A towel in every home is an indispensable care item. Each of us plunges into his arms after taking a shower, after going to the bathhouse. Wiping hands, face, body, everyone wants to feel softness, warmth. Many people choose beautiful things to complement the design of the kitchen and bathroom. A “proper” towel becomes a friend for a long time, while poor-quality goods will quickly disappoint the owner. When buying, you need to know how to choose a towel, pay attention to density, material, durability, absorbency and other characteristics. This will be discussed.
The main types of towels
Before you go to the store for the accessory you are looking for, you should decide for what purpose you are making a purchase. How to choose a towel, what is it for? There are a lot of types of this product, and each has its own properties. The following types are the most common and basic:
- Bath towel. Must have a large size. It is pleasant to wrap yourself in it after taking a shower, bath or sauna. It should perfectly absorb moisture, be soft, gentle, warm. Typically, bath towels include large terry products.
- Kitchen towel. There are special requirements. Towels in the kitchen are constantly exposed to water, grease, dirt, harmful liquids. It is intended for wiping dishes, tables, hands. The material should be without a long pile, and better without it. It is good to choose linen or waffle towels for the kitchen.
- Facial towel. These products come in contact with sensitive, delicate skin. The choice must be approached more carefully. It is better to dwell on soft, well-absorbing specimens. Towels made of bamboo are suitable for washing .
- For arms and legs. These towels are selected in a small size, they are hung near the washbasin. The main requirement is good absorbency.
Other species
In addition to these types, there are many more different towels. Particular attention should be paid to products for children:
- Baby towels. The material for such specimens is special: soft, delicate, having double-sided terry. For children, towels with bright patterns will be interesting. Often they are made with a hood so that the baby does not take off the towel from his head.
- A beach towel usually combines two functions at once. They are pleased to wipe themselves after swimming in the sea, as well as lie comfortably, sunbathing in the sun. The main requirement is good absorbency, as well as convenient size.
- Towel or wedding towel. Carries in itself more semantic function. A gift for an important event. It is usually made of linen, decorated with embroidery, floral patterns, the image of pigeons, larks, swans.
- Massage towels are specially made with a certain combination of cotton and linen. They are more rigid, allow you to relax and calm the muscles.
Dimensions
Before choosing a towel, you need to determine in advance the size of the product. Like all textile products, towels have their own standards in size. Imported ones may differ slightly, but basically the indicators are the same, mainly these:
- Guest or toilet towels. Size 30x30 (30x50). Used for hands or in the kitchen.
- Kitchen standard 50x70.
- Towel 50x85 (90) for the face.
- A 50x100 towel is usually used for the face or as a small shower.
- The average bath (can be for the shower) 70x140.
- Classic bath 80x160.
- Large sizes 100x150 or 90x160 are often used in a bath or sauna. In such a towel you can thoroughly wrap yourself. It is possible to use as a small terry sheet on the beach, in massage.
- Size 80x200 is also used in a bathhouse or massage room.
- Sizes from 150x200 to 175x250 can already be attributed to terry sheets.
How to choose a towel. Types of fabric
When choosing a towel, you need to consider the fabric from which it is made. Each product has its own advantages:
- How to choose a terry towel? Such a product is woven into four threads in such a way that small loops are obtained on the surface. They give the fabric volume and softness. A terry towel with large loops attracts with convenience and comfort, remarkable absorbent properties, abrasion resistance and hypoallergenicity.
- Velor towels. The cotton is woven into four threads, and the loops formed are simply sheared. The surface as a result becomes brilliant, looks beautiful. Velor towels are useful for the skin, they are soft and soft. But they absorb moisture a little worse than terry.
- Waffle towels. Cotton weaves here in a completely different way. Small cells form on the surface of the tissue, hence the name "waffle". Most often used in the kitchen for dishes, for hands, they absorb moisture well.
