Towel Buying Guide - The Complete Guide on How to Buy Bath Towels

The Complete Guide on How to Buy Bath Towels

You may already have an assortment of beautiful towels in your closet, but if you're still drying yourself with the towels from the trousseau you used to live with 20 years ago, it's time to look for a new collection. By the way, don't throw the old one away, because you can still do everything with it!

How many towels do you need?

Opinions on the ideal number of towels per household member vary, but the consensus seems to be that you need at least three sets of three sizes per person. One set consists of a guest towel, a hand towel and a bath towel or beach towel (but just what you find most comfortable). There is then a clean set in the linen closet, one set you use in the bathroom and one set is in the laundry. 

What sizes are there?

Globally, there are four different types of towels:

• guest towels
• towels
• beach towels
• beach towels

You use guest towels in the toilet to dry your hands after washing and in the bathroom to dry your face, for example, after you shave or take off your make-up. 

You use standard towels to dry your body after showering and you can also wrap your hair in these if you feel comfortable after showering. 

You can also use bath towels to dry yourself and wrap them around your waist. 

Beach towels are very large to dry you off with, but you can wrap them around your body (under your armpits). In addition, you can of course take them to the beach!

Bath Towels - What should you pay attention to?

Buying good towels is quite difficult. Unfortunately, you can't rely on the softness of the towels when you shop in the store, as manufacturers add artificial softeners to the fabric so that they always feel velvety soft while on the shelves. The question is whether they will still have that softness after a few washes. You can't really judge the price either, although super cheap towels will rarely be of acceptable quality. In any case, pay attention to the following:

• The weight of the substance, expressed in grams per m2. Above 550 grams/m2, you are dealing with a medium-weight fabric. Above 650 grams/m2, it is about hotel quality. Egyptian cotton is the gold standard, but pima cotton is also generally of good quality. If the towels are made of this, this will undoubtedly be indicated. 
• Check the label to see if the towel is made of 100% combed cotton, because that stays soft for a long time. With combed cotton, the shorter threads have been removed, so that the towel remains strong and you do not get fluff.
• Look closely at the density of the loops in the fabric. The higher the density, the more water the towel will be able to absorb.
• Look at the hem: this should at least be a double hem. The bottom of the fabric is folded twice and then stitched. The stitching should also be double as that makes the seam much stronger. 
• Unfold the towel in the store and hold it up with both hands. This way you can properly assess the weight of the towel and you get a better idea of ​​the quality.

Maintain your towels

Towels are expensive. Whether you buy them at Hema or pay extra for hotel-quality Egyptian cotton, chances are you have a few hundred euros worth of towels in the closet. How do you keep your towels nice, soft and fluffy for as long as possible ?

How often should you wash them?

One of the most important ways you can make your towels last longer and look good is not to wash them too often. Every time you wash them, they will still lose some color (or gray, if you have white towels) and the fibers will weaken. Guest towels must be replaced every other day. Towels, bath towels and beach towels can be used up to three times. Hang them out on a towel bar or towel rack in between so that they dry well. 

To wash

One of the main reasons that your towels seem to turn into sandpaper over time and no longer smell nice and fresh is that soap scum builds up in the fabric. You can prevent and even undo this by washing them properly.

 

• Do not put too many towels in the washing machine. Nowadays we often feel guilty if the drum is not packed, because washing costs water and energy. But keep in mind that towels are very heavy, especially if they have become engorged with water. A drum full of towels is therefore very taxing on your washing machine. In addition, the soapy water cannot be rinsed out properly if your washing machine is completely crammed. You will end up with stiff, flat towels and that is not good for the fabric in the long run, so you will have to replace both your washing machine and your towels sooner.
• Do not use too much detergent (especially a pitfall if you use liquid detergent). It is best to use even slightly (about 30%) less than stated on the packaging by the manufacturer. Your towels will be clean anyway, so you can be sure that your washing machine is able to rinse out all the soap well.
• Wash warm enough - preferably at 40 degrees. Another thing to feel guilty about, I know. But detergent does not dissolve well if you wash too cold and then remains in the fabric. Also, washing warm enough will extend the life of your towels and thus save the environment. If your washing machine allows it, you can also choose to start the wash cycle with an empty drum and only put the towels in after the detergent has already dissolved in the water.
• Also, don't wash too hot , because heat damages the fibres. Only if you are sick or if the towel has come into contact with germs in some other way, you can wash them at 60 degrees.
• Do not use fabric softener . Fabric softener puts a layer of silicone around the cotton fibers and that has two disadvantages: firstly, your towels absorb less water so that your skin stays wet when you dry yourself; secondly, the detergent cannot penetrate well into the fibers during washing, so that your towels are not properly cleaned.
• Wash your towels with vinegar once every two months . Fill the compartment intended for fabric softener to the max line with cleaning vinegar or natural vinegar. The washer then adds it to the water during the final rinse. Vinegar helps to break down soap scum and you will see that your towels have never been so soft. The vinegar smell disappears completely.
• Another household trick: occasionally add half a cup of baking soda to the detergent. Baking soda, like vinegar, will help break down soap scum, and it will also help if your towels have started to smell musty.

To dry

If you have a dryer, chances are you always use it to dry your towels. After all, they take a very long time to dry if you hang them on a line and you may have also heard that the dryer makes your towels soft and full. That's true, but it's a bit of a catch-22 : the dryer does indeed add air between the fibers to fill your towels, but the heat and mechanical stress also damage the fabric in the long run. There is unfortunately no perfect solution, but these are two acceptable possibilities:

• Dry most of your towels on a line and only throw them in the dryer at the end. Again, be careful not to overcrowd the drum.
• Dry your towels completely on a line and shake them manually after drying. Of course, they never become as soft as with option 1.

Make sure your towels are completely dry before putting them in the closet, otherwise you run the risk of them smelling musty again. If they are really too wet, even the weather can get in them. And finally: if you use the dryer, take the towels out immediately after the program has ended and fold them immediately. If you let them sit, they will collapse again at some point. Gone, fluffiness .

Especially in winter there is nothing better than a thick, soft (preferably warm ) towel to wrap yourself in after a shower. With the above tips, I hope that you can enjoy your towels for years to come!

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