It turns out soft and absorbs well. Which towel absorbs moisture better?

Surely this has happened to you too: when you get out of the shower and notice that the towel smells bad or doesn't absorb moisture well. Even new ones towels sometimes they quickly lose their freshness.

How to shape towels nice smell? How can we make them soft and improve their ability to absorb moisture from our bodies?

In this article we will give you simple tips, which you can follow day after day. Now taking a bath will be much more enjoyable.

What to do if the towel smells bad

Very often new towels and the robes we buy are quite hard to the touch. This is usually due to the dyes that are used to process them. This is why many people wash their towels first. hot water to make them softer.

In fact, regardless of the material, the towel smells unpleasant due to the fact that there is Bacteria accumulate when it absorbs moisture. What can be done? Don't worry, we have some great solutions.

You will need:

• 1 cup white (250 ml).
• half a cup of baking soda (125 g).
• hot water

What to do:

• Turn on the washing machine. You can put all the towels in it: brand new ones that you want to make softer, old ones that have stopped absorbing moisture or have become bad smell. Wash towels in hot water after adding vinegar diluted in a glass of water to the detergent hole.
• The next step is also very simple. Start a new cycle, but before that add to the machine baking soda . It is very important not to mix these two ingredients. Dry the towels on outdoors. You'll see, the result will please you.

Why does this method help restore softness and freshness to towels?

This effect can be explained as follows. We too often place our faith in fabric softeners and detergents, expecting them to excellent result, but more often this leads to the opposite effect. Excess chemical substances damages tissue, as a result of which things absorb moisture less well and wear out faster.

• White vinegar: acetic acid effectively destroys bacteria and moisture that accumulates in the fibers of the towel, as a result of which the fabric becomes softer.
• Soda: as you already know, baking soda is great not only for baking, but also for disinfection, removing contaminants, greasy stains and helps neutralize odors. Her wonderful properties much more effective properties many other cleaning products.

Tips for keeping towels always dry and smelling good

We all love absorbent towels because they have the ability to absorb liquid, leaving it trapped within the fibers.

When we're talking about about the new towels, in particular, they provide good absorbency, making us dry faster after bathing, keeping us in a more comfortable atmosphere and allowing us to quickly get dressed and leave the house. There are many various types absorbent towels. Some of them combine style and functionality, others are purely functional. Let's take a look at some of these options.

Terry cloth, angel-tex, bamboo and microfiber - each material absorbs moisture differently

Is one of the best absorbents popular for making moisture-wicking towels on modern market goods. However, contrary to popular belief, it is not the 100% cotton composition that makes such towels moisture-absorbing; it’s all about the weaving of the material. Terry fabric is woven from a large number of loops, which makes the product soft and absorbent.

When it comes to pure functionality...angel-tex- a clear winner. It's synthetic artificial material, which has excellent absorbency, it absorbs liquids in large or small quantities faster than regular towels. Created using advanced, patented technology, Angel-Tex is made from fibers that are finer than regular microfibers. The result is a light, soft and pleasant material that literally “removes” excess moisture from any surface.

is a natural textile made from the pulp of bamboo grass. It is highly crushed until it is separated into thin thread-like fibers. The most remarkable thing about bamboo is that it retains many of its properties, such as strength and moisture absorption, even in extreme conditions production. A few additional benefits of bamboo: the plant grows quickly and does not require pesticides to grow, making it a very environmentally friendly material.

In general (like angel-tex, which is a type of microfiber) it is synthetic material, designed specifically as a moisture absorber. Microfibers are small synthetic fibers measuring less than one denier. The size, shape and combination of these fibers are selected to create certain characteristics such as softness, strength, absorbency, etc. Microfiber towels are made from special mixture these fibers.

How to choose an absorbent towel?

When shopping for absorbent towels, you shouldn't always choose the most expensive product thinking that it will perform better. Cotton and cotton blends are highly absorbent materials, as are bamboo, microfiber and terry-weave towels. The absorbency of a towel is directly proportional to the length of the fiber.

Sometimes during the manufacturing process of a towel, a special wax is applied to the material, which makes it easier to weave or knit the fibers. Also, sometimes the coating may contain dye residues, which may remain on the fabric during the production process. When a towel is purchased and used for the first time, it may repel water rather than absorb it. This is all because the production coating remains on the fabric. To remove this layer from the fabric, wash the towel in hot water before use. Some new towels may need to be washed twice before use. Make sure to wash the towel separately, especially during the first two washes, to prevent the color from bleeding.

To make your towel more absorbent, do not use fabric softeners when washing. Such products with a thin layer of chemicals can make the fabric water-repellent.

How to make new towels more absorbent?

Have you ever noticed that new towels seem to repel water instead of absorbing it? Typically this takes many cycles. washing machine to make the towel more absorbent, but with the help of our tips you can speed up this process.

