Washing towels: top tips for washing towels

The towel cycle in the house is virtually endless. Kitchen towels, bath towels, baby towels, face towels, foot towels, etc. All the variety is constantly migrating to different places in the home. Only a big wash can collect them in one place.

Towels have different purposes and, consequently, different quality and material. There are no questions about their use. But how to keep them clean in the shortest amount of time we will tell you.

Basic types of towels

Briefly about what we are dealing with. Towels can be categorized by type of use:

1. For body care after a shower or bath (bath textile, for face, for hands, for feet).

2. Ritual towels (christening towels).

3. Household (for wiping hands during household chores).

4. Kitchen textiles (for hands, gloves).

For both body care and household purposes, we use the following textiles:

1. Terry (looped pile).

2. Velour (sheared pile).

3. Lint-free smooth or waffle.

Terry and plain towels are usually made of cotton. Simultaneously popular products with the addition of synthetic fiber derived from natural bamboo or eucalyptus. Natural and man-made fibers have good hygroscopicity, which ensures moisture absorption.

Mistakes in towel care

Often, due to lack of time, we act out of habit, throw everything in a common basket, and then worry about stains that won’t come off. Make new habits to avoid mistakes that ruin textiles.

Towel drying tips

Let us highlight the important steps that we recommend when taking care of your textiles on a daily basis. Depending on the degree of soiling, stain removal and bleach treatment you may use additional methods, see below.

Daily Care

By “daily care” we mean simple rules that can help you keep your towels looking neat, fresh and clean with the minimum of time.

Tips for washing bath textiles

Agree, it is much more pleasant to wipe yourself after showering with a soft towel than with a hard rag. To avoid turning delicate terry cloths into sod,Take a closer look at these rules:

1. Allow the towel to air-dry flat after use. Do not hang it on the hook, t.k. This prevents the water from evaporating evenly. And in damp folds bacteria will start to multiply.

2. Do not put wet laundry in the hamper. It will quickly begin to get a musty odor, mold may appear.

3. Choose a comfortable washing mode. For example, accumulate towels for a week and then wash them on the weekend.

4. Wash soft terry towels at temperatures no higher than 40 degrees. High temperatures make the fabric fibers stiff. Washing mode should be minimal time, but with an extra rinse. Our goal is not to sterilize the fabric, but only to refresh it

5. Do not fill the drum more than ⅔⅔. There should be enough space and water to wash and rinse the fabric evenly. To soften hard water, add baking soda (2 tbsp) to the wash.l. on the wash).

6. Use rubber balls with protrusions when washing to make the nap of the towel voluminous.

7. When rinsing, you can use fabric conditioner, or you can use home remedies. Salt and vinegar are very good at softening terry fibers.

8. The maximum spin speed is 800 rpm. The gentler the regime, the softer the towel. Ideally, if it is possible to hang the towels without spinning and let the water drain naturally.

9. Dry bath textiles outdoors in the shade. The scorching sun can make a delicate cloth look like sandpaper.

10. Store dry towels in a linen closet in a dry place.

11. Put a sachet of your favorite scent in your closet for fragrance. Make it your own. Mix 3 drops of fragrance oil with 2 tbsp. l. Put the mixture into a linen bag and tie it up with a ribbon.

Recommendations for washing kitchen and household towels

The rules of care are different here because kitchen towels work in hotter conditions:

1. Have a special basket in the kitchen for dirty towels. Woven kitchen towels should not be placed in the laundry basket. Greasy stains and odor quickly transfer to clothing.

2. If you cook often, change the towels every day. This will help keep them clean and save laundry time.

3. Bleach and boil not more than once a month. High temperatures combine with chemicals to destroy the fabric structure.

4. Wash whites at 60-90 degrees Celsius, and coloreds and blacks at 30-40 degrees Celsius.

5. When rinsing, we recommend using a rinse aid (for example, a silicone-based one). They create a film on the surface of the fabric. This prevents contaminants from penetrating deep into the material, and they wash out more easily.

6. If stains appear, use a comprehensive wash: first remove the stains locally, then wash the garment.

7. Stubborn dirt can be removed by boiling or bleaching.

8. Do not leave wet textiles in the washing machine for too long. The towels will take on an unpleasant odor. Hang up the garment immediately after washing, preferably outdoors.

9. Ironing surface treatment with a starch-containing liquid will help keep towels from getting too dirty. You can make your own spray. Dilute 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tbsp. dilute 1 tbsp. l. Starch and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Pour the solution into a spray bottle.

