Individually or in sets, towels are a must in every home. But what are the characteristics that make a quality towel ? How do you recognize the product that suits you and meets your needs? Follow these practical tips for choosing your towels.
Choose the fabric
First of all, a necessary distinction must be made between fabrics that are useful for drying the body and those that are best suited for absorbing excess water from dishes and surfaces. Keep in mind that absorption comes from maximizing the surface area. Therefore, cotton towels are recommended for hands and body while linen towels are perfect for drying plates and glasses. A sponge cloth is undoubtedly more absorbent and dry on both sides. You will therefore have a larger surface for drying. Treated linen is a mixture of linen, cotton and rayon : a perfect choice for drying dishes because it increases evaporation. Finally, pure linen is strong, resistant and super absorbent : ideal for everything. There are also microfiber towels that have the advantage of being light and very thin and dry very quickly.
Cotton towels
There are many possible variations for this product: towel, terry cloth, jacquard or honeycomb. On the market you will find a wide choice of models, colors and patterns. Cotton towels can be machine washed at 60°C, but remember not to add too much fabric softener, so as not to risk reducing their water absorption capacity over time. You don't need to iron them, just spread them out well and fold them carefully once they are dry.
Bathroom Linens : all sizes
Bath linen sets generally consist of towels and larger shower towels. Sometimes there are also small towels called "mops" that are used to dry hands, especially when traveling. It is not uncommon to find bathrobes that match these sets. The dimensions may vary, but generally the size of the bath towel is about 100 x 150 cm, the average towel is about 60 x 100 cm, the towel for the bidet measures 40 x 60 cm and the towels used for the hands are only 30 x 30 cm.
The right amount of towels for the home ?
An unwritten rule of thumb suggests that each family member needs at least three towels: bath towel, bidet towel and hand towel. It will therefore be necessary to provide enough towels for the whole family and for possible guests.
As far as the combinations are concerned, the towels do not escape the style choices that concern all the bathroom furniture. White linen is always an elegant solution and does not create any aesthetic constraint, but to obtain an excellent effect, you can choose the color and shades present in the tiles, with geometric or floral, striped patterns. Colored napkins, such as the Pantone napkin, are also very popular, in bright, shiny colors.
How to recognize a quality towel ?
There are clues to help you understand if what you are buying is a quality towel. The best cotton fibers are long and straight. In addition, the best terry towels are soft and velvety to the touch and have a consistent weight. In order to evaluate the reliability of a bath product, one of the reference values is the GPM, i.e. grams per meter, excellent from 550 gpm. If the label does not indicate this information, you can touch the fabric and feel its weight and texture by grasping it and making sure it does not scatter fluff and yarn: this way you make sure the fabric does not lose its body.
Washing towels : practical tips
For soft terry towels, it is essential to wash them often immediately after purchase and before use. This process is used to remove chemical residues from the manufacturing process and to better release the absorbency of the cotton. After many washes, the fibers are better able to perform the task for which they were assembled, namely to absorb water. Bleaching, which is useful for removing stains and making the white shine, softens the towels without damaging them. After all, a good towel is one that doesn't lose color, threads or lint, soft and strong.
In the same category