How to Care for Your Bath Towels

Properly washing your towels is essential to making sure they last longer, stay vibrant and maximize absorbency.  If you’ve just purchased your towels, here are a few tips to make sure you maximize your usage out of them.

• Wash your towels right after you purchase them. This will ensure that the fibers open up and are optimal for absorbing water.
• Wash towels separately from clothes. Wash white towels separately from colored towels. This ensures that your coloured towels and white towels maintain their colours.
• Don’t wash your towels excessively; many bath towels can be used 3 – 4 times before needing to be washing under normal circumstances. (however, if your baby has soiled a towel – make sure to wash it before using it again!) In between washes, make sure your towel has been left out to air dry without being scrunched up so no moisture pockets exist which can cause bacteria buildup. 
• Too much laundry detergent can cause your towels to be crunchy and limit their ability to absorb wetness. Try using half of the suggested amount of laundry detergent for best results.
• Do not overload your washer when washing your towels. Over crowding will limit the ability of your washer to clean your towels properly.
• Wash and dry your cotton towels at medium heat to preserve the towel’s fibers and to eliminate bacteria. Exposing cotton to too much heat can flatten it out which prevents it from being soft.
• Instead of using fabric softener which coats a towel's exterior and reduces absorbency, use white vinegar. Pour a ¼ cup of white vinegar into the fabric softener compartment to soften your towels and kill bacteria buildup.
• Always ensure towels are completely dry once removed from the dryer. Give your towels a good shake when removing them from the washer so they can tumble dry freely without clumping up and creating pockets of moisture. Only fill up your dryer half way with towels when drying.
• If your towels are musty or just need to be refreshed, try washing them with just ½ cup of baking soda (don’t add soap).

Ta-da! Follow these steps for softer, fresh-smelling towels that last longer.