Public Service Announcement: Textiles

This is something incidental that I'd like to share with you. It's something that would likely never come up in our day-to-day conversations, and would therefore doom you to the dilemma I found myself in.
I love, love, love the designs of Crate & Barrel's kitchen towels. We registered for a bunch of them for our wedding, and some of you gifted them to us. But when I try to mop up water on the counter I end up pushing the water around, with little absorption. It's very frustrating. They are just about as ineffective at drying the dishes. I've trying washing them again and again, but it almost seems like they sprayed them with Scotchguard before selling these dishclothes to us.

I picked up some cute (and cheap) (and hopefully better) alternatives at Target.
Too soon to recommend the substitutes, and I may end up with the old reliable Williams Sonoma towels. Thirsty standby's -- but stripes are only so exciting.