Keep your towels soft like hotel luxury with these 3 expert tips
Do you want your new towels to last for years, maintaining their soft and fluffy quality? Follow these three essential tips to achieve a "hotel-like" effect and preserve the softness of your towels through multiple washes.
A towel is an essential item for personal hygiene. It is used to dry the body after a bath or shower. Daily, towels absorb water and collect dead skin cells, becoming a breeding ground for bacteria. It's recommended that they be washed every three days to maintain cleanliness. However, frequent washing can compromise their softness.
After several washes, towels may become rough and lose their pleasant touch. But how can you wash towels so they remain soft and fluffy? By adhering to three straightforward rules, you can ensure your towels stay soft for an extended period.
Effective Towel Washing Tips
"Freshly washed towels contain 190,000 bacteria, which can increase to 17 million after just one use," according to express.co.uk. Many of these bacteria can transfer to the skin, potentially causing serious skin conditions like fungal infections or bacterial folliculitis.
So, how can you effectively wash towels to eliminate bacteria? Use the hottest water setting, at least 140°F. Standard laundry detergents might not kill all bacteria, so consider using a special antibacterial solution available in most drugstores. This ensures your towels are clean and hygienic, but it may affect their softness over time.
Maintaining Towel Softness After Washing
If you're after that luxurious, clean, fragrant, and soft towel experience found in hotels, take note of the advice from Allen Civlak, the laundry expert and CEO of Mary's Kitchen Flour Sack Towels.
For soft and fluffy towels:
- Wash towels at the highest temperature possible. When using a tumble dryer, opting for a medium temperature helps protect the cotton's softness.
- Treat towels with 0.5 gallons of hot vinegar once a month to eliminate bacteria and restore the fabric's softness. Follow this with a regular wash cycle in the machine.
- Minimize detergent usage. Powder detergents can leave residues that harden towels and reduce absorbency. Liquid detergents are a better option.
- Steer clear of fabric softeners as they can "coat the fabric," leading to rough and stiff towels. Instead, use white vinegar mixed with a few drops of your favorite essential oil as a natural softener. The vinegar smell will vanish after drying. Add this mixture to the fabric softener compartment in your washing machine.
Source: Express.co.uk.
