Tips for washing towels
- , Through Inge | Bath&Living
- 11 min read
All new towels feel wonderfully soft and wonderfully fresh. You want to enjoy such a soft towel for a long time, but you are afraid that your towels will lose their softness after a few washes. Nothing could be further from the truth! Although cotton fibres damage all clothing and bath textiles over time, there are plenty of things you can do to maintain your soft towels, even if you have washed them more often.
We give you useful do's and don'ts for washing towels. Because after every shower you want a towel that is clean, smells nice and feels nice and soft. And that without damaging the fibers excessively and to maintain the quality of your new towels for as long as possible.
Washing new towels
Your current towels that used to feel so wonderfully soft are quite worn and ready for replacement. You go looking for new towels from good quality but want to make sure that you can maintain this quality. The way you wash your towels has a lot of influence on this, which is why we would like to tell you how to best wash your new towels.
This starts before the first wash. Look carefully at the washing instructions on the label of your new towels. These symbols and instructions regarding (lower or higher) temperature, drying and ironing are given here for a reason. Always wash your towels with similar colours and preferably not together with clothing. This way you can prevent lint from ending up on your clothing and having an overfull drum. Because in an overfull washing machine the fibres will be damaged more quickly and more soap residue can remain in your towels, which means they do not feel clean and the absorbency is reduced.
The first wash
Before you use your new towels, it is important to wash them first. You do this on a normal cotton program according to the washing instructions. For all towels from our collection, this means at 60 degrees Celsius. Do not use a short program or cold water, especially for the first wash. This is important for fixing the dye and therefore preserving the color.
Also, after the first wash, the absorbency will increase, which will help the towels dry better. Wash the towels separately and with similar colors so that they have enough space and the paint can fix well. If necessary, use a little detergent, no fabric softener and no vinegar.
How can you reduce the wear and tear of towels?
Towels are made of terry cloth; cotton fibers that are woven into loops so that they absorb moisture well. It is inevitable that textile fibers will wear out over time, even your new towels. Fortunately, a number of aspects influence the lifespan of your towels. For example, the quality of the fibers. For example, the fibers of Egyptian cotton, American cotton and Pima Cotton is longer and stronger than other types of cotton and therefore more resistant to wear. You can take this into account when buying new towels. Also make sure that you never iron your towels hot, because the combination of excessive heat and pressure on the cotton fibers causes wear.
After how many washes?
The frequency and method of washing also affect the lifespan of your new towels. The more often you wash your textiles, the more they wear out. So after how many washes is desirable? To limit wear as much as possible, it may be a choice not to put your towels in the washing machine after every use. Make sure that you hang your damp towel neatly between uses so that it can air and dry as well as possible.And put your towel in the washing machine after about three uses to prevent too much moisture and soap from building up in the fibres. Because too much moisture and soap residue can also contribute to the quality of your towels.
Our tips for washing towels
Washing towels seems very simple. But if you want to keep the quality as new as possible for as long as possible, it does require some attention and care. Should you wash your towels at a higher temperature or with cold water? Are a generous scoop of washing powder and fabric softener necessary? And does vinegar add anything? We will answer all these questions for you below.
At what temperature should I wash towels?
As mentioned, the label with washing instructions is attached to your towels for a reason; so check it carefully. All towels sold by Bath&Living have a maximum temperature of 60 degrees Celsius. At this temperature you can wash hot enough and the towels will be perfectly clean. Washing at higher temperatures such as 90 degrees is not necessary and causes unnecessary wear and tear of the cotton fibers.
It is sometimes said to wash new towels with cold water before using them. We advise against this. This has to do with the dyeing techniques that are currently used for towels. In order to fix the dye and thus retain the color of your towels for as long as possible, it is important to maintain the temperature given on the label during the first wash.
How much detergent and fabric softener?
You want fresh clothes and towels that smell wonderfully fresh. This can cause you to use a lot of detergent and fabric softener. You may think that it makes your laundry softer and smells nice. However, we advise against this. Too much detergent can actually cause soap residue to remain and your towels will no longer dry properly and will develop unpleasant odors. This happens sooner when using liquid detergent than washing powder. Just like fabric softener, liquid detergent can leave a layer on your towels after washing and is also less good for your washing machine. Your towels will be properly cleaned at 60 degrees in the washing machine with a little powder detergent.
Should I use vinegar?
Traditionally, it is said that washing towels with a dash of natural vinegar is a good idea. A little vinegar is supposed to help with smelly towels, removing soap residue and preserving the color. We advise against using vinegar because it is an acid and can actually damage the fibers and color of your towels, causing your towels to wear out faster.
If you follow the washing instructions carefully and prevent a wet towel from getting stuck in a laundry basket, you have no reason to use extra products. Smelly towels can be largely prevented by hanging them out to dry between uses. Another tip: remove the towels from the washing machine immediately after washing to dry them.
What is the best way to dry towels?
After washing your towels, we recommend drying them in the dryer as this results in softer towels than drying on a clothes rack. Because the towels dry while they are moving, the fibres remain supple and therefore your towels softer. Also important here: look carefully at the instructions on the label of your towels. For the towels in our range, a longer programme at a low temperature is best.This way, the cotton fibres are least damaged and you can enjoy lovely soft and fluffy towels when they come out of the dryer.
Tips for soft towels
We all know how a towel feels when you let it air dry: like sandpaper. If you still like to air dry your towels and other laundry, we have some tips to make your towels softer. First of all, it is an advantage if it is windy outside. Not only because it takes less time to dry, but also because the towels move more and therefore remain a bit more flexible.
After you take your dry towels off the rotary dryer or clothesline, you can also put them in the dryer for a short while on a low temperature. This can help loosen the fibers, making your towels feel softer. Although these tips can help, we still prefer to dry your towels completely in the dryer for the softest and smoothest result.
Tips against smelly towels
Of course, nobody wants to dry themselves off with dirty towels. But sometimes clean towels can also stink. The musty smell makes them seem like dirty towels, which is not pleasant. Smelly towels can be caused by a damp towel being stored in the bathroom, by soap residue accumulating in the towel, or because your washing machine is not clean.
So first make sure that your washing machine (and all rubbers) are clean and run it without laundry at a higher temperature (90 degrees). Also make sure that a wet towel is always hung out, even when it is ready to be washed. Do not leave towels that are wet or damp in a pile in the laundry basket or on the floor. Moisture that cannot escape creates bacteria and therefore smelly towels. The absorbency of your towels can ensure that these bacteria are drawn in extra and the smell lingers, even after washing.
When washing, do not use excessive amounts of detergent or fabric softener; this is to prevent soap residue from building up. After washing, remove the towels from the washing machine immediately and put them in the dryer. Also, when the dryer is finished, remove the towels from the drum immediately. Make sure your towels are 100% dry before folding them and putting them away.
What should I do about washing towels?
Below is a list of things that are good to do when washing towels:
- Wash towels before first use.
- Use the cotton program on your washing machine.
- Maintain the temperature as indicated on the label.
- Wash towels with similar colours.
- Wash towels separately from clothes.
- Limit the number of towels to avoid overcrowding the washing machine.
- Hang used towels on towel rack.
- Wash towels after a maximum of three uses.
- Set the dryer to low temperature.
- Use a clean washing machine.
What should I NOT do with towel washing?
Below is a list of things you should not do when washing towels:
- Wash towels in cold water before first use.
- Wash towels at a higher temperature than indicated on the label.
- Wash towels with vinegar.
- Using too much detergent.
- Use fabric softener.
- Wash towels in a full load.
- Hot iron.
- Washing too often or not often enough.
- Fold or roll up damp towels.
