A new towel feels thick and soft. Six months later the same towel can feel stiff and leave your skin damp. Usually it comes down to washing and drying, and most of it can be turned around with a few simple habits.
Why towels turn stiff
Terry is made of small loops of cotton yarn that soak up water. When the loops fill with residue from detergent, fabric softener or scent beads, water has a harder time getting in. The towel then feels hard and dries you less well. Cleveland Clinic points out that residue from fabric softeners, stain removers and scent beads builds up in the towel and can make it more hospitable to germs.
Skip the fabric softener
Fabric softener leaves a thin film on the fibres. On clothes it feels like softness, on towels it makes the terry absorb less water. So leave the softener in the cupboard when you wash your towels. If you want something in the rinse compartment, a splash of white vinegar is often mentioned as an alternative. Go easy on the detergent too. Modern detergents are concentrated, and more of it rarely means cleaner laundry, only more residue.
Wash towels on their own
Towels do best in a load of their own. That way they avoid lint and colour from other laundry, and you can choose the programme and temperature for the terry. Give the drum some room as well. An overfilled machine rinses less well, and the rinse is what keeps the loops free.
Dry with air and movement
How a towel dries matters as much as how it is washed. Hang it spread out on a bar so it dries completely between uses. A towel bunched up on a hook stays damp for a long time. Avoid drying on the radiator, since harsh heat easily makes terry rough. If you have a tumble dryer, a towel programme keeps them airy. Give the towel a shake before you hang it, so the loops stand up.
One towel per person
According to Cleveland Clinic, bath towels should be washed at least once a week, and more often in a humid bathroom or when someone is ill. Children should have their own towels. It gets easier when you can see whose towel is whose. Our towels have labels in four colours, so everyone in the household can tell theirs apart. They weigh 550 g/m², are sewn in Portugal from 100% cotton and designed in Gothenburg.
A good place to start is a white base stack: white towels Pearl White. White goes with almost everything and is easy to add to.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make stiff towels soft again?
Wash them without fabric softener and with less detergent, so the residue in the fibres rinses out. Hang them spread out or tumble dry them, and shake them before they dry.
How often should you wash towels?
Cleveland Clinic recommends washing bath towels at least once a week and washcloths at least twice a week. In a humid bathroom or during illness, more often.
What does g/m² mean on a towel?
G/m² tells you how much the terry weighs per square metre. A higher number means denser, thicker terry. Our towels weigh 550 g/m².
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