For example, if a kitchen towel was used to clean up raw meat, poultry, or seafood juices, then it should go immediately into the laundry and a clean one should be used. How to properly wash kitchen towels: Wash kitchen towels on the HOT cycle of the washer and make sure they dry completely on a high setting.
“Towels should be washed on a heavier cycle, without fabric softener, in hot water."
Select a gentle or delicate wash cycle to prevent friction and maintain towel quality. Use cold water to conserve energy and preserve colors. If weather permits, hang your towels on a clothesline or drying rack outdoors. Make sure they're adequately spaced for proper airflow.
The cotton program is ideal for sturdy fabrics like jeans, towels and bed sheets. It uses a higher water level and longer washing time to ensure thorough cleaning.
Hot water only makes detergent dissolve and work even better. Kitchen towels also need to be washed on a regular or heavy duty cycle -- never on delicates or gentle even if the care label says to do so. The gentle cycle does not provide enough agitation to adequately get the cloths clean.
Experts recommend washing kitchen towels in hot water immediately after using them to clean, as well as after cooking meat or fish, to prevent bacterial growth that can lead to food poisoning.
After you've pretreated the stains, wash towels in hot water with laundry detergent and chlorine bleach. Avoid using fabric softener or dryer sheets with your restaurant towels. This can make them less absorbent. Don't leave wet towels sitting in the washer for too long.
Use warm to medium hot water on a normal washing cycle
However, the general rule of thumb is to put towels through a regular cycle at a medium-hot temperature, just hot enough to kill off any bacteria and remove loose towel fibres. However, you should check the care labels for product-specific instructions.
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.
While you can wash your towels in cold water, Sheridan's experts recommend the occasional deep wash on a warm to hot cycle at 40-60 degrees to remove any bacteria, oils and smells. Avoid overcrowding the machine as this may reduce the effectiveness of the wash and prevent the detergent from being rinsed out completely.
Select the Normal cycle for everyday laundry items made of cotton, linen, and durable synthetics, such as sheets, towels, T-shirts, socks, and (non-fancy) underwear. The normal cycle is the ideal casual wash cycle for your everyday, most-loved fabrics like cottons and polyester.
The delicate wash cycle uses high levels of cold water and a low spin speed for carefully tending to undergarments and delicate fabrics that need to be handled with care, like lace, lingerie, or silk neckties. Specialty items like electric blankets or stuffed animals may also benefit from a delicate wash.
As far as temperature is concerned, it is recommended to wash your towels between 40° and 60°C, not more. So make sure you keep to the correct water temperature so that our tips work as they should – your laundry will thank you! For spinning, we recommend towel washing at 1200 rpm and not at too high a temperature.
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.
If you're using laundry detergent, add a cup of baking soda or half a cup of white vinegar to the load to get the last remnants of grease out of the towel. The vinegar and baking soda will also be able to remove any greasy smells, while the detergent will prevent the smell of vinegar from lingering.
You can also clean at lower temperatures than with normal detergents, no hotter than 50 degrees centigrade is the recommendation. White cotton or linen tea towels are fine at this higher temperature while coloured ones should be washed at 30 or 40 degrees centigrade.
They pre-soak their towels in vinegar or oxygen bleach. After soaking, they wash the towels with hot water and a regular detergent. They may also use a fabric conditioner to soften the towels. Similarly, if a towel smells musty, the cleaners at the hotel may use baking soda to deodorize it.
The most suitable program depends on the fabric of your towels. Most towels are made of cotton, so use the cotton program* and set the wash temperature to at least 40 degrees: 60° is ideal for white towels. 40° is best for darker towels, to prevent them from fading.
Wash Every Few Days
The best way to wash colored towels is with warm water and color-safe bleach, if necessary. For white towels, use hot water and non-chlorine bleach as needed. White towels should be washed separately or with other white items to avoid subtle discoloration over time.
Machine wash: select hot water and the heavy duty cycle. The hotter the water the better the cleaning. For white towels, use detergent and ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach. For colored dish towels, add a little more Clorox 2® along with the detergent.
Most care labels on towels say to wash them in cold water on a delicate cycle. Jones and Dowling second this, and in our towel testing, I do the same to accurately compare the feel, shrinkage, absorbency, and color fading.
There are a variety of ways to deodorize your linens, but easier methods include adding a cup of baking soda to the wash cycle or soaking your towels in vinegar for at least 30 minutes when you start to notice a smell.
In every kitchen, towels and cleaning cloths are used daily for wiping spills, stains, and oil. If not cleaned properly, they can harbor germs, bacteria, and unpleasant odors.