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Color
alterations | Pilling
| Snagging
| Shrinkage
| Hardness
| Symbols
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 Color
alterations |
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| During
the first washings the washing water may be colored,
due to the so-called bleeding. Bleeding is caused by
redundant dyeing molecules surrounding the cotton fibers.
These dyeing particles may settle on other textiles.
The original color of the towel won't change in case
of bleeding. For safety, one should wash colored towels
"3 x with like colors". This means that during
the first 3 washings towels with like colors should
be washed together: example; white with white, dark
blues with dark blues. Both hand wash and machine wash
are possible as long as the care instructions are followed.
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| The
use of laundry detergent that contains optical whitener,
may also influence the color fastness. In this case,
the color alternation is not caused by a lower degree
of color fastness of the used dyes. Optical whiteners
are products that absorb the non visible UV light from
the daylight and radiate it back as visible light. Due
to this, an apparent color change may occur. It is advisable
not to wash colored towels (even pastels) with optical
whiteners. The presence of optical whitener in laundry
products is mentioned on the package.
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| One
should never use non colorfast chlorine when washing
colored towels; the bleaching would make them loose
their color. |
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| Pilling |
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| Pilling
is caused by loosening of fibers. The short staple fiber
detaches itself from the long staple fibers and will
show up as small cotton dots on the fabric. Pilling
can also be caused by rubbing, either between different
parts of one textile product, or between the product
itself and another object. Therefore it is advisable
to half fill the washing machine. When the machine is
not filled entirely, the towels will rub more against
the wall of the washing drum, instead of against other
fabric. Velour towels and fabric have a tendency to
pill more than looped terry towels.
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| Snagging |
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| Snagging
is not the same as pilling. Sharp or pointed objects
may get hooked up in a loop and cause the loop to be
pulled out. In order to enjoy a long comfort of your
towels, it is desirable to avoid any contact with sharp,
pointed or cutting objects. Don't use your towel as
a polishing cloth in the bathroom, or to wipe walls
and closets: the contact with pointed objects loosens
the loops. Pulled loops can be cut carefully; pulling
them only causes more loops to disappear from your towel.
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| Shrinkage |
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| An
important characteristic of cotton is that it can be
boiled when washed. A drawback is that it is subject
to shrinkage. The handling at 95° C gives a greater
shrinkage and a faster bleaching of the colors than
at 60° C during the first washings.
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| Hardness |
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| When
washing, moderate use of laundry detergent is very important.
Too much detergent will cause it to stick to the fabric,
even after thorough rinsing. The result is that the
towel becomes rough. Be moderate in the use of detergent
and rinse well. |
| Adding
softeners to the last rinsing cycle makes the towels
softer. An excessive use though can also cause the towel
to become water repellent.
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| The
kind of water that is used: municipal, rain or well-water
usually has no impact on the washing process. |
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| The
way of drying however is very important. The usage of
a tumble dryer produces a smooth, soft towel just like
drying in the open air. When the towel is dried in the
fierce sun, or atop a heat source of some kind (convector),
the fibers become a lot stiffer.
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| Terry
towels should not be ironed. The loops will be flattened
out and the soft and plush look will disappear. The
loops will also be less absorbent.
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Symbols
of textile maintenance
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| To
help consumers in maintaining their textiles, the following
international
symbols were developed. |
