How to Keep Your Towels Beautiful

Everyone loves the feel of a brand new towel,but without washing and drying towels properly,your towels will feels and looks like used sandpaper.I know you must don't like that, so do you know how to keep your towels beautiful and last longer?

Aggie MacKenzie, cleaning expert and former head of the Good Housekeeping Institute, says:

Don't use too much fabric conditioner. It builds up and towels become very stiff and feel rough, which also happens when you use too much detergent that isn’t rinsed out properly.

You should always wash towels at more than 30c because they carry a heavy bacterial load. 

The optimum temperature is 40C with a biological detergent. It contains an enzyme that breaks down body secretions such as sweat, but it doesn’t activate at low temperatures.

The Dorchester is one of London’s best hotels. Executive housekeeper Sabah Smith says:

Always buy good-quality towels - more than 500 grams per square metre, which refers to the towel’s density. 

The towels are more absorbent and longer-lasting. Thinner towels feel scratchy after a few washes.

For best results, wash towels on a 40c gentle cycle. Never use bleach to clean your towels, as it will destroy the fibres.

We generally wash towels at 30c - higher temperatures harden the fabrics. We never wash with starch, as it roughens towels.

Sheridan manufactures luxury Egyptian cotton towels, stocked at Debenhams and House of Fraser and in their dedicated Kings Road store. A spokesperson says:

For best results, we recommend a 40c gentle cycle. Never use bleach to clean your towels, as it will destroy the fibres.

Try not to overcrowd the washing machine, so there’s plenty of water to soak and wash. Two bath sheets or three smaller towels a load is plenty.

We recommend a deep clean every few weeks, on a 40-60c cycle to remove bacteria and oils. 

We use a gentle eucalyptus-based washing detergent (eg. Eucalan) for superior colour retention so they look beautiful for longer. Avoid silicone-based fabric softeners and conditioners. They will repel water and reduce absorbency.

Richard Neale is chairman of LTC Worldwide Laundry Consultancy, which advises the global laundry industry on best practice. He says:

Washing at 75c is optimum for disinfecting the towel. Apart from killing the bugs, the heat swells the fibre, releases the soiling, and helps get a whiter towel.

The main soiling on a towel is skin sebum (oil). It’s protein based, so you need a cool prewash (under 40c) to soften the protein, then a wash at 40c or higher with plenty of botanical (herb based) detergent to break down fats.

Emulsifiers - found in a good-quality detergent such as Ariel Automatic - break down fat and sweat. We also recommend a brightener formulated for whites. Don’t use fabric conditioner, as it affects absorbency.

And after hanging towels outside, give them a quick tumble dry to fluff them up.