Stain Removal

Kitchen towels get the most damage. Therefore, you have to take time to remove stains and bleach.

Mustard powder dissolved in water

Mustard paste is a good stain remover, bleaches fabric and disinfects. How to use mustard:

1. Dilute mustard powder with warm water to a mushy consistency.

2. Spread the composition on the cloth, spreading it evenly on the surface of the fabric by hand.

3. Place textiles in a basin and leave for 6 hours. Can be put in a cellophane bag and tied up. This will speed up the laundry process.

4. Rinse towels with clear water and hang to dry.

Citric acid

Works great against vegetable stains. Best for tomato and beet stains. Also removes fresh red wine stains. To remove stains, do the following:

1. Hand wash your towel with laundry soap and squeeze.

2. Apply citric acid (liquid or crystalline) to the stains.

3. Fresh stains disappear in 5 minutes. And to remove old ones you need to wait about 30-60 minutes.

4. Wash the fabric.

Hydrogen peroxide

A popular home remedy breaks up stubborn dirt. To remove a stain, do this:

1. Apply hydrogen peroxide locally to the soiling.

2. Allow to work for 20-30 minutes.

3. Wash the product in the usual way.

Manganese solution and laundry soap

Grandma’s method for those who still have some manganese left in their pantry. This remedy always gives great results. Remove grease stains, the fabric is whitened. What you need to do:

1. In a basin, prepare a warm solution of deep pink manganese solution.

2. Wet the dirty cloths with water and rub generously with laundry soap.

3. Put the treated towels in a solution of manganese and leave for 8 hours (it is convenient to do such soaking overnight).

4. Rinse and machine wash as normal.

Oxygen-based bleach

Active oxygen is good for removing greasy dirt, vegetable stains, effectively removes unpleasant odors. At the same time it does not damage the color and structure of the fabric.

If the towels have small stains, you can remove them spot by applying the solution directly to the stain. The second way – wash the textiles in the machine with the addition of the amount of the product specified in the instructions for the bleach. This is usually 175 ml per wash. At the same time as removing the stains, the appearance of the fabric will be noticeably fresher.

Bleach

This is a radical way to wash the garment. It refreshes the look of your towels, removes odors and stains. But frequent use of chemically active agents tends to thin the fibers and shorten the life of household textiles. Therefore, it is recommended to apply bleaching not more than once a month.

Grandma’s recipe for whitening cotton kitchen towels

Prepare the mixture. For 1 liter of boiling water take:

1. 1 tbsp. l. bleach;

2. 2 tbsp. l. laundry detergent;

3. 2 tbsp. l. sunflower oil.

Stir the mixture, immerse the towels in the solution, close the pan with the lid and turn off the heat.

Then wait until the water has cooled completely. When the water is cool, take out the towels and be surprised by the excellent result.

For white bath towels with small stains

This method can make terry towels a little stiff. But you can make terrycloths soft again if you soak them in a solution of salt.

To prepare the bleach formula, you will need:

1. 3 l. hot water;

2. 2 tbsp. l. sunflower oil;

3. 1 tbsp. l. Calcined soda;

4. 2 Tbsp. l. whitener;

5. 1 tbsp. laundry detergent;

6. 2 tbsp. l. salt.

Bleaching method:

1. Dip the bath accessories into the solution.

2. You can bring the water to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Use a special metal dishwasher for this.

3. Another option is to soak the cloth in the solution for 24 hours. A plastic basin will do the job.

4. After treatment, wash the items in the washing machine with an extra rinse to remove the chlorine smell.

Quick whitening of kitchen towels in the microwave

Same process of boiling, only in an accelerated version. We will need laundry soap and a plastic bag:

1. Moisten the towel and soap on all sides with laundry soap.

2. Put the product in a bag and, without tying it, put it in the microwave.

3. Turn the oven to maximum setting and wait 3 minutes.

4. Be careful when taking it out, as the cloth is very hot. We recommend leaving the towel in for another 5 minutes. Microwaves have an extended action principle and at this time the whitening process is still going on. At the same time, the hot fabric will cool down, and it will be easier for you to take it out of the microwave.

5. Rinse in clean water and hang dry.

If you apply these simple rules, you’ll be surprised at the results. Tender bath towels and snow-white kitchen towels will please you and your family and flatter your self-esteem with guests.