How to care for towels
You use towels every day of your life, from wash cloths, hand towels, to bath towels, so with so much use, it makes sense to try and take good care of your towels. You will want to keep them in good repair. The following are some suggestions for how to care for hand towels, bath towels, and wash cloths:
1. With washcloths, the rule of thumb is to wash them after each use. So, you will probably want to have a good supply of these if you are slow to get to your laundry.
2. Hand towels should be washed every day or two, if you use them frequently. For example, the hand towels in your master bath should be washed every couple of days. However, the ones in your guest bathroom only need to be washed if they are used.
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3. Bath towels and bath mats are used frequently, but should be washed every three to four days, and should be washed following these instructions:
a. Keep your whites white by using an oxygen bleach rather than a chlorine bleach. Oxygen bleaches are easier and the fibers in your bath towels.
b. Keep stains away with an oxygen bleach as well. Chlorine bleach, while good at getting stains out, is very hard on the towel fibers, and can also linger and be damaging to your skin.
c. You do not want to use a fabric softener. You may like your towels light and fluffy, however, a fabric softener will make them less absorbent. So, skip it. A dryer sheet often has the same effect, so wash all of your towels in the same load, and skip the dryer sheet when drying.
d. Before putting anything laundered in the dryer, including towels, you will want to check to make sure that there are no stains. The heat from the dryer will set the stain and make it pretty much impossible to get out. So, if there is a stain, set aside for treatment, and re-launder before drying.
e. You will want to utilize your dryer setting and be sure to dry your towels on medium, rather than high heat. You will also want to remove them slightly damp, and allow them to hang dry the rest of the way. Over heating linens, including your towels, weakens the fibers. So, if you want your towels to last, and stay nice, don't dry them all of the way in the dryer, and do not over-dry them.
f. Do not iron terry cloth towels. If you press down the loops, the towel will be far less absorbent. So, only iron flat woven linens, or cotton guest towels, and even then, do it while they are still slightly damp.
If you can follow these guidelines, you will have much nicer towels-no matter what kind of towel it is. So, do not forget to refer to this if you forget, and be sure to wash your items as frequently as necessary. While washing can add to the wearing of towels, using towels that are not as clean as they should be can cause irritation to the skin. It means your hands will not stay clean, even if you have just washed them, and you may even get things like zits etc. from using towels that should have been laundered. So, put your towels on a rotation, and rotate out so you can wash your towels. If you have a pool, or go to the beach, do not use the same towels you use in your bathroom. These activities are hard on towels, and you should have large pool towels specifically for such activities.
