Over the years, white towels have become symbolic of luxury and wealth. In other cases, white towels have been known nationally as the towel for hotel stays. Most white towels are incredibly comfortable to use and to touch. Fortunately, nowadays, white towels are readily accessible. Finding and purchasing might be the least of your worries. Maintaining and cleaning serves to be a fairly difficult ordeal because we want to keep that dazzling white color but don’t want to risk damaging the fabric. Furthermore, towels are now made from different materials – cotton, polyester, but terry cloth serves to be the best towel material. Nevertheless, here are a few tips to cleaning your white terry cloth towels and keeping them clean.
Wash Before First Use
After purchasing a new towel, we can often be so excited we forget to do a few things. Before use, it is recommended that you wash the towel. Most towels are coated in a special fabric softener that gives it that fluffy feel we love so much. Unfortunately, the special coating also works to prevent water absorption, therefore, it is not going to do much use after your shower. By washing the towel before use, you are removing the coating helping the towel to now absorb the water that it will be coming into contact with.
Washing Regularly
A better tip to towel maintenance is not simply knowing how to wash, but moreover, when to wash. While people tend to subscribe to the notion of “wash when you need it”, this ideology isn’t helpful to maintaining your towels. It is recommended to wash your towels every three to four days. After use, leave towels to dry and then place in hamper. Avoid leaving wet towels around for laundry day. Get in the habit of washing your towels weekly and you can best ensure that you have clean fresh towels when you need them.
Machine Wash Warm with Like Colors
Like your clothes, your towels should be washed with like colors. Keep your whites together to reduce discoloration through washes. Washing white towels in hot water also helps to create a deeper clean.
Although, terry-cloth is the best towel material due to its tensile strength and most adapted to home life compared to cotton and polyester, it is still prone to unravelling. Detergent is considerably harsh, and can work to destroy your towels. Consider using less detergent. Some people encourage using at least half of the recommended amount to wash. Another aspect to consider should be using a detergent alternative. Some users even encourage using baking soda as an alternative to popular detergents. Before choosing this alternative, it might be best to research and ensure the process works.
Finally, avoid using use fabric softener or rather use it sparingly. As specified earlier, fabric softener leaves a film across the fabric preventing it from absorbing water. The function of a towel is to absorb water making this process counter-intuitive, therefore it would best to avoid using it altogether. Instead, some people encourage the use of vinegar, which we will discuss later.
Separate Loads
It is also a great tip to wash your towels in their own separate load. This is a great idea, mainly for sanitary reasons. You don’t want the items used in bathing to be washed with your day-clothes. Additionally, you can wash all your towels in the appropriate setting for them by washing them separately. Also, when drying, towels take a lot longer to dry than clothes do. Separating these loads allows the appropriate heat and duration for the terry cloth to wash and dry, resulting in clean towels.
Add Vinegar
Another helpful tip, would be to add vinegar to your wash. The vinegar helps to set the colors and provides an extra cleaning power to your loads. Vinegar also softens the terry-cloth fabric. It is recommended to use ¼ to ½ a cup of Traditional White Vinegar in your wash. If the scent of vinegar could be a problem, try using scented vinegar.
Only Use Non-Chlorine Bleach as Needed
Innately, to keep materials white, we often use bleach. In terms of laundry protocol, it has been ingrained in the process. However, bleach can be incredibly harmful to your towels. Hence, it is recommended to use non-chlorine bleach and only as needed.
If the idea of bleach continues to be troublesome, there are bleach alternatives which might ease your fears. Be sure to research these alternatives, to ensure that they are beneficial for your towels.
Remove from Wash Promptly
To avoid mildewing, remove your white towels from the wash as soon as the cycle has ended and place them in the dryer. Shortening the time for mildew to appear will greatly encourage the longevity of your bath towel.
Shake Before Drying
Some people even recommend shaking your terry-cloth towels before placing them in the dryer. Shaking the towel helps to re-fluff the loops and prevent it from balling up in the dryer. Most other towels don’t have the ability to be restored, suggesting terry-cloth is best towel material.
Tumble Dry on High Heat
Note that slightly damp towels can create mildew. Ensure your towels are dry before use. Tumble drying your towels on the highest heat will help to ensure that your towels are dry, however, high heat can also aid in the deterioration of your towels so be careful not to overdry your towels.
Engaging these tips can help ensure maintaining the structure, color and fluffiness of the towels you love the most. Keeping new white towels, clean and fluffy continues to be a struggle for most consumers. Hopefully, these tips provide you with new information on how to ensure the longevity of the material. There are multiple providers of towels in the nation, but, you will want a company that boasts an incredible reputation in service and products. Before purchasing, it would be best to read the manufacturer’s instructions. These instructions will provide you with the best information for cleaning your new towel, what you can and can’t do with the appropriate temperatures for the material.
