How to Care for your Bath Towels? - Some Questions and Answers...

    

Customers often ask us for tips on how to maintain fresh-looking towels, hoping that their towels retain their shape, colour and hand-feel as best they can (even after many washes!).

Our first recommendation is to make sure the care instructions that are sewn into the edge of the towels, are followed closely, paying particular attention to things like temperatures. Other than that, there are a few tips and tricks that can also help depending on the issue you might be experiencing, or have experienced in the past. We have compiled a list of common issues that may occur with cotton bath towels, with some possible solutions.

Cotton, being a natural fibre, will have a tendency to lint during initial washing. This is a completely normal process particularly for towels with a longer pile. Dark colours will tend to shed even more than lighter colours due to spending up to 4 times longer in a dyeing vat.

If towels are correctly laundered, as per the manufacturer's instructions, this problem should resolve itself after 5 or 6 washes. It is important not to overload your washing machine as overloading allows for re-depositing of lint back onto your towels. It is recommended to finish drying towels in a tumble dryer as this will assist in the removal of surface lint. The dryer should be set at a warm temperature and the towels should not be over dried. Keep the filter cleaned regularly. To prevent excessive abrasion against the drum wall it is advisable not to over or under load the washing machine or dryer.    

In rare cases the side hems may not be sewn correctly due to seam misalignment. The percentage is less than 0.2% and will usually show up in the first or second wash.

Advise store for replacement.

Pulled threads occur when towels have come into contact with rough or sharp items. Over use of fabric softeners will increase the risk of pulled threads.

Simply snip off the pulled loop with a pair of sharp scissors. Bambury's towels are woven and not knitted, so pulled threads will not unravel the fabric. Trimming off pulled threads will avoid further damage and will not affect the softness or durability of the towel.

Excessive use of fabric softener will coat towel fibres and actually repel water instead of absorbing it.

Bambury towels are made from good quality yarns that do not require softners. Finishing drying of towels in a tumble dryer will improve fluffy appearance and absorbent properties of cotton fibres.

It is advisable not to use detergents with optical brighteners as they only brighten whites and can seriously affect the colour of towels. Brighteners, if not properly dissolved, can also leave a residue on the towel that will be visible as streaking after the towel has dried. 

Avoid use of optical brighteners where possible and ensure detergents are properly dissolved prior to commencement of washing cycle. Filling the washer prior to adding the detergent should prevent any detergent from depositing directly onto your towels, leaving a concentrated patch. Using the correct amount of detergent required for the size of the load will help to eliminate this problem also.

This damage on towels can usually be attributed to excessive sun exposure, or the towel coming into contact with a form of bleach commonly found in household cleaning agents and facial cleansers which contains Benzoyl Peroxide. Make up can also cause discolouration. The effect is often not seen until the towel is next washed. 

Avoid leaving damp towels on floors or places where bleach can be reactivated e.g. tile grout. Avoid wiping face cleansers and make up directly onto coloured towels. If towels are line dried avoid direct sunlight by drying in the shade avoiding the hottest times of the day.