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How Do Hotels Keep Their Towels So White and Soft?
What Makes Hotel Towels So Nice?
Not all hotels use the same kind of bath or hand towel as there is no single company that distributes them. However, almost all hotels consider these three things when getting new towels: Material, Weight, and Grams per square meter value.
Material and weight
Most hotel towels are nice because they buy 100% cotton towels versus other materials like polyester.
Here’s why:
- Cotton towels offer a softer touch, specifically Egyptian Cotton towels.
- The weight of the towel matters immensely. The heavier it is, the better!
- Thicker towels provide a feeling of comfort, but they also absorb more water, allowing you to dry off faster.
Another great trick in finding the right towel is checking out the edges. If they’re stitched well, they will likely last longer, which is essential when buying any kind of towel.
Grams per square meter (GSM)
The last factor that makes hotel towels simply the best is the GSM (grams per square meter value).
The higher GSM value, which is usually 400-600 GSM, means the higher quality the towel is.
Overall, these are the three most important factors that make hotel towels so nice. But their durability and softness has a lot to do with how they are cleaned and dried.
The Right Detergent
Hotels tend to use Heavy Duty Detergents compared to what the average person uses at home. This kind of detergent has more potent chemicals in it and offers a deeper and more thorough cleaning.
Hotels also use less detergent.
Fabric Softener
Instead of your typical fabric softener hotels use baking soda and vinegar. Using these two things together eliminates strong smells and is less harsh on the material.
Not only can baking soda and vinegar as a fabric softener eliminate odors, but they also brighten the color and loosen towel fibers.
Regular Washing
Washing a damp towel right away is crucial to keep bacteria and mildew away. Hotels consistently use their washing machines and have endless amounts of wash cycles.
You don’t want to wait long to wash your towels as they can become filled with bacteria. Regular washing is vital in maintaining soft and clean bath towels.
Proper Drying
Hotels have access to larger drying machines, allowing more loads of laundry to be done than we could typically do at home.
When drying them, hotels tend to use high heat levels and tumble dryers which can soften fibers.
Baking Soda as a Softener
As mentioned above, using baking soda and vinegar is an excellent technique for washing your towels the way your favorite hotel does.
When adding this as a softener use about one cup of Baking Soda and half a cup of white vinegar or distilled white vinegar.
How Do Hotels Wash Towels?
Hotels have enormous front-loading machines and can wash many towels altogether. When first washing these towels, hotels flush them without chemicals.
They also do not over or underfill the machine. Hotels also use a warm water setting instead of a cold water or hot water setting.
Washing Towels Well at Home
Washing your towels at home will be different than washing them at a hotel as your resources differ.
- Make sure not to overfill your machine.
- Use a hot temperature versus a warm one, and do not wash your towels by themselves.
- You also want to be mindful that you’re not using too much powder or conditioners.
Using Baking Soda and Vinegar
Instead of the typical fabric conditioner, vinegar can help keep your towels cleaner than ever. Baking soda is also great to keep your towels soft and the material together.
These two combined are great to add to your wash and rinse cycle – especially if your towels at home have become stiff or dull. In that case, you want to use baking soda and vinegar to soften them right up.
How to Keep Towels Bright White Without Bleach
Bleach is the easiest way to make your white fabrics bright white, but an alternative solution involves using oxygen-based cleaners.
Using Oxygen-Based Cleaners
Oxygen-based bleaching is kinder on fabrics and the environment than chlorine bleach. Oxygen-Based cleaners also work hard to whiten your whites and keep them looking fresh and pristine.
Some popular brands are Napisan and Oxiclean. Another option is bluing your clothes, making them appear whiter.
When it comes to keeping your white towels, well, white, you want to be mindful of any stains that appear. You can spot-treat stains with oxygen-based bleaching agents or even use products like Vanish stain remover and spray.
Or, as previously mentioned, you can use Napisan or Oxiclean and soak your stained towels.
How Hotel Laundry Dries Towels for the Best Results
In general, hotels use large industrial dryers at high heat to ensure that pathogens are killed. However, this isn’t how you should dry your towels at home.
Ways to Dry Towels Well at Home
Two recommended ways to dry towels at home are by using lower dryer temperatures or a dryer ball.
Lower Dryer Temperature
The drying machines at hotels are of higher quality than the ones we usually use in our houses, so the way a hotel washes or dries their towels will differ.
Hotels tend to use higher heat levels when drying damp towels, while you want to use a lower temperature at home.
Instead of leaving your towel in the dryer the entire time, consider taking it out and letting it dry longer on a drying rack.
Dryer Ball Use
Dryer balls will be your new best friend when drying your towels at home. They can help de-wrinkle, reduce static, speed up drying, and make your towels softer overall!
Dryer balls, in general, work to prevent materials from clumping together. They also last years, so they are well worth the purchase!
However, many people use dryer sheets or dryer bars, too, and while these can be useful, they don’t last as long as dryer balls and do nothing to speed up the drying process.
What Happens if You Mix Vinegar and Laundry Detergent?
You do not want to mix vinegar and laundry detergent. Your towels or other materials will simply not be cleaned effectively if you do.
Also, using both of these will cancel each other out as they turn into salt and water. So instead use only one or the other.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why are white towels used in hotels?
Hotels use white towels instead of colored towels so that guests have a sense of cleanliness and can easily identify that these towels are clean and free of stains. Having all of the towels be white also makes cleaning them easier on the hotel itself.
Since they’re all the same color, they can be washed together in large loads for more efficiency and less cost.
Moreover, white towels tend to show their age or fade more quickly, alerting the hotel when to order new towels and replace them. Finally, white also invokes a sense of luxury which is something that hotel guests look for when staying somewhere.
What type of laundry detergent do hotels use?
Hotels tend to use heavy-duty detergents that contain more powerful cleaning chemicals than ones used at home. With more alkaline detergents hotels can easily remove dirt and grime from their towels.
Can you buy towels like those used in hotels?
There is no one place to buy towels like the ones in the hotels. And since a lot of what makes these towels so white and clean has to do with the process of cleaning them, there is no guarantee that you will be able to mimic the same effect at home.
However, some towels can be similar to what you can find online on Amazon or your local stores. Look for Egyptian cotton and well-stitched corners and try to copy a similar cleaning process at home.
