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 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.
Washing towels needs a regular cotton or colors/darks cycle with a high spin speed. Fabric softener isn't always recommended as it can reduce towel absorbency - meaning that you towels may be fluffier but not necessarily cleaner.
Here's how to do it: Wash Before Use: Always wash new towels before their first use. This removes any chemicals or finishes from manufacturing. Use Hot Water: Wash them in hot water (if the care label allows). Hot water helps to remove excess lint and improves absorbency.
It's especially important to wash brand-new towels separate from your more seasoned towels, as new ones can be serious offenders when it comes to lint creation. For super soft towels, add fabric conditioner to your load of laundry.
Wash New Towels with Vinegar
During the first wash, add a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle. Vinegar acts as a natural fabric softener and helps to break down the residues that cause shedding. Additionally, it can help set the colors in new towels, reducing the chances of bleeding.
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.
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.
“Generally, we recommend washing them at between 30-60°C. Always wash them with similar colours.” Chrissy Rucker, OBE, founder of The White Company notes that although you should check the label, “standard everyday wash temperature for cotton towels will usually be at 40c.”
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.
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.
Don't Overfill the Washer
Too many towels washed at once won't get clean, but too few means greater agitation for quicker wear and tear. Most front-loading washing machines can fit seven standard-size bath towels; top-loading washers can fit around nine or ten.
What is the best detergent to wash towels? Heritage Park All-Purpose Laundry Detergent is a great choice for washing towels. It is a pH-neutral, plant-based, detergent that uses a proprietary enzyme blend to remove dirt, stains and odors without damaging fabric.
Freezing new towels is an effective way to stop them from shedding. Put the towel in a plastic bag and freeze it for 24 hours, then wash it as normal. 2 Do not use fabric softener with new towels, as this will make them shed even more!
An initial wash also helps remove lint left over from the weaving process. For the first wash, add half a cup of white vinegar to the wash water, along with about half the recommended amount of laundry detergent. The vinegar will help set the colors and remove any residue on the towels.
Using vinegar in laundry is simple. You can add it to the fabric softener dispenser in your washing machine or pour it in during the final rinse cycle.
Incorporating natural additives such as vinegar or baking soda during the wash cycle can further enhance softness. Advanced drying methods, utilizing commercial-grade dryers with precise drying cycles, play a crucial role in preserving the towels' plush texture.
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.
Step 1: Wash your new towel or towel set in warm to hot water -- not scalding -- on a regular wash cycle with one cup of white distilled vinegar. DO NOT USE DETERGENT, only white vinegar. Step 2: Run the load a second time using only a half-cup of baking soda. AGAIN, DO NOT USE DETERGENT, only baking soda.
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.
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.
Washing detergent and fabric conditioner can clog up the fibres in your towel, reducing the softness. The best way to wash towels to keep them soft is to machine wash at 30° - 40°, use a quality detergent sparingly and don't use fabric conditioner. Tumble dry with wool dryer balls or air dry.