Care for Towels

Here are a few simple tips to take care of your towels.

Laundering Towels

It is best to wash kitchen towels every 3 to 4 days. Do not leave your dirty towels lying around as this could cause unpleasantness. Also, do not leave towels in a state where they cannot quickly dry as they will begin to grow mildew. Mildew grows faster in closed homes with high humidity and temperatures between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

You’ll want to launder your towels before using them for the first time. Washing towels before use removes anything the manufacturer applied to the yarn during weaving. Group towels according to like colors and wash them separately. Wash towels separately, especially kitchen towels, from other clothing. Bath rugs, zippers, buttons can fray, damage the pile, wear down the towels.

You should follow the care instructions on the care label. Remove any plastic tags using scissors before washing your towels, and do not pull on tags as this can damage the fabric.

Wash your towels in cold water. Please give them a gentle shake to fluff the towel fibers before putting them in the dryer, set the wash cycle to low heat, and tumble dry. It would help if you did not dry towels longer than necessary as the high heat damages cotton fibers and increases towel shrinkage. Also, please do not leave them in the dryer once they are dry.

Sort and wash by color, and use a small amount of gentle detergent. Concentrated detergents use brighteners that can discolor your towels, so select a light detergent for your towels. It would be best not to use fabric softener or dryer sheets as they coat everything with a thin layer of wax-like substance (silicone), making them less absorbent. It is the same reason athletic apparel manufacturers tell you not to use fabric softeners.

Drying Towels

After using your towels, hang them to dry on bars to spread the towel, resulting in faster drying. Slow drying encourages mold and bacteria growth. Please note that towels hung on hooks dry slowly. Do not put wet towels in a hamper as they would remain damp and result in mildew growth.

No Ironing

Please do not iron towels as it crushes the pile, making them less absorbent.

Restoring your Towels

A mildew odor develops over time from repeated use and washing of the towels. Every few months, add 1/2 cup of baking soda in the wash to get rid of the odor. Washing with 1/2 cup vinegar removes residues left in towel fibers and gets rid of odors.

You can take care of any stray pulled loops by cutting them off with a pair of sharp scissors. Cutting stray loops should not cause any damage to the towel, and it would prevent further snagging and draws on the pulled loops.

Keep your towels away from products that may contain bleaching agents as they could cause permanent discoloration.