Generally, they should be dried on low to medium heat. Use a dryer setting specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle. High heat and overdrying can cause fabric damage, so be sure to remove the towels promptly once they're dry.
It's best to dry your towels on a medium heat setting, with no more than two towels per dryer load. This will help prevent them from shrinking or melting together.
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.
Choosing the right drying cycle
The cotton cycle uses high heat and is perfect for towels, bedding, and sturdy cotton items. For polyester and mixed fabrics, use the synthetics cycle, which operates at medium heat. Delicate items benefit from the low heat of the delicates cycle.
Spread them out on a rod or rack rather than folding them or bunching them. Increase air flow with a fan. Alternatively, you could hang the towels in a different room that's less humid. Also, damp fabric dries faster in an air-conditioned environment because an air conditioner removes moisture from the air.
“Where possible, try drying towels out in the fresh air before popping them into the tumble dryer for a brief spell to fluff them up,” advises Katarzyna. “If drying them completely in a tumble drier, avoid putting them on for too long or using too hot a drying cycle, or they'll take on a dull, grey appearance.”
The use of commercial-grade dryers with precise settings also plays a crucial role in achieving optimal drying. Understanding how to keep towels soft, hotels ensure that their towels are not over-dried, preserving the fibers' integrity and enhancing their drying efficiency.
What Temperature Should Towels Be Washed At? - White and lighter colored towels wash well with the hot water setting. Hot water helps to brighten white and light-colored towels for better cleaning. Dark colored towels should be washed with the warm water setting.
As a general rule, higher temperatures are best used for heavy items, like towels, jeans and jackets. Low to medium heat settings are ideal for sheets, blouses and undergarments, while no-heat settings are designed for heat-sensitive fabrics or garments containing rubber or plastic.
Drying your towels correctly will help you achieve soft, fluffy towels. Try this method for optimal results: Take the towels out of the wash and shake them thoroughly. Put them in the tumble dryer with some clean tennis balls and dry for around 20 minutes on a high heat.
Step 1: Run One Cycle With Vinegar
Place the towels in the washing machine and run a cycle using white vinegar instead of detergent. Due to its acidic nature, vinegar helps remove mildew or bacteria that may have accumulated on the fabric. Most washing machines have a compartment for fabric softener.
Cotton. This is one of the hotter, more aggressive cycles – since cottons need this to get clean. 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.
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.
There are several reasons why your dryer may not be drying, including a clogged lint screen, issues with the vent hose or a clogged vent system. Properly installing and maintaining your dryer can help avoid some issues that can interfere with performance.
Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage. Use delicate cycles instead, and place delicate clothes in a mesh laundry bag for added protection. When drying, consider a low-heat or air dry setting. When in doubt, always follow the instructions on your garment's care tag.
Generally, they should be dried on low to medium heat. Use a dryer setting specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle. High heat and overdrying can cause fabric damage, so be sure to remove the towels promptly once they're dry.
The regular cycle is your go-to cycle for towels, sheets, sweats, and jeans. Whether you choose automatic dry, which uses a moisture sensor to determine if your clothes are dry, or select the amount of time you feel the clothes need, the regular cycle is going to use the highest heat setting available on your dryer.
Delicate or Gentle
On the other hand, delicate settings use the lowest amount of heat and tumbling action, explains Pozniak. This cycle is best for fragile fabrics or laundry pieces that may start to melt, fray, stretch, or fade in high-heat conditions.
Tumble dry your sheets on the low-heat setting to reduce wrinkling and prevent unnecessary wear. Using a low-heat setting also keeps your fitted sheets fitting snugly—if the dryer is too hot, it may damage the elastic. Avoid dryer sheets, as they can weaken the material and cause pilling over time.
There are a few common reasons why your dryer doesn't dry clothes. Some of the most common reasons include overloading the dryer, power sources issues, clothes being too wet, a dirty dryer lint screen, clogged dryer vents, or possible part malfunctions.
For super soft towels, add fabric conditioner to your load of laundry. Pouring a bit of liquid fabric conditioner like Lenor into your machine's dispenser drawer will prevent your towels from fading, stretching and bobbling during the wash, acting as a lubricant and helping to make them feel soft.
Because air-drying towels causes less wear and tear on the material than tumble-drying, it can help towels last longer. Air-drying towels outdoors in bright sunlight can help bleach white towels. Keep in mind that dark or colored towels should be air-dried in the shade to avoid fading.
Without a tumble dryer, hotels might use drying racks in well-ventilated areas. They sometimes add vinegar to the final rinse cycle as a natural fabric softener. Gentle manual fluffing of the towels once they are dry is also common to preserve their fluffiness.
If you are putting soaked clothes in the dryer, tossing in a towel with your load may help absorb moisture and can possibly help speed up drying times. Be mindful to remove the towel after about five minutes for smaller loads, rather than keeping it in the dryer for the entire cycle.