Dish towels with an attitude from Hamburg by 17;30
The dish towels from 17;30 are kitchen towels made of pure cotton, designed in Hamburg and screen-printed by hand. Featuring powerful slogans and cheerful motifs, the company was founded on the banks of the Elbe in 2010 by Anna Upleger and is now managed by Quinn Upleger.
Dish towels from 17;30 are the antithesis of the bland checkered pattern found at the supermarket. The Hamburg-based lifestyle brand uses screen printing to decorate pure cotton with cheeky sayings and colorful motifs; each towel measures 50 x 70 cm and comes individually wrapped in a paper band, almost ready to be given as a gift. What started as an idea among friends evolved into a small brand with a big voice.
An idea born at "half past five" on the Elbe
17;30 began in the summer of 2010 on the banks of the Elbe with a collection of maritime jewelry and lanyards. The name reveals exactly when the idea was born.
The wine was delicious, the mood was excellent, and at half past five sharp, the decision was made to create beautiful things. That is the story of the founding of 17;30 that people still love to tell today. Anna Upleger launched the brand, and today Quinn Upleger runs the business. Behind the name is a team of four "plietschen" (clever/bright) friends from Hamburg.
Creating beautiful things that bring joy to others was the motivation from the very beginning, and Quinn Upleger still holds to that today. From 2016 onward, the maritime beginning expanded into a colorful world of cards, paper bags, luminaria bags, and, of course, dish towels.
For over 15 years, the same promise has applied: more variety, more message, more originality in everyday life. You can still hear the maritime origins in the collection today, whether blue fish are swimming across a towel or a lanyard sounds like the harbor.
Today, in addition to its own shop, 17;30 supplies many specialty retailers across the country, from small gift shops to concept stores. At its core, however, the brand has remained what it was in 2010: a group of creative minds who prefer to design everyday objects with a wink and a clear message rather than the same old checkered pattern.
From cheeky slogans to cheerful motifs
The assortment is roughly divided into two camps: bold slogans and colorful motifs. Both have one thing in common: they want to be seen.
When it comes to slogans, it’s all about speaking plainly. The "Bier kalt stellen ist auch kochen" (Chilling beer is also cooking) towel grins at grill fans, the "Der Abwasch kann warten" (The dishes can wait) adds a bit of life wisdom to the sink, and the pink "Her mit dem schönen Leben" (Bring on the beautiful life) simply puts you in a good mood. Colorful, cheerful, and vociferous—that is the Hamburg sound.
The motifs get colorful and animal-themed. Maritime fish in blue bring the harbor into the kitchen, the golden chicken adds a touch of country flair to the Easter table, and the zesty lemon in neon yellow provides a summer vibe.
In between, you'll find bunnies, piggies, cats, and sheep, along with fruits like carrots, oranges, and raspberries in bold neon shades. For the colder season, muted and festive motifs are added: a calm deer in anthracite, a classic Christmas tree, and a winking, racing fir tree, both in shimmering gold.
The color palette ranges from bright neon pink and neon orange to sunny neon yellow, as well as calm gray and festive gold. This means there is a suitable towel for every kitchen and every taste, whether as a loud splash of color over the sink or as a muted companion that fits in discreetly.
Pure cotton with a Hamburg touch
Each towel consists of 100 percent cotton, woven in India and designed in Hamburg. The printing is done by hand using the screen-printing process, color by color.
Pure cotton is the classic choice for dish towels; it absorbs plenty of water, doesn't lint, and becomes a little more absorbent with every wash. It can go in the machine at up to 60 degrees, and when ironed, the towel lies smooth over the rail and the colors remain vibrant.
Because each piece goes through the printing process individually, no two are exactly alike; small quirks are part of it and make every towel a little original. Sometimes a line is set a hint off, sometimes a color shines a bit more intensely—this is intentional and part of hand printing.
The 50 x 70 cm format is large enough for glasses and pots and handy enough for the drawer. This is how a good towel often stays in use longer than some pans, and thrown over the shoulder, it is always within reach while cooking.
Vociferous instead of well-behaved
At 17;30, the slogan is the program. As Quinn Upleger likes to emphasize, a dish towel is simply not just a dish towel.
Exactly this attitude separates these towels from the monotony on the shelf. They are meant to inspire, bring a smile to your face, and make gift-giving a bit more personal. Being well-behaved and conforming is not the brand's style; they prefer to have a cheeky remark on their lips.
You can tell that from every motif, whether it’s loudly saying "hello" or quietly appearing in muted anthracite. Even a restrained towel still has character at 17;30; it just pushes itself forward less.
The towels are quick to give away, as each one is already in its paper band, ready to be handed over without any wrapping paper. A little gift that doesn't disappear in the cupboard but hangs visibly on the rail and greets you with a little grin every morning.
The towels are perfect as a small gesture—for a friend's housewarming, as a greeting for Father's Day, as an addition to an Easter bouquet, or as a little something for an Advent coffee. A slogan or motif that suits the recipient often says more than the umpteenth bottle of wine.
A small gift that always fits
17;30 towels are a gift that always fits—for a housewarming, a birthday, or just because. After all, you can never have enough kitchen towels.
For grill fans, we like to include the "Bier kalt stellen" (Chilling beer) towel, for Mother's Day a cheerful motif, and for the Advent season a golden Christmas motif. If you prefer things calm, opt for the gray animal motifs in muted tones. You can find the entire selection in our Dish Towels category.
And if you are looking for classic, woven towels with patterns, check out the Ekelund dish towels from Sweden; they are the quiet, traditional sister to the loud slogans from Hamburg.
Just browse through the slogans and motifs; one of them is guaranteed to strike the right chord. Let yourself be surprised by how much character can reside in a simple dish towel made of pure cotton and how quickly a drying cloth becomes a little favorite on the rail.
