How to Make Your Towels Last Longer

Hand towels tend to receive a lot of wear and tear and therefore need to be washed quite often. At home, best practice would dictate that they are cleaned at the very least once a week to ensure hygiene. Hotels on the other hand should offer a daily change of towels in order to keep the highest standards in hygiene. However, we are well aware that washing can take its toll on fabric - so, how do you do so carefully to ensure they last longer? Washing Towels: When you wash your towels, make sure to wash them separately from other materials and colours. This allows them to come out cleaner as the risk of colours running is removed. In addition, it also prevents fluff and lint transferring onto other items and creating an unsightly appearance on clothing. Remember that towels should be washed in very warm water to kill bacteria and germs. The higher the heat the more effective this will be. Detergent: It is important to choose the correct detergent when washing it. Mild detergent that is also phosphate free is the best for towel cleaning. If you want to create a full towel solution rather than purchase one in the supermarket, it is possible to create your own phosphate-free solution for washing towels quite easily. Simply, mix up 60ml of borax and 60ml of washing soda and add it to the phosphate free detergent and solution. Not only will this clean your towels, it will also disinfect and deodorise your items and ensure they look bright and clean. One old maid's trick is to add vinegar to the cycle for added softness. Fabric softeners will leave a coating that will affect the liquid absorbing properties of the towel - not ideal for an item solely used for absorbing water. Drying: When you need to dry the towels, it is best to do so outside in the sunshine. Drying towels out in the open is better for killing bacteria whilst creating fresh towels. However, though towels will often be a little stiffer or harder when dried outside, they will tend to become soft once they come in touch with moisture. If you prefer to use a tumble dryer, then you should stop the machine and remove the towels before they are completely dry. Overly dry towels will be hard and it is recommended to take them out when they are 95 to 97 per cent dry and to let them air dry that extra little bit. When this is completed you can then fold and store them. Be sure to give them a break between usages to prevent over use.