How to Wash Towels

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(4 Ratings)

Towels range from affordable to luxuriously expensive. All towels, however, no matter what their price levels, need continual washing to remain clean and healthy for the user. Lots of little loops in terrycloth towels are designed to trap moisture, and they don't always get a chance to dry properly. Regular, thorough washing takes care of any mildew or mites that attack the fabric and cut short its useful life.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Gather all your towels and sort them into darks and lights. For patterned towels, go with the most dominant color.
Step 2

Sort any towels used for cleaning into a separate pile.
Step 3

Wash the first load. Set the load capacity for the volume of towels you have.
Step 4

Adjust the temperature control to hot. A hot wash, with a cold rinse, is okay.
Step 5

Set the cycle to normal or heavy for an extra-large load of towels.
Step 6

Turn the washing machine on to start the cycle. Let a little water pour in, and then add your soap, so you won't get powder or sticky spots on your towels.
Step 7

Add the towels to the washer, arranging them to give the agitator space to move around.
Step 8

Close the washer lid and allow the cycle to progress. Some washers have a buzzer that sounds when the load is done.
Step 9

Dry dark and light towels separately in order to keep white or light towels bright. Dry cotton towels on high heat.

Tips & Warnings

To prevent mildew, always air towels out for a short time after machine drying. The terrycloth pile may still hold moisture that needs to evaporate.
Towel seams take a beating in the washer and dryer. As you sort your towels, check for wear that might be repaired before putting them through the wash again.
Be careful with bleach, as it can irritate some people's skin.
Watch the lint screen if you are washing and drying a lot of towels. Towels create more lint than most fabrics, and a clogged lint screen may prevent your clothes from drying. It can even cause a fire.
Do not let an errant red item make its way into your load of white towels. If you do, you will own pink towels.
Don't cram a washer full of towels. Some units won't be able to handle the heavy load.