiff, discolored, and far less useful than intended.

Fortunately, avoiding these risks is simple. Wall hooks, drawer handles away from heat, towel bars, or even aprons with built-in loops keep towels close without putting them in danger. These small changes preserve convenience while protecting your kitchen, your appliances, and the people moving through the space. Sometimes the safest habits aren’t about doing more, but about moving one familiar object just a little farther from the heat.