If your towels look worn or smell unpleasant, it's time to invest in new ones. Remember to wash new towels before you use them for the first time, as they have a silicone finish that makes them less absorbent. This also sets the colour so that it doesn't run or fade.
While this makes towels soft to the touch, it also means they aren't very absorbent. Washing new towels before use will reduce any residue and increase absorbency, and will get rid of any bacteria that may have built up on the surface too.
Before you begin using your new towels you should soak them in cold water for 24 hours and then wash them according to the washing instructions. This will cause the cotton fibres to open up and give the towels better absorbency. At the same time any remaining excess colour will disappear.
Wash brand-new towels at least once before using them. Manufacturers add conditioners for softness, chemicals for color saturation, and even small amounts of formaldehyde to help reduce wrinkles. Jones recommends washing them twice to clear away excess lint.
Ultimately, though, when a towel's threads begin to pull—or you notice a lingering odor, despite a careful wash—it's time to toss it; you can expect body and hand towels to last between two to five years depending on their quality. Wash cloths, on the other hand, should be replaced every one or two years, notes Winch.
At Fine Linen and Bath, we always recommend washing new towels before using them. A few washes with a gentle detergent will remove the silicone coating and break-in your new towels (see below for towel care guidelines).
Washing the towels in vinegar or baking soda will do the trick of removing some of that fluff and break your towels in quickly and easily. This battery operated lint remover also works great for easily removing lint from towels and clothing in a hurry.
Towels should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric according to the care label. Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle.
High-end hotels prefer to use Egyptian cotton, which is softer, fluffier, and cozier than regular cotton. Such that, even Mizu Towels use this fabric to make their luxury towels. Although it is lighter than Egyptian cotton, some hotels also use Turkish cotton in their towels.
Towels are hard after washing because they build up soapy residue and are over-dried. Here's the good news: With a few simple tricks, you can restore your towels to their original softness and help ensure that they never go scratchy again. Use warm water.
Separating linens into separate loads based on their material type (sheets vs towels) will not only give your linen a better clean, it will also help prevent unnecessary wear-and-tear on your linens and your washer – all while extending the life of your linens significantly! Don't Wash Sheets and Towels Together!
Should you wash new towels? Yes, it is always a good idea to wash new towels before use because new towels may be coated in a waxy fabric softener. The softener makes the towel look and feel great on the shelf of a shop but, unfortunately, also has the effect of reducing the towel's absorbency.
Washing towels with clothes can transfer germs and bacteria between items in the wash. For sanitary reasons, you should always wash bath towels separately from clothing items. Putting towels in their own load also makes it easier to adjust the setting based on color.
Wash your new towels in their own load.
Don't add clothes or other laundry to the machine, especially for the first wash. The dyes from the new towels could discolor your other laundry, or dyes in your clothes could stain your white towels.
“We recommend washing your bath towels once a week at least,” Wu says. However, depending on the size of your bath linen collection, you may need to wash towels more often, as it is advised to use them no more than two to three times before laundering.
Wash Towels With Detergent
Wash white towels using hot water, detergent, and a non-chlorine bleach or natural fabric brightener (like sodium percarbonate) according to package directions. White towels stay brighter when washed in hot water. Wash colorful towels in warm water, using detergent with color-safe bleach.
According to Brian Sansoni, the senior vice president of communications for the American Cleaning Institute, “Most laundry can now be done in cold water. That should be the default.” And yes, he includes towels in that statement. This is good news for your wallet!
New towels are also often coated in fabric softeners so they're nice and plush for shoppers—but these ingredients actually prevent towels from soaking up water. To get rid of that buildup, add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle during the initial wash.
3. Towels. While everyone loves to dry off with a soft towel, liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets can reduce the absorbency of terry cloth and other fluffy fabrics. If you feel like your towels aren't drying as well as they did when they were new, skip the softener every few washes.
“The longer towels stay damp, the longer the yeasts, bacteria, molds and viruses remain alive and stay active,” explains dermatologist Alok Vij, MD. “They can cause an outbreak of toenail fungus, athlete's foot, jock itch and warts, or cause these skin conditions to spread,” he says.
"If you or others are using a blanket every day, you may want to wash it once a week or once every other week," says Dr. Engelmen. "But blankets that aren't coming into contact with the skin's oils and bacteria may only need a wash every month or so to eliminate things like dust and pet dander."
The Ideal Number of Towels per Person
Our rule of three for stocking up on sheets also applies to towels. Keep three sets of towels for each individual who lives in your household—one in the wash, one in the closet, and one in use. This ensures there is always a towel in reserve for when you might need it.