USEFUL TIPS
How to wash towels?
6 min read
6 min read
You’ve washed yourself in the shower and now it’s time to dry off. You reach over and grab your towel off the rack. It’s your favorite towel and it greets you like a soft hug every time.
Your towel plays an important role in taking care of you, so why do so many people neglect to take care of their towel as well? Towels go through a lot of wear and tear - constant exposure to dirt, oil, and lots of friction can start to take a toll on your fluffy friend.
Towels are dirtier than we think.
Did you know that every inch of our skin has 19 million skin cells and 650 sweat glands? Every day our bodies shed 30,000-40,000 dead skin cells. Think of how much of that dead skin rubs off onto our towels when we dry ourselves after a shower. That’s a lot of dirt building up on these bad boys, especially if we’ve used our towel after a sweaty workout or if it’s been sitting in a gym bag for a few hours - yikes.
The American Cleaning Institute recommends that we wash our towels every 3-5 uses, depending on their soil level. But even before we get to washing, it’s important to not let damp towels sit in the laundry hamper - a crumbled up wet towel is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. This will also cause towels to develop a musty odor - ew. Unless you’re about to do the laundry right away, it’s best to let the towel air dry before throwing it into the hamper.
Our hand towels aren’t much cleaner either. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, conducted research that found Coliform bacteria and E. coli in 89% and 25.6% of kitchen hand towels, respectively. With something like hand towels that we use so often and rely on to keep us clean, it’s important to keep them clean so they can keep doing their job properly.
How to wash your towels
We’ve put together a list of tips and tricks to make sure your towels are taken care of, just as well as they take care of you.
Cut back on detergent.
Try using a little bit less than the recommended amount of detergent. Airing on the lighter side of the dose of detergent you use will make it easier for your washer to rinse out the soap. If your towels have begun to get a little stiff over time, too much detergent might be the culprit.
Wash in warm or hot water .
Hot water stands the best chance for a thorough and hygienic cleaning. Warmer water also absorbs detergent better than cold water.
(Miracle towels are different - they should be washed in cold water!)
Lighten the load.
Overloading the washer will not only strain the machine but will hinder its ability to clean its contents thoroughly
We’re not suggesting to start doing half-loads. Just be sure to leave some wiggle room so everything can move around and get washed out properly.
Keep the load to just towels.
Towels are usually thicker than other things like t-shirts and socks that you may be washing at the same time - this means they may take longer in the dryer. It only takes the slightest bit of moisture to create a funky odor and spark bacteria growth. Be sure everything is completely dry before taking it out and folding it.
Try some baking soda.
If this article didn’t find you soon enough and your towels already have an odor, fear not, it isn’t too late. Throw the towels in the washing machine with ½ cup of baking soda, no detergent this time. After the load is finished, send it for round two with your regular detergent.
Add in a tennis ball or dryer ball.
Throw a tennis ball or dryer ball into the dryer. Wool balls are great for fluffing up the towels, removing lumps, and softening all at the same time. Using a dryer or tennis ball will also help speed up the drying process.
Add in some vinegar.
Vinegar is a great alternative to fabric softeners. Most fabric softeners contain silicon, which can actually make fabrics water repellent - this will make it more difficult for the fabric to absorb the detergent. Every two or three weeks, add in ½ cup of white vinegar to help your towels stay soft and luxurious.
This list will help you become a master in the laundry room. Washing towels properly is important to help them stay fresh, soft, and in good condition, so they can help you stay fresh, soft, and in good condition. Happy towels = happy you!
Let’s keep them pretty, too!
Now that we’ve taken care of the technical cleanliness of our towels, let’s keep them looking just as fresh as they really are. Miracle bath towels come in a Stone or White colour while hand towels and washcloths are also offered in Sand and Sky Blue. Let’s keep them this way.
Preserve color and protect against fading.
Try a color-safe bleach. Bleach is commonly known for helping our whites stay white, but a color-safe bleach can be used for colored towels as well. Let’s keep that Sky Blue, looking Sky Blue.
Get rid of stains.
When stains aren’t from spilled spaghetti or melted ice-cream, they often come from rubbed off makeup, sun-screen, acne medicine, or self-tanner.
Some facial products, acne care in particular, contain harsh chemicals like benzoyl peroxide, alpha-hydroxy acids, and chlorine bleach. Chemicals like these can create permanent stains, so do your best to thoroughly wash your face before picking up your towel.
Pre-treat stains before you throw them in the wash--dishwashing liquid or vinegar mixed with baking soda work well and are likely already somewhere in your house.
Keep whites white.
Separate whites from everything else.
Always use warm or hot water.
Add one cup of baking soda to the wash load every 3-4 loads for an extra pick-me-up.
Your entire body will thank you!
Doing a proper wash job is just the cherry on top. Miracle towels are already made up of anti-microbial silver that prevents 99.9% of bacteria growth. Tiny silver ions that make up your towels are actively fighting bacteria growth through a natural process called ionization.
What does no bacteria mean? We’re so glad you asked.
Less odor
Usually, odor is created when bodily fluids mix with bacteria. By eliminating 99.9% of bacteria growth before it starts, there’s nothing for body secretions to mix with. Thank you, silver ions.
Less laundry
Since our Miracle fabrics work themselves around the clock, you don’t have to. The cleaner your towels are staying on their own means the less often you have to wash them. Of course, we definitely think you should still be washing them frequently. But how nice is it to know that they’re always 3x cleaner and if you’re too tired to do the laundry that night, that’s A-OK.
Less acne
Less bacteria = less acne, yay! If dead skin, dirt, and facial products are all rubbing off onto your towel, doesn’t it make sense that sometimes they’re rubbing back off onto you? Yuck. Lucky for you, we’ve got your back, and your face, and the rest of your body. Our natural technology keeps your towel clean, so your towel can keep you clean.
So, that’s how you wash towels!
Your shower helps you get clean and your towel helps you stay clean. Take care of your towels so they can continue to greet you like a soft hug, every time!
Did you know?
Pre-treat stains before you throw them in the wash--dishwashing liquid or vinegar mixed with baking soda work well and are likely already somewhere in your house.
