Turkish Towel Care: 4 Easy Tips to Make Them Work for You
I’m going to guess you found your way here because like me, you recently purchased your first set of Turkish towels – and after a couple of uses you are wondering why everyone is raving about them. You probably used it 2… maybe 3 times, before you started reaching for the old tried and true towel that you’ve had since Black Friday 2015 because you just aren’t sold. I am here to say don’t give up! With proper Turkish towel care, you will fall in love with these soft, lightweight towels.
Turkish towels are growing in popularity as more and more people discover the benefits of lightweight towels that are not just super absorbent, but also available in an endless number of beautiful designs.
Because they’re made from Turkish cotton that has extra long fibers, your Turkish towels will actually become more absorbent and soft after subsequent washes.
Turkish Towels come in a variety of patterns and colors
Let me first tell you that the reference above to the Black Friday special towels… that was me. When we made the decision to become full-time RVers, I knew right away that it gave me enough reason to upgrade our bath towels. Eric would most definitely agree that any weight saved in the rig is good (old towels = heavy, Turkish towels = light), and I was already sold on them based on what I knew of them to be super absorbent (and cute).
After scrolling through so.many.options, I decided to jump right in and purchase 8 of them from a seller on Etsy. You might start with 1 or 2, but not me - I like to feel the regret of buyers remorse to its full extent. And at first, that’s exactly how I felt. Not anymore!
My first experience with our new Turkish towels went something like:
1st Use: Ummm these are not drying my skin at all. But they’re pretty. Let’s see if Eric notices.
2nd Use: I thought they were supposed to get more absorbent with each use?
3rd Use: How has Eric NOT complained about these yet? (Scans bathroom to see if he’s using old towels and maybe didn’t notice?)
4th Use: Hangs pretty new Turkish towel back up and reaches for old bath towel…
But don’t give up just yet! I just didn’t know the right way to care for my new towels.
Sound familiar?
These 4 TIPS for Turkish towel care are for you!
First, it’s important to remember that Turkish towels are made from long cotton fibers that become more absorbent with washes over time. You will want to run your towels through at least one full wash cycle prior to use.
Tip #1: Only wash Turkish towels with other like towels
Trust me… leave that one kitchen washcloth ‘til the next load and let your Turkish towels mingle alone.
Tip #2: Wash on delicate cycle, with cold/cool water
This may be a surprise to most, because if you’re like me - I would most definitely throw bath towels in with like a full scoop of Oxyclean, on the hottest water and most agitating wash setting there was. Your Turkish towels do not need that - and will actually become so much more absorbent when washed in cold water!
Tip #3: Keep it simple - detergent only
As I mentioned above, I was notoriously an over user of chemicals. Avoid fabric softener or any other additives besides good old fashioned laundry detergent. (Pass this along to remind your future self when you’re tossing these in the dryer too.)
Tip #4: Dry with no-heat (and still no fabric softener)
This. This tip is the one that had me singing the praises of these lightweight heavyweights! It is so important to dry your Turkish towels with as little heat as possible, whether that is a no-heat or low heat setting on your dryer, or by hanging them to line dry outside.
Trust me, it makes the difference. I choose to dry them on no-heat setting because it helps to reduce lint and makes them a little fluffier. It takes at least 2 hours of tumbling around in the dryer, but you will have the fluffiest, softest and super-est absorbent towels! Oh, and you will want to empty that lint trap at least 97 times while drying for the first couple of dries.
That’s it! These 4 TIPS will take you from scratching your head to falling in love with your new Turkish towels!
LOVE OUR TURKISH TOWELS?
Save 35% off your purchase at Organic Turkish Towel on Etsy – with promo code STAIRSUP35
(Note: this code is through a private seller and it may not be active at all times. However, they offer even deeper discounts during sales – so check back often!)
We'd love to hear from you!
Let us know if you have any questions that we can help with. Do you have Turkish Towels? Are you struggling with them? We’ve got you! Drop your questions or comments below.
