Questions about bath towels....

[revvinkevin]

1. How do you keep them as soft and fluffy as when new?

2. Does using liquid fabric softener effect their ability to absorb water? (Many years ago I heard it did)

3. How many years do you use your towels before replacing them?

4. Wash in warm or always in hot, or HOT!...?

Thanks in advance!
Kevin

 

[bradfordwhite]

No fabric softner in towels. It clogs the pores of the towels.

Fluffy towels are one thing I've found you can only get with a dryer.

Follow instructions on care tag.

Clean, soft water is best.

Iron in your water will ruin them in no time.

 

[maytag85]

A few people may know on how to keep towels like new but I do know is that fabric softener can somewhat effect towels to absorb water but that’s if you were to use a entire cup of fabric softener. Always use a small amount of fabric softener on towels every now and again to give them a fresh scent but since I’ve been using my 1963 Whirlpool Imperial dryer with it’s UV/ozone light I haven’t been using fabric softener on towels for the past few months since towels have a unique fresh scent from the UV/ozone light in my 1963 Whirlpool Imperial dryer.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Sean

Is that also the light the prevents Polio?

Robert says he has some washers with a special light in it and as a result, he's never had Polio.

 

[maytag85]

Reply #3

Yes, and prevents covid-19 too. I’ve been using my 1963 Whirlpool Imperial dryer ever since I got it last July and the whole reason I’ve been using that dryer is my mother works at a Amazon warehouse and there have been a few positive covid-19 cases and there are still a few cases every now and again still and to prevent me or anyone from getting sick from covid-19 I’ll just use that dryer to be sure everything is all sanitized and freshened and it may be overkill but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

 

[askolover]

I only use Suavitel fabric softener on my towels because Downy, Gain, All, Snuggle all tend to make them too "soft" and just smear water around instead of absorbing it.  All my towels are white and they all get washed in hot water and Clorox. 

 

I work in ICU in the largest hospital in Middle Tennessee where the sickest of the sick are sent and we've never gotten sick from my uniforms that get washed in hot water also.  If I've had a really buggy patient, I'll add a little fresh scent  or lavender Lysol to the wash water.  My gas dryer gets hot enough to kill anything else.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

How on earth does that UV bulb in the dryer work?

How on earth does that UV bulb in the dryer work?And is it possible to retrofit it to other dryers? Like a GE or something similar

 

[launderess]

Small amount of fabric softener now and then on towels won't harm their absorbency. Routine use of the stuff, and or in large amounts is another matter.

Keep in mind of one uses soaps for bathing there is going to be that residue in wash cloths and maybe a bit on towels anyway. Then there is any residue from detergents (especially liquids which are high in surfactants nowadays), which will build up in toweling over time.

Now and then it might be a good idea to "strip" toweling as described here: https://www.towelsupercenter.com/Blog/make-towels-absorbent.html

Or maybe follow this advice: https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...86563a-4a59-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html

How Do I Keep Towels Soft? - The Turkish Towel Company

It’s a hard life, being a towel. All that hard water and friction can really wear a fabric down. Not to mention regular exposure to oil and soil. Even our fluffy, luxurious Turkish towels need a little TLC now and then, to keep them feeling their best. If you’ve ever asked the question ‘How do...

turkishtowelcompany.com

 

[tomturbomatic]

In modern dryers, the airflow is so high as to dilute and blow away any ozone one of these bulbs might generate. The older dryers that used them were low air flow design machines where the the ultra violet light worked with the high moisture environment to break down the occasional water molecule to liberate oxygen which served as a mild bleach and disinfectant, much as sunlight does when damp fabrics are hung out to dry.

 

The UV bulb has to have a 40 watt incandescent bulb to serve as a ballast so you have to have a tub light operating to have a germicidal bulb.

 

You cannot count on a UV bulb to protect you from the COVID Virus. The virus is long dead by the time it gets to the dryer and if it were still alive by the time the clothing were brought into the house, it would have a chance to infect people before it got to the dryer.

 

[chachp]

Confused over Fabric Softener...

