How to Clean and Care For Your Bath Towels
Fluffy, plush towels are the ultimate indulgence in your bathroom routine. There’s nothing quite like wrapping yourself in a haven of style and comfort when you step out of the shower or bath with a clean, soft towel. Once you have purchased quality bath towels and matching bath mats,you will want to extend their lifespan and keep them as pristine and fluffy as possible.
Our worst nightmare is watching our favourite delicate towels turn rough within a few cycles in the washing machine. Is your initial reaction to wash them less? Don’t compromise between hygiene and comfort. Factors such as what temperature you should be washing your bath towels at and how you store them are huge factors when it comes to how snug they feel over time.
Here at DUSK, we have collected all our expert knowledge and secrets so you can keep your towels feeling fluffy, soft and clean for longer.
Should I Wash New Towels?
In short, yes. Brand new luxury towels that have been freshly made can often include bits of fluff and lint from the manufacturing process. The majority of new bath towels are coated with silicone or other finishes to block absorbency when being transported from the warehouse; this can leave them looking much flatter than they really are.
Washing your towels before use will ensure full, bouncy, lint-free and fresh towels ready for use and display in your bathroom. Check out the section below on how to wash towels and the tricks you need to know.
For the first few washes, it is best to wash coloured towels in warm water separately from anything else as this will set the colour and make your towels soft, fluffy and ready to use.
How Often Should You Wash Your Towels?
Get into the habit of washing your bath sheets and towels after every three to five uses because dirty towels can spread bacteria. Overusing a dirty towel can result in the spread of infections and irritate your skin, so remember to wash your towels!
It’s not the end of the world if you sometimes go a few more days without washing your luxury towels between uses, but your skin will be healthier the more often they are washed. It will help keep your delicate towels clean, soft and super absorbent.
Factors That Warrant More Frequent Washing
There are many circumstances to consider when figuring out how often you should wash your bath towels. In some cases, you will need to wash your towels more frequently than twice a week in order to keep them feeling fresh::
- Gym towels that often stay damp in a gym bag a few hours after use.
- Towels that remain in a bathroom without good ventilation, meaning they won’t fully dry out after use.
- It is recommended that if you have eczema or sensitive skin, you should wash your towels more often to prevent further irritation.
How Long Should You Expect Towels to Last?
Even with the best care and selecting the highest-quality towels, they won’t last forever. The team at DUSK recommends that regularly used towels should be replaced after one to three years. Cheaper towels may unravel much more quickly, plus using too much hot water can start to break down the fabric fibres faster. This can result in you needing new bath towels sooner.
How Should You Wash and Deep Clean Towels?
Washing bath towels, hand towels and face cloths may seem simple, but it’s essential to read the label and follow the right techniques if you want to keep them feeling as heavenly as they did when you first got them. You can get towels clean simply by tossing them in the washing machine, but these helpful tips will keep your towels feeling and looking plush.
Important tip: wash towels with towels only! Throwing in your clothes, bedding, and towels together will not only overload your washing machine but your towels will not come out as fresh and clean. Delicate fibres could be damaged and tangled with smaller items within the machine, which can prevent them from being properly washed.
Always separate your colours. Before washing your towels you should separate the lights and darks into their own loads, ensuring you’re never washing white towels with colours. The lighter coloured, super absorbent towels, can pick up the dye from darker colours when in the washing machine together, leaving your fluffy white towels discoloured.
Finally, go easy on the detergent as towels can collect extra residue and will become rough over time. It’s wise to use half the suggested amount of detergent to establish the best results so your towels can retain their fluffiness. We recommend that it’s best to avoid bleach at all cost as this can discolour and stain your bath towels.
What temperature should bath towels be washed at?
For long-lasting comfort, luxury towels should be washed on the recommended settings which can be found on the care label. Hot water will help to brighten the white and lighter coloured towels, resulting in a cleaner, softer towel. Darker colours should be washed on a lower cycle to help preserve their colours, whilst also killing any bacteria.
How Should You Dry Towels?
When you first get your bath and hand towels out of the washing machine, we recommend you shake them before drying. This removes any excess water, shortening the drying time, and helps to keep towels indulgently fluffy.
You can use either a dryer or you can air-dry your towels; the preferred option to keep their soft touch is to air-dry. If you choose to air-dry your towels, lay them flat on a drying rack or outside on the line. This may leave them feeling a little stiff at first but make sure to give them a shake to fluff them back up.
To maximise fluffiness, when opting for a tumble dryer, try not to over dry as this can damage delicate fibres. You will want to remove them straight after the cycle is finished to prevent them from getting damp and causing damage.
Remember to Wash Your Bath Mats Too
Just like bath towels, bath mats will collect dirt and bacteria over time. You should always keep your bath mats as dry as possible and stored away whilst not using them to avoid any bacteria. How often they are used will determine how frequently they need to be washed.
If your household consists of one or two people, we recommend washing your bath mat every two weeks. However, if you are in a larger household of three or more people, you should be washing and letting your bath mats fully dry at least once a week. This will ensure that your bath mats remain supremely soft under your feet.
What Is the Best Way to Store Towels?
When storing towels, we recommend folding them once they are clean and fully dry in a linen closet, bathroom rack or a drawer. It’s important that the towels are completely dry to ensure they don’t create a misty odour or form mildew and dampness in your storage spaces.
What Is the Best Way to Fold Towels to Save Space?
For the simple hotel touch and the best use of shelf space, fold your bath and hand towels in thirds. Simply fold your towel in half with the open ends to the left, then fold again. You will then want to fold up the bottom third of the towel and then fold the top third down. Place the towel on your bathroom shelf so it is ready and easy to grab!
On the other hand, if you are opting to create a tranquil spa-like sanctuary in your bathroom, try out the rolling method. Lay the towel on a flat surface, fold one corner diagonally towards the centre so the short sides line up with the long side of the towel. You will then want to fold your bath towel in half lengthwise and flip the towel over. Finally, tightly roll up the towel and tuck the point into the roll to keep the towel secure.
DUSK Secrets to Fresh, Soft, Fluffy Towels and Bathmats
If you want to keep that hotel-like feel forever and maintain a soft snugness to your towels and bath mats, remember to follow these three important tips...
- Skip or limit the amount of fabric softener you use in every other wash. This will help to avoid waxy build-up on towels, which can result in a reduction of absorbency and fluffiness.
- Remember, do not iron your towels! Heat can not only damage but flatten the fabric fibres, causing your towels and bath mats to be less plush.
- Make sure you wash your towels once to twice a week, because clean towels equal fluffy towels!
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