Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle. A sanitizing cycle can also be used, but may not be recommended for every wash, depending on the towel fabric.
The best setting to wash towels on is typically the ``hot'' water setting with a heavy-duty or regular cycle, using a good quality detergent.
Towels and bathrobes should be washed frequently using a warm gentle wash cycle at 40 degrees. Be careful not to overload, and separate light colours from dark ones. To protect the terry fibres and for superior colour retention, use a gentle eucalyptus-based washing detergent. Avoid bleach and peroxide.
Heavily soiled clothing such as towels or bedding should be washed in warm or hot temperatures, but delicate fabrics such as lingerie wash better in lower temperatures.
“We recommend washing your towels in cold water—we promise it kills just as much bacteria as the hot water,” she says. If you do choose to wash your towels in hot water, Richardson says that cotton is probably the only type of fabric that can withstand the high levels of heat.
'Regular' or 'cotton' cycles use high levels of agitation for a thorough clean, and are the best choice for most cotton, linen and polyester bedding. Finer fabrics like silk, satin or bamboo tend to do better in a delicate cycle at a lower temperature.
If your towels have specific laundry instructions, you should always follow these. Most towels, particularly dark-coloured towels, can be washed on a warm wash, around 40 degrees maximum. This is warm enough to clean the towel but gentle enough to keep the colour from fading.
This cycle is similar to bulky, however, heavy duty is better for dirtier and thicker garments like work clothes, coats, towels, and even bedding. We recommend using the heavy duty wash cycle to wash: Towels.
As Meredith Carothers, M.P.H., a technical information specialist for the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service, advises, "To eliminate bacteria, kitchen towels should be washed frequently in the hot cycle of the washing machine." The hot water will help kill any bacteria that has accumulated.
Heavy Duty: For sturdy, colourfast fabrics and heavily soiled garments. Normal: The default cycle. It is best for items such as cottons, bed linens, table linens, underwear, towels, or shirts. The washing time and the number of rinses are automatically adjusted according to the load.
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.
Towels/Sheets-periods of agitation and soak with regular wash and a high speed spin. Jeans-gentle wash and a high speed spin. Hand Wash-normal wash and an extra low spin speed. Delicates-extra gentle wash and a low speed spin.
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.
Washing Machine Cycle - Your luxury towels can be washed on the regular or normal cycle in your washing machine. These cycles work best for cleaning towels, as the faster spin and longer washing time versus the gentler cycles helps to better clean dirt and bacteria from the fabric fibers of the towels.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The delicate program in a washing machine is a specialised cycle designed for sensitive fabrics that require extra care. It operates with low agitation and low spin speeds, minimising the wear and tear on fragile materials.
Wash the sheets on a gentle cycle using cool or lukewarm water. Washing sheets in hot water is usually unnecessary unless you need to sanitize the sheets due to allergies or after an illness.