There is no secret to keeping bath towels soft and absorbent. Avoid torturing your body with an old stiff and scratchy towel; there are some things that we need to observe first. Try to imagine what life is like being a bath towel! All that wear and tear with tugging friction, harsh exposure to hard water full of crystallizing minerals, continually swirling in powerful jet wash and tumbling in extremely hot, dry cycles is rough. Plus, all that oil, soil, and residual dead skins will eventually turn any soft, plush, and fluffy bath towel into a stiff and scratchy rag over time.
Make the right purchase right from the start
Take your time to pick out a good bath towel. Make a general study of the types of towels available concerning price as well. Note the manufacturing process since the durability depends on the stitches and hems. Is it a double stitched hem towel made with durable fabric materials? There are other important yet not so apparent features that go into the making of a good bath towel. Did you know that the little known twisted cotton loops purposefully designed in the lay-out per square inch of a towel actually do their part to brush off water droplets immediately upon body contact, thereby hastening the drying process with a swipe action prior to absorbing water from the body? Various factors, including the material, number of loops, and manufacturing techniques, determine the absorbency of a well-made towel, which translates into the ultimate quality as perceived by the end-user.
What makes a bath towel?
Towels are generally made from cotton, weaved with long twisted loop fluffy piles with the density of material measured in grams per square meter (GSM). Lightweight towels are categorized around 350GSM. These will definitely dry fast, while a thicker, more absorbent, and plush towel is between 600-900 GSM. However, such thicker, fluffier, and more absorbent thick towels take longer to dry. The trade-off depends on whether it is a towel for general daily home use, regular gym routines, or perhaps the occasional swimming pool or beach use — the material, weight, size, and thickness matter in the selection process. The frequency of daily usage is essential as the towel needs to dry fast between the times it is used. So, to make your towels stay fluffy and absorbent, you need to make sure that you purchase one with the right pre-requisite quality to start with. You could perhaps select combed cotton, which has excellent softness and absorbency in the range 500-700 GSM for that Goldilocks touch!
Keeping it right with proper care and maintenance
It is common for oils, grime, and chemicals to harden and permeate into the fabric, making it rough and challenging to clean. Sometimes, it is the water supply that plays havoc with detergents and softeners, especially with “hard” water being full of minerals. Wash your towels regularly with warm water around 40º cycle to dissolve the washing detergent better to dislodge dirt particles effectively. Avoid overloading the laundry wash to allow for greater water washing action on the fabric. Do not stuff 20kg of laundry, clothes, and other stuff into a washing machine that is designed to handle 15kg only. It not only kills the washing machine motor rather quickly but will undoubtedly result in a load of laundry not getting a thoroughly clean wash. Do not use too much detergent or fabric softener as they congeal on the fabric if not rinsed out properly. These residual ingredients make the towels stiff and scratchy over a prolonged time. Some folks recommend ditching softener all together and using vinegar and baking soda instead to restore towels to the original texture. However, with our modern living lifestyles, replacing softener with the good old-fashioned method of using vinegar and baking soda, may complicate things at the end of the laundry day, and end up being a hassle and not a good idea after all.
After the wash cycle comes to the drying process, usually via a tumble dry cycle of forced heated air, the best way is to follow the recommended wash & dry instructions on the label affixed on the towel as recommended by the manufacturer. Carefully observe all recommended guidelines so as not to damage fabric with excessively hot water or very high drying temperature cycles. If the weather permits or instead outdoor facilities are available, air dry by merely hanging on the clothesline outdoors to catch a healthy dose of ultraviolet light for disinfecting and to enable natural sunlight to remove odors. It is known that excessive detergent residual in the fabric after a wash with inadequate water rinsing will foster mold and bacterial growth if the towel or fabric article is left damp for a certain amount of time. The downside to drying out in natural sunlight is that it has a bleaching effect that will fade the color of your favorite and familiar towel. To keep it fresh, you can try steaming the towel too; this saves time and cost. Generally, storing the towels with other heavy fabric or clothes stack on top, will compress and flatten your soft and fluffy towel. After using your towel, leave them fully spread out to dry. Never heap your towel in a corner or onto the floor, as the dampness will allow mildew to thrive, resulting in contamination with musty odors. Practice good hygiene by changing towels regularly to avoid contamination by keeping bacteria levels as low as possible.
We deserve soft and fresh bath towels every day
Ever wondered why we seem to have good feelings and memories of that exciting holiday away from home? This especially applies to that comfy hotel room with clean, fresh towels instead of the other less desirable destination of a rather dingy room with smelly bath towels. We deserve clean, soft, and fresh towels in our everyday lives in our own homes. We do need to restore and maintain the texture of our bath towel if we wish to preserve the supple feel of our lovely skin on our bodies. We can make our bath towels as good as new if we put effort and care into maintaining the fabric of our daily lives.
