Towels should be washed in warm water to help kill bacteria and potential mould. Warm water is ideal for coloured towels, while hot water is best for white towels. However, hot water can decrease the life of your towels as it can weaken fibres, fade colours and contribute to shrinkage.
Towels should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric according to the care label. Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle.
A good temperature for washing towels and sheets is 40 degrees, but a 60 degree wash will be better at killing germs. Changing your sheets and towels once a week can help to keep them fresh and clean**. Use our laundry tips section for guidelines on different fabrics.
Despite popular belief, washing your towels with cold water is the best way to keep them clean, soft and fluffy. Washing your towels in cold water will also help you save up to three-quarters of the energy you would have used had you chosen hot water.
Add Baking Soda
Mix half a cup of baking soda along with a normal detergent dose for fluffier and cleaner towels. Baking soda also naturally eliminates musty and mildew smells that come from towels remaining damp for too long.
Cold-water washing means clothing is less likely to shrink or fade and ruin clothes.
CONS. Cold water does not sanitize items that may require it. Items such as bedsheets, towels and other things used by a family member who is dealing with some kind of sickness as well as cloth diapers. It does not kill germs or insects that may have gotten into towels, sheets or other items.
Avoid These Towel Washing Mistakes
Help your washer clean your towels as efficiently as possible by only filling ¾ of the way. Prevent overheating – Dry towels on the lowest heat setting possible to avoid tight, stiff towels. Too much heat can damage the individual cotton fibers.
Moreover, setting the washing machine temperature to 40 degrees also ensures the elimination of bacteria and other germs that often breed in towels as towels accumulate sweat and body fluids due to constant use in hotel rooms.
Heavily soiled items such as bed linen, towels or other garments will need to be washed at warm to high temperatures for the most effective results. According to the NHS you should wash household linen, towels and underwear at a temperature of 60°C to prevent any germs spreading.
To refresh towels in the washing machine, let them run through a complete wash cycle using no detergent or bleach. Instead, add one cup of distilled white vinegar into the washing machine before starting the wash cycle. Let towels air-dry or put them in the dryer when cycle is complete.
With an increased amount of solvents, hot water can dissolve more material than cold water. This is why hot water is the first choice for cleaning hard-to-wash stains such as dirt, grease, and oil. Besides that, hot water transfers heat when it comes in contact with anything.
How often to wash towels. The best way to prevent germs from growing on your bath towel is to let it dry completely between each use, and wash it frequently. The Cleaning Institute recommends washing bath towels after three uses. If you shower every day, that means laundry almost twice a week.
Cold water washing can actually be more effective than washing clothes in warm or hot water. Hot water can set stains into the fabric, making them more challenging to remove. Cold water is also gentler on fabric, meaning that it is less likely to damage your clothing.
Use Your Washing Machine as a Cooler
Well, when it's off, melting ice just drains out, so those beverages only stay cold about as long as they would sitting out on a counter.
Heat can break down dyes in the clothes and cause shrinkage. Thus, by washing clothes in cold water, colors last longer and clothes retain their size and shape.
3. Towels. While everyone loves to dry off with a soft towel, liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets can reduce the absorbency of terry cloth and other fluffy fabrics. If you feel like your towels aren't drying as well as they did when they were new, skip the softener every few washes.
Warm washing (40 degrees)
Similar to harsh detergents, high temperatures strip the natural fibres of their natural softness. We suggest washing your bath towels on a cooler temperature, between 30 and 40 degrees.
When washing your clothing, add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment just before the last rinse cycle. If you'd like your clothes to have a mild scent, add four or five drops of essential oil into the fabric softener compartment.
Reduce the amount of laundry detergent you use in each load of towels: Excessive detergent leaves residue in towel fibers and causes them to feel scratchy. Increase your washing water temperature: Warm or hot water will produce better results, especially if you do not use a heavy-duty detergent.
Wash your towels in warm water or hot water -- not scalding -- with one cup of white distilled vinegar. This will strip towels of any built-up residue and help restore absorbency. DON'T USE DETERGENT, only white vinegar. Run the load a second time using only a half-cup of baking soda.