Steps

1

Wash each towel in hot water before use. Some people run the wash cycle on their towels twice (without drying). Hot running water can remove excess dyes and any residue (such as fabric softener) left on the surface as a result of the manufacturing process. Don't wash anything else with new towels because colored towels can stain and towels tend to leave lint on other textiles.

2

Add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Dilute the vinegar immediately or wait until the water level in the drum is high enough to add the substance yourself; V otherwise, vinegar can discolor your towels. The second wash cycle may include adding 1/2 cup baking soda, but do not use baking soda and vinegar together in the same cycle. If your washing machine has a liquid fabric softener dispenser, place vinegar in it.

Please note that these are time-tested folk remedies. When vinegar (an acid) and baking soda (an alkali or base) dissociate (chemically break apart), the atoms freely recombine with minerals, salts and other chemicals that have accumulated but are now easily washed away.

3

Avoid using fabric softeners of any kind. Fabric softeners coat the surface of the fabric with a thin layer of chemicals (oils) that make the fibers hydrophobic. If you can't imagine washing towels without fabric softener, use amidoamine softeners. Don't despair if you've already used fabric softener. You can increase the absorbency of the material as follows: add 1/2 cup of baking soda to washing powder and then into the washing machine. Then add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse dispenser.

• Baking soda will make your towels cleaner and whiter; Vinegar will help get rid of odors and stains.
• Experts recommend keeping two sets of towels for each person in the family, plus an extra set for guests. If you alternate between sets purchased from different time, you will have a chance to have at least one decent set.
• Place two rubber balls in the drum (old tennis balls will work, just make sure they are clean) of the machine with towels while drying. This will help fluff up the fibers, which will positively affect the absorbent qualities of the product.
• Towels should be washed regularly. Once a week is the norm for ordinary person, and once every few days is best choice for people who have a high exposure to pollution (for example, builders, gardeners, cleaners, etc.).
• White vinegar is an excellent fabric softener. It also works to reduce static electricity for most fabrics and helps make towels softer.

Cautions

• A towel that produces a lot of lint after washing should be washed again.
• Never store damp towels - they are an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. It's best to store towels outside the bathroom as steam can make them smell bad.
• Don't use vinegar and baking soda together to rinse towels: the chemical reaction will create too much suds, which is not suitable for your washing machine.

A towel is an item that we come across every day. Therefore, over time, we have to buy new ones in stores to replace torn, frayed and faded towels. If earlier choice was very small, but now the range of these products is large. Let's try to figure out which hand and face towels absorb moisture well, are pleasant to the touch and durable.

The main quality of a towel is moisture absorption. By own experience We know that not every fabric can cope with this task. In addition, even if the fabric is the same, but the quality is different, the towels will absorb moisture differently. Therefore, before purchasing, read the information on the tag. It is believed that towels made from cotton grown in Pakistan or Egypt absorb moisture best. The type of yarn also affects absorbency. By the way, it can be not only double or single, but also combed or twisted. Combed yarn copes best with moisture. But synthetic towels, although beautiful, pleasant to the touch and soft, absorb water very poorly, although they are cheaper than natural ones. You can easily tell if a towel is synthetic. Use this towel to wipe a wet glass or polished surface. If water stains remain, it means there are synthetic threads in it (photo 1).

Let's take a closer look at the types of towels. Waffle towels are popular. You can find these towels in different sizes and colors on sale. There are even waffle towels specially made for visiting a sauna or steam bath. They contain no artificial threads, only cotton. They effectively cleanse the skin. They absorb moisture very well, but for some reason they are most often used by us in the kitchen (photo 2).

Terry towels are considered the most common. This is not surprising, because they absorb water well and are durable. You can always buy terry towels in stores, supermarkets or online. Before purchasing, look at the composition of the towel; as mentioned above, the most best towels made from 100% cotton. Further, the density of the product is not always indicated on the label. But you can determine it yourself by weight. For example, a towel measuring seventy centimeters wide and one hundred and forty centimeters long should weigh at least 500 grams. The quality of a terry towel is also affected by the length of the pile. High-quality towels have a pile length of at least five millimeters. There are, of course, lovers of fluffy towels. But, most often, in such towels the terry quickly falls off and the 3-5 centimeter pile becomes hard after a while and does not cope well with water (photo 3).

Velor towels have low moisture absorption. These towels are woven from five threads. The fifth thread is the fibers, and the remaining four form the warp. The fabric is similar to corduroy, pleasant to the touch (photo 4).

For the beach, linen towels are most often used, which, moreover, perfectly absorb moisture. They dry quickly, have antibacterial properties and do not cause any irritation to the skin. They are made from semi-linen or flax with impurities (photo 5).

