How To Wash New Towels
If you've followed our rules for buying towels, whether you've opted for luxurious Egyptian cotton or have picked up a terry towel set, washing them before you use them is essential. Different towels will have their own washing instructions according to the laundry symbols on the care label. Most, if not all, towels will be machine washable and tumble dryer friendly. Follow these expert steps to get your new towels fresh.
1. KEEP TOWELS TOGETHER
Key to keeping the color of your towels looking as vibrant and the texture as soft as when you first got them, Anna Brakefield, co-Founder of Red Land Cotton, advises to always 'keep towels together. By washing towels with only towels, you keep velcro and zippers away. These trims can wreak havoc on towels by pulling, ripping, and fraying delicate terry cloth.' Fresh towels, especially of brighter colors, are likely to have dye residue on the surface. Removing any other laundry from your washer will lessen the chance of color bleeding.
2. ADD THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF DETERGENT
How much detergent you use matters: 'Use too much detergent, and your towels become less absorbent ' says Brakefield. It's recommended to use only a third of the amount of detergent you would usually use, and 'strictly follow the directions recommended on the bottle because leftover suds not only affects absorbency but also can lead to bacteria and mold build-up', not to mention affect your washing machine performance.
When it comes to fabric softener, scooms founders Emily and Jonathan Attwood suggest against using it entirely, as it will reduce absorbency, and counteract the process of pre-washing. 'Fabric softener can mat down the cotton fibers, leaving your towels too porous.' adds Brakefield.
3. SELECT A LOW HEAT SETTING
Too much heat in your washing machine can damage the fibers of fresh towels. Emily and Jonathan Attwood suggest you 'machine-wash your towels at 80 to 90 degrees'.
4. PAUSE THE WASH TO FLUFF
So your towels stay fluffy, you can pause your cycle mid-way (if possible) and give them a move round. Whilst in the drum, air may struggle to circulate, in turn flattening down fibers. Providing you haven't overfilled your washing machine, fluffing them up halfway will 'return some of the body to the loops and help your towels stay more absorbent, and softer in the future,' says Brakefield.
5. DRY ON LOW
Just like washing and drying silk on too high a setting can damage delicate the material, you should avoid putting your towels in the dryer at too high a temperature – for at least the first few washes. Here Emily and Jonathan Attwood recommend adding wool dryer balls (see below) to 'help reduce tumble drying time and add a little softness to your towels without using chemicals.'
As Brakefield suggests 'even better than drying on low, hang your towels on the line'. If it's warm and dry outside and your outdoor space allows it, letting them dry naturally is the best for new towels. You can 'fluff them as you take from the washer to the sunshine', adds Brakefield.