- Jacquard towels. For weaving, special machines are used. The cotton threads are tightly intertwined, the pattern is formed in a special way. Such products are more expensive than others. Jacquard towels are double-woven double-sided. There are both terry and smooth. The appearance is stylish and beautiful.
Materials
The most common and respected material in the manufacture of towels has always been cotton. This natural material perfectly absorbs moisture, is environmentally friendly, and durable. In addition, it is pleasant to the touch, soft and hypoallergenic. Good cotton towels are more expensive than synthetic towels, but they also serve better and much longer.
Before choosing a good towel, carefully study the product label. Some manufacturers deftly deceive us, indicating in the composition of “100% cotton M” - this indicates the addition of artificial fiber or, for example, “100% cotton PC" - in this case, added polycotton. When choosing, you must consider the country of origin of the cotton. The highest quality cotton for making terry from Pakistan and Egypt.
Towels often include synthetics such as modal. It makes the towel more beautiful, soft, fluffy, pleasant to the touch. Products with a modal are quite durable. The addition of other synthetic fabrics adversely affects the absorbency of the product.
Bamboo
Recently, the most popular towels are products made of bamboo fiber or in combination with cotton. If you are faced with the question of how to choose a bath towel, we advise you to pay attention to bamboo products. They perfectly absorb moisture, seemingly shiny, delicate, have antibacterial properties. They are suitable even for allergy sufferers and asthmatics, comfortable to use, pleasant to the touch. Such towels are stronger than cotton products and will last much longer. The composition along with bamboo (except cotton) may include a lyocell. This fiber is made of eucalyptus, which is also natural, environmentally friendly, copes well with moisture, dries quickly. One minus is that it wears out a little faster than cotton and bamboo.
Other components in the addition may include silk and linen. These natural fibers also improve product quality. They make it more shiny, smooth, and durable.
We check the quality
You have already learned how to choose the right towel by type of fabric, size. Now you need to determine the quality of processing. Pay attention to the processing of seams and the quality of staining. Already in the store you can detect poor staining. Run a towel with a white, damp cloth, if it is at least a little stained, refuse the purchase. The product fades at the first wash.
Pay attention to seam processing. All threads must be of the same type and evenly trimmed, not extended beyond the border of the product. Most often, the edges are processed with an overlock or seam. The second option is preferable, the edges do not fray longer. The line should be smooth and durable.
Towel density - how to choose?
The density of weaving for all products is different. It is indicated per square meter of fabric in grams. A thin waffle towel has a density of 150-250 gm 2 . Higher numbers from 300 to 800 gm 2 indicate the density of the terry towel. How to choose a product from terry? Pay attention not only to density, but also to the height of the pile. The strength, absorbency and elasticity of the towel depend on this. Higher densities will guarantee a long service life. How to choose a bath towel, focusing on density indicators? The best choice is from 400 to 600 gm 2 . Such a towel absorbs moisture perfectly, but does not get wet through right away as soon as you wrap it in it. It dries quickly and serves for many years. Terry products with a density of less than 350 will not last long, so even in order to save them, it is not profitable to buy them. As for the pile, it must be added that the most optimal option is a pile with a length of 5 mm. Products with villi of 8 mm are, at first glance, fluffier, softer, but after just a few washings, the towel will become stiff, as they simply roll up.
Towel Care
And, of course, it’s worth mentioning the care of towels. As for washing, after buying a new product is better to stretch. It is unhygienic to use a towel directly from the store. When washing, water should not exceed a temperature of 60 degrees. Load the machine no less than 70%. The powder must be used for colored laundry. Put the wash at medium speed (up to 800), otherwise the loops may stretch. Do not use a lot of conditioner, subsequently absorbed terry. You do not need to iron a towel, but if you do, use a damp cloth and heat the iron no more than 150 degrees. If puffs on the towel have formed, they can easily be cut with scissors, weaving this allows. Carefully care for the products, and they will last you for many years.