Bamboo towels are also popular. They absorb four times more moisture than linen. They have unique antibacterial properties. Made from natural material(photo 6).

There are also jacquard towels (bamboo and cotton). They absorb moisture moderately, there is almost no lint. They can be plain or sculptural, and with different patterns. The process of their manufacture is labor-intensive, since they are made on special looms (photo 7).

When you are preparing for a vacation, you need to choose and definitely take a beach towel with you. It is indispensable for relaxing on the sea, lake, river as a bedding while relaxing in the sun and for wiping the body from water. A beach towel has certain properties:

• durable pattern on fabric, does not fade after washing.
• absorbs moisture well
• soft enough for children and adults
• easy to wash and dry quickly

This terry cotton beach towel is soft and pleasant to the touch. Waffle is more rigid and quickly absorbs water. Bamboo fabric is highly hygroscopic and dries slowly. A beach towel has short pile and this differs from a bath towel. It is important to choose suitable size, so that you can easily use it as a rug and conveniently take it with you. It is better to buy beach towels in bulk different sizes for the whole family. The beaches offer special portable beach towels with a pillow, which makes it possible to relax and dry off the water.

How to properly wash beach towels?

After going to the beach, the towel on which you took sunbathing, always full of sand. It definitely needs to be washed. How to wash beach towels and remove sand from them? Take advantage the following rules. The first thing to do is dry the towels on fresh air few hours. Next, shake out all the sand that has clogged into the fabric. Soak beach towels for about 2 hours in a special solution. For every liter of water, add 3 tablespoons of vinegar. Subsequently you will get rid of sea ​​salt deposited on the towel. After some time, you need to lather the product with soap and wash it in the washing machine at low temperature and a short program.

For washing terry towels It is not advisable to use washing powder. Use liquid detergents, and they will become soft. When washing with powder, rinse the items additionally to remove as much detergent from the fabric as possible. Fabric softeners make towels hard, so use products that contain silicone. To protect lint, do not boil terry items, wash at low speed and use sufficient quantity water. To make a hard towel fluffy, rinse it in salted water. Dry towels in a well-ventilated place, preferably outside. Buy a terry ball and you won't need chemicals to make the fabric fluffy. Don't skimp on the quality of towels; buy beach towels in bulk at a discounted price. They will last longer and withstand a large number of washes Terry products cannot be ironed; you can steam them with an iron. Don't leave towels wet for a long time to prevent mold and foreign odors from appearing. Dry and wash the towel immediately.

Updated: 02/16/2018 10:10:59

When buying a towel, you should pay attention to its composition, density and length of pile, as well as size and appearance products.

Which towel to choose. Materials

Towels are made from different materials, most often cotton, bamboo and linen. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages that need to be taken into account when purchasing.

Towels can be terry (with big amount moisture-absorbing loops on the surface), waffle and velor (with cut loops):

Terry products are ideal for the face, hands and body - they are very soft and pleasant to the touch, absorb a large amount of moisture.

Waffle towels – great option for kitchen. They wipe dishes well, dry quickly and do not lose their basic properties even after intensive washing and boiling conditions. In addition, they do not leave marks on cleaned surfaces.

Velor towels are soft and pleasant to the touch. They, like terry ones, are used to care for hands and face. But such products have worse moisture-absorbing abilities. Velor towels dry faster than terry towels.

Cotton products are highly hygienic, soft and hypoallergenic. They are recommended to be used for caring for children, especially newborns. It is important that the towel is made of pure cotton.

The quality of the product and its appearance largely depend on what type of cotton is used. For example, terry cloth made from Egyptian cotton is of the highest quality and elite.

Egyptian cotton fibers are twice as long as standard cotton. Thanks to this, the weave density of the towel is higher, and it has more moisture-absorbing “loops”. The ultra-soft and super-fluffy bath towels used in luxury hotels and spas are typically made from Egyptian cotton. They are particularly strong and durable. However, such products also have disadvantages - they are heavier than standard towels and take longer to dry.

Along with Egyptian cotton is long-staple Pima cotton, which grows in America. It is as strong and durable as Egyptian, but less soft and fluffy. Towels made from this material are produced by the famous American company Supima.

One of the most popular types of cotton is Turkish. It is, of course, not as fluffy as Egyptian or Pima cotton, but it absorbs moisture well and dries quickly. Turkish cotton towels are lightweight and durable, and they become softer and fluffier with every wash.

But the marking that a towel is made of 100% high-quality cotton is not always true. Some manufacturers report that their product is made from Egyptian cotton, but in fact the towels are made from a mixture of cotton and synthetic fibers. This limits the moisture absorption capacity of the products and makes them less pleasant to the touch. Therefore, you should choose towels from trusted manufacturers and not pay attention to products made from “high-quality elite cotton” at a low price.

