How to Care for Your Towels, the Right Way

For the longest time, I didn't put much thought into how I cleaned or cared for my towels. I thought to myself “They're just towels, right?". After many scratchy loads of laundry or nonabsorbent “pointless” towels, I knew I had to be missing something. As it turns out, there are a few main things to consider before throwing your towels in a wash.

What to Consider Before Washing Your Towels

Many of us throw our towels in the wash when our laundry is overloading, add some detergent and press start. As it turns out, it's a bit more complicated than that. In order to provide the best information, I read over what some of the best laundry and cleaning experts had to say! From washing to drying to keeping your towels fluffy and absorbent, we learned the best tips and tricks to keep your towels looking fresh and new for years to come.

Washing Your Towels the First Time

As you may or may not know, when purchasing new towels, most come coated with silicone or other finishes that block their absorbency. This coating gives them that extra fuzzy look and in-store feel. It's important to remove the coating before use, to avoid exposure to chemicals and nonabsorbent towels. Washing your towels before their first use will also help to open up their fibres says Garnet Hill from a home textile company, “if the fibres aren't open, they won't be as absorbent".

How to Remove Silicone Coating

In any case, it is essential to read the tags on your towels in order to wash them according to their needs. "If the labels stresses that you should separate your dark colours from your light colours, you better do that" Garnet Hill's experts. "And each towel could differ depending on the fibres".

TIP: In order to avoid lint, wash your clothes and towels separately, cleaning your lint trap between loads.

To remove the silicone coating, wash your new towels separately from the rest. Wash your dark towels in warm water to preserve their colour, or hot warm for white for lighter towels in order to keep their brightness. Wash your towels with 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/2 your regular amount of detergent. Once your cycle has completed, move your towels to your dryer on medium-high heat. It is crucial to remove your towels from the dryer as soon as the cycle completes in order to avoid wrinkles. Give your towels a shake before folding them. Ensure that your towels are 100% dry BEFORE putting them away.

The Importance of Separating Your Lights and Darks

In addition to most often having different fibre types, lights and darks are required to be washed at different temperatures.

What Happens When You Mix Whites and Colours

Have you ever wondered what happens when you mix your lights and your darks together? It's comparable to the time you accidentally turned all of your mothers' favourite white blouses pink from a red sock. When mixing in darker colours, your white towels will lose their crisp brightness and turn to a more dull or off-white. In some cases, your whites may take on the colour of the towels they were washed with. Typically, darker or more vibrant coloured towels will leak a bit of their colouring in their first few washes. In order to preserve your towels' original colours, I suggest keeping them separate.

How to Wash Light VS Dark Towels

White or light-coloured towels require being washed at a hot temperature in order to retain their brightness. It is ideal to wash your whites and lights on a delicate to clean your towels and remove dirt and bacteria from the fabric's fibres. Do your whites need a little extra brightening? Try adding half of your regular amount of detergent and 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar to your wash during the rinse cycle!

Dark-coloured towels call for a cool-warm wash to preserve their colour and get rid of bacteria-says Maria Mooney, a cleaning expert and brand director of Truly Free. Additionally, you can add a colour-safe bleach, like Truly Free's 100% Chlorine Free & Colour-Safe Oxyboost to remove stains without damaging your towels.

​Gentle Cycle	Regular Cycle
​- Removes dirt and bacteria fabric fibres	- Cleans towels of dirt
​- Preserves colour	- Faster spin cycle, longer cycle length

How Often to Wash Your Towels

Typically, you are best off washing your towels every 2-3 uses to avoid bacteria buildup. Be sure to be hanging up your towels in a dry, well-aerated area and ensure they dry between uses.

Less is More

When it comes to detergents and fabric softeners, less is more. When using fabric softener, be sure to alternate usage of one cycle with and the next without. Over time, the use of liquid fabric softeners can cause a wax-like build-up on your towels. This will decrease their absorption and lose their fluffiness. Adding too much laundry detergent can result similarly, causing your towels to become stiff, especially when overfilling your washing machine.

I know we're all guilty of over-stuffing the washing machine just to have our laundry completed. Been there, done that. Unfortunately, overloading your washing machine will only result in improperly washed towels. My rule of thumb is 7-10 body towels per load. Top-loading washing machines fit more in comparison to front-loading. Take into consideration the size of your laundry machine when filling.

Do Your Towels Have a Smell? Here's an Easy Recipe to Remove the Smell

Our towels can grow an odour should they be left wet and unable to dry between uses, or if forgotten in the washing machine. That happens!

Here's a quick DIY for the next time your towels or sheets have a smell. Run your towels through their normal cycle and add 1/2 cup of vinegar during the rinse cycle. And that's it! For extra strong odours, try adding 1/2 cup of baking soda instead on the second cycle.

How to Store Towels

Storing your towels can be easy and stress-free. Once your towels are completely dry, you're ready to put them away into your linen closet. We recommend you fold them in half lengthwise, then fold down one-third from the top. Continue folding that portion until the bottom third forms a rectangle. Then, put them away into your linen closet or storage to prevent moisture buildup.

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