10 Tips for Touchy Towelling
Natural fibres can get a little crunchy after they’ve been washed and dried a few times, but a little bit of care will go a long way to keep your towelling ‘Hotel’ fluffy.
All So English garments carry a tag printed with washing instructions, but this is our detailed guide to washing and drying for softer, longer lasting towelling.
The golden rule of eco-friendly washing is don’t, unless you really need to. This saves energy and water while helping your towelling to last longer.
but, if you do …
1. Run a low temperature wash
Machine at 30°C on an Easy Care cycle
2. Use less detergent than you think
Use about half the amount of bleach-free detergent that you would use for other clothing. Towelling fibres are absorbent and too much detergent can leave a soapy residue, stiffening the fabric when dry.
3. Choose a liquid detergent
Liquid detergent dissolves more easily than powder at low temperatures (30C) and if you’re like me with sensitive skin, take a look at the Eczma Society’s guidance for tips on laundering clothes
4. How can I help the towelling to stay soft?
Using vinegar as a natural alternative to fabric softener is a great way to keep your towelling soft and absorbent without the residue that traditional fabric softeners can leave behind.
Here's how you can do it:
- Add a ¼ cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener compartment to help soften the fibres and lock in the colour. (You may also use fabric softener … but don’t use both!)
- To give your laundry a pleasant scent, add a few drops of essential oils (like lavender or eucalyptus) to the vinegar before use
5. How do I stop colours bleeding?
A colour run catcher from ColourCatcher is included in the pocket of each of our garments. Use this with the first few washes to remove any ‘bleeding’ from bright or dark coloured towelling. The sheet traps the dyes from the water before they deposit onto other garments in the machine. The manufacturer recommends only using once but I tend to use several times on dark clothing. The sheets are biodegradable and recyclable.
Try to wash similar colours together. Mixing dark colours with whites is never a good idea!
6. Avoid overloading the machine
Towelling needs space to circulate in the wash to clean effectively. Overloading can also stress the fibres
7. What if I have hard water?
If you have hard water, reduce the effects of mineral deposits with a water softener. A natural option is to use Soda Crystals (around 50-75g in hard water areas)
8. Shake when wet
Remove towelling from the machine as soon as the cycle ends and shake it to decompress the fibres and get rid of excess moisture
9. Don’t dry on a radiator(!) Wet cotton gets stiff and crispy when it is exposed to direct heat
10. Can I tumble dry towelling?
Tumble drying will actually help loosen the fibres
If you do, tumble on a low heat to ‘Iron Dry’ (or earlier) and then hang to fully dry.
Try to avoid the overuse of High Heat: This can degrade towelling over time, so reserve high heat only for quick drying when necessary.
One of the most responsible things you can do as a consumer is to keep your clothing as long as possible. So English garments are designed and manufactured to last.
Follow our care tips and your towelling will not only feel lovely, it will extend its life for years to come.