Advantages

Suitable for newborns, pregnant women and allergy sufferers;

Ideal for drying hands, face and body.

They have good absorbent properties;

They have high strength and wear resistance;

Flaws

Takes a long time to dry;

They may shrink after washing.

Flax is most often used in the production of kitchen and bath towels. It can also be combined with cotton fibers to create face and body towels.

Advantages

They do not shed;

Have a good massage effect;

Withstands a large number of washes;

Durability (longer service life than cotton);

Not electrified;

They have antiseptic properties (destroy pathogenic bacteria);

Can be used for children;

Flaws

They crumple heavily;

They are expensive.

Bamboo towels have gained wide popularity among residents of the Russian Federation and CIS countries. They are soft and pleasant to the touch, absorb moisture perfectly and retain their unique properties even after many washes.

Many towels as well bed sheets, blankets and pillows marketed as “bamboo” have little to do with this unique plant. In fact, false bamboo material comes to us from Asia and China.

Enterprising Asians have mastered the basics of producing viscose fiber from bamboo wood, during which cellulose is extracted from the plant and processed using various chemicals. The result is a hydrated cellulose artificial material - viscose. This “bamboo” does not have those unique properties, which are reported by almost all thematic online publications. Viscose from bamboo wood has only the properties of viscose. Viscose fiber towels may be labeled "bamboo viscose".

Real environmentally friendly and healthy bamboo fiber (“viscose linen”) is produced mechanically, like hemp and flax fibers. However, its production costs a pretty penny, so products made from real bamboo fiber have high cost and are rarely found on sale.

Advantages

Do not cause allergies;

They don't call allergic reactions;

Dries quickly;

Stop growth pathogenic microorganisms;

They have antibacterial and deodorizing properties;

They absorb moisture well (better than cotton);

They retain their original “marketable” appearance for a long time;

Flaws

High price;

Most “100% bamboo” products are not bamboo at all.

What size should a towel be?

Towels can be bath, massage, for hands, face and feet, etc. Each of them has its own dimensions:

Dimensions of shower or bath towels vary from 0.7 x 1.4 m to 1 x 1.5 m;

The dimensions of goods intended for a bath or sauna can be 1 x 1.8 and 0.8 x 2 m;

Hand towels can be 0.4 x 0.6, 0.5 x 0.7 and 0.5 x 0.9 m;

The length of face cloths is often 0.5 and 0.9 m, and the width is 0.3 and 0.5 m, respectively;

Hand products can be 0.4 x 0.6 m, 0.5 x 0.7 m;

Beach sheets are usually 1.4–1.5 cm long and 0.7–1 m wide

Kitchen towel models are often 0.3 x 0.3 and 0.3 x 0.5 m.

What should the pile be like?

Terry towels have a special pile - “close-knit” loops on the surface. The softness and fluffiness of the product depends on their length. The villi can be 3–8 mm long, with a value of 5 mm being considered ideal. The moisture-absorbing properties of the product depend on the length of the loops. The longer they are, the better the towel absorbs moisture. But loops that are too large (more than 5 cm) can stretch, lose their shape and roll up after washing. Pile less than 3 mm long lasts longer, but absorbs moisture less well.

Towel density

The density of towels is measured in grams per square meter. This value varies from 300 to 900 g/m2 (on labels foreign manufacturers GSM – grams per squere meter may be indicated). Canvases 300-400 g/m2 are thin and light - they are ideal for training in gym or kitchens. Products 400–600 g/m2 are most often used after taking a shower or bath. Many beach towels have this thread density.

Fabrics with a density of 600–800 g/m2 have the highest strength and best absorbent properties. However, they have the greatest weight and take a long time to dry. Towels in this density are often made from high-quality Pima cotton and Egyptian cotton.

How to check the quality of a towel

Inspect the product from both sides. It should be evenly painted, without streaks or foreign chemical odors;

Pay attention to the pile of the terry product. Run your hand over it - if threads or lint remain on the skin, it is better not to buy the product;

Wipe the damp glass surface with a towel. Are there any stains on it? If yes, then this may indicate the use of synthetic fibers in production;

Make sure all edges of the product are finished closed seams, and terry “loops” do not stretch with minimal impact. Remember that the durability of the product depends on their fastening strength.

How to wash a towel correctly

Manufacturers often treat new items with special fabric softeners to make them fluffier and softer. However, such towels absorb water less well. For this reason, new towels should be washed before first use.

Remember that using bleaching agents makes towels less durable and reduces their lifespan. Therefore, use them only in extreme cases.

Please read the care label before use. It should indicate at what temperature the product should be washed and in what mode, whether it can be ironed and dry-cleaned. As a rule, towels can be washed at a temperature of 40–60 degrees at medium machine speed.

Remember, your towel will last longer if you care for it properly.