How To Care For Towelling

Wondering how to care for towelling to create the soft, plush, towels that guests love?  Here are some simple hints, tricks and inside knowledge to help achieve the fluffy luxury that guests delight in and that instantly elevate your property.  

Vendella’s towelling goods arrive compressed into bales for maximum efficiencies in exporting, storage, and freight.  As a result fibres are squashed flat, having been packaged into bales for some time.

Washing Towels

A key first step in ensuring that your towel offering is en point, is to wash your towels at 50 to 60 degrees upon receipt. This will fluff up the fibres to create the luxury loft that guests are after and stabilise initial shrinkage, tightening the weave of the fabric to increase fibre strength and longevity.  Because towels are used and washed frequently in commercial environments, a gentle, eucalyptus-based or mild washing detergent free from optical brighteners, is recommended to protect and retain the fibre colour.  It is equally important to always dissolve detergent fully before adding towels to the wash. 

The products below are options which are readily available:
https://ecostore.com/nz/eucalyptus-laundry-liquid-5-litre-54/
https://earthwise.co.nz/earthwise-laundry-powder-orange-eucalyptus/

Avoid fabric softeners as these impede the absorbency of your towels.  

After the first hot wash, subsequent washes at 40 degrees is optimal for protecting the fabric and increasing durability.  Wash towels separately from other items. Wash dark coloured towels separately from white towelling. This will prevent fibre from dark towels being deposited onto white towels in the wash which can result in a stained appearance. 

Drying Towels

Line drying towels in the shade is best.  Alternatively, tumble drying on a mid temperature fluffs up the towels and creates a thick, soft feel. Remove towels from the tumble dryer before completely dry, and allow them to air dry fully. Storing damp towels can lead to mould and mildew. Avoid over drying towels as this removes natural moisture from the fiber, causing towels to feel rough.

After the first wash there may be a few loose, pulled threads – snip these off with sharp scissors.  This is perfectly normal – trim to prevent them catching and pulling.

Managing Stains

Soak make-up or sun tan lotion stains in warm soapy water and then wash as normal. For stubborn stains and marks on towelling, spot clean with a commercial stain remover.
https://www.vanish.co.nz/products/pre-treaters/vanish-preen-gold-pro-oxiaction-trigger/
https://www.vanish.co.nz/products/pre-treaters/

Lint

New towels can lint or pill. If this should occur, wash two or three times and tumble-dry to remove excess fluff and lint.  To maintain optimum equipment efficiency, clean the filters of your washing machine and tumble dryer regularly.

Coloured Towels

Many washing detergents contain optical brighteners and it is advisable to wash coloured towels in a product designed for coloured items. Also, avoid direct contact by dissolving detergent completely before adding towels. Unsurprisingly, common household items such as bleach and toilet cleaners and some beauty products can also stain towels – if this should happen, wash in cold water as soon as possible before washing as normal. Avoid using bleach or any other whitening agent.

Knowing how to care for towels and a good wash and care routine is essential for keeping your goods looking their best for longer. This can differ depending on the construction and quality of the towel and it is a good idea to first refer to the care instructions on the label.

Here is a link to the towelling options that Vendella have on offer.