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I've read over the years not to use FS on towels because it reduces their absorbency.  Yet, the FS I use shows pictures of towels on the front and on their website it says "<span style="font-weight: normal; caret-color: #1f1f1f; color: #1f1f1f;">especially well-suited for all textiles made of terry cloth.</span>"  So I'm not sure if they are saying we should use their product on towels because aren't they Terry Cloth?  I use very little FS in the rinse and only occasionally.  They are soft, have a nice scent and seem to be as absorbent as they should be.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">I tried the laundry stripping process on towels a couple of months back and it did make a difference.  The water wasn't as murky as I've seen in some you tube videos, but you could tell it removed something.  </span>

 

[mrboilwash]

First of all it makes a huge difference what quality the towels are.
Just like any other cotton fabric it can be made from expensive long fibers or from cheap short fibers which will tangle and pill in the washing process.
You don`t see pilling of terry cotton as clearly as let`s say on a Jersey material like sweatshirts are made from, but you will notice the rough feel of on your skin.

Then there can be incrustration from hard water minerals if the water is hard and detergent has repeatedly not been dosed accordingly high. The damage is usually irreversible, because strong enough acids to dissolve the limescale would also damage the fibers and stripping with phosphates would only work if those minerals have never exceeded 60 °C in the washer or dryer. Thats because limescale precipitates at this temperature.

Like others I don`t see a problem using FS as long as the dose is kept at a minimum.
I use less than a quarter of the recommended dose.

 

[launderess]

Many Americans report that Miele fabric softener doesn't make things slick soft like Donwy or other USA similar products. This product is about one-third cationic surfactants which may have something to do with things.

Commercial and industrial laundries long have had access to a better quality of fabric softeners or conditioners. Things that aren't necessarily the gloppy fat or oil laden stuff you often find in supermarkets. Miele Care collection products seem to come from private label vendors that produce industrial laundry products. Their Ultra White detergent is quite good IMHO.

Commercial laundries that to toweling, bedding and other things that are expected to be "soft" use something in final rinse in aid of that.

 

[kb0nes]

I use a bit of fabric softener on towels but only every other time or so to prevent build up. Don't feel it hurts absorbency at all but it does seem to help the loft. Powdered Tide sometimes with oxy bleach always in hot water. Tumble drying in a dryer without the blue light marketing gimmick...

 

[cam2s]

When I had my Maximas I washed my towels on sanitize, with just a small touch of fabric softener. The steam sequence in the dryer made for quite lovely towels as well. Since I’ve had to start using the laundromat I’ve noticed a decrease in the quality and cleanliness of my towels.

At the hotel, towels are washed in hot water (140 incoming temp) and have softener added to the final rinse as well. We use Ecolab products, the softener is actually great I wish I could get it for home use. It does a good job without being too much in either scent or affecting the absorption of the towels.

 

[ea56]

I have some towels that are over 20 years old.  I always wash them in hot water using the longest cycle time.  For white towels I add some LCB.  I stopped using LFS about 3 years ago, I don’t like the way it can leave a residue in the machine and I think the towels lose some absorbency.  I do use Dryer Fabric Softener Sheets though.  They keep the towels fluffy but don’t seem to leave a film on the fabric.  

 

We have 10 sets of bath towels and I rotate them so they get equal wear.  I think this can contribute to the towels lasting longer.

 

Eddie

 

[warmsecondrinse]

UV Lights in Dryers

#6 & 8

I'm trying to visualize this as well. I've looked on YouTube and it appears UV light dryers are all the rage, not that most of it makes much sense, lol.

So rather than pepper everyone with questions, is there a vid somewhere that shows how UV lights theoretically worked in dryers such as in the aforementioned 1963 Whirlpool Imperial dryer?

Thanks!

 

[appnut]

I have 11sets of towels I use during fall & winter and another set of 10 or 11 I use during spring and summer. Hot water and some softener. the towels range in age from 45 years to 10 to 15 years old. So they all get fairly evenly rotated. Part of why they've lasted so long, pointedly getting rid of agitator washer & going front loader!!

 

[appnut]

How long should each segment of the "wash/rinse" vinegar and thn baking soda be?

 

[frigilux]

All my bath linens are white. I have two sets; one for summer and one for winter. The winter towels are bath sheets; the summer, standard large towels. All of it came from Sam's Club.

Hot (close to 150 degrees) water washes in Tide or Persil; a dose of Clorox every now and then. Have never used fabric softener on towels.

I absolutely agree with Bob: My towels have aged a little faster since switching to a Speed Queen top-loader in 2017. I've finally taken John L's advice and shortened the wash time to 6-8 minutes, which reduces wear-and-tear on them.

I was so used to long wash tumbles in the front-loaders that I tended to wash everything on the Max soil level (14-16 minutes on Heavy Duty and Whites cycles), which was overkill with the SQ's aggressive agitation. I've also learned to use the Bulky cycle (slow agitation; fast spin) on small to medium-sized loads.