There are certain things we use multiple times throughout the day: a favourite coffee mug, phone, lipstick, or wallet. Undoubtedly, among the most used items are towels. We use them to dry our hands, face, hair, or wrap ourselves in after a shower or bath. It always feels good when a towel is clean, soft, and fragrant. We love to wrap ourselves in a fresh, long-lasting scent right when we enter the bathroom. What can be done to keep our towels fragrant and fresh even several days after washing? In the following lines, we'll reveal the steps you need to follow to achieve that.
Laundry Tips for Proper Washing
Always wash new towels before their first use. This removes dust and any chemicals added during production to make them softer.
Before the first wash, soak the towels in cold water with a bit of vinegar for 24 hours. Vinegar helps to set the colours so they won't fade during washing.
Since towels accumulate dead skin cells, leftover cosmetics, and bacteria from your skin, it's crucial to wash them at 60 °C and select the cotton wash program. Don't overload the washing machine drum so there's enough space for thorough washing and rinsing.
We recommend washing towels separately from other laundry, and also washing white and coloured towels separately. This ensures that white towels do not turn grey after washing.
Don't forget to use the right amount of laundry detergent. Prefer liquid detergent over powder and avoid using excessive amounts, as it's difficult to rinse out and leaves residues on the fibres.
You should spin-dry towels at a speed of 1,200 revolutions per minute and remove them from the washing machine immediately after the program ends.
Last but not least, maintaining fresh-smelling towels and linens also hinges on a clean washing machine. The need to clean your machine depends largely on the temperature you wash at. If you mostly wash at 40°C, it's important to clean your machine more frequently. Higher temperatures help eliminate bacteria. Don't forget to wipe down the rubber door seal to remove detergent residues after each wash. Additionally, remember to clean out the detergent and fabric softener dispenser drawer and give it a thorough wash at least once a month to remove build-up.
Pay equal attention to cleaning the filter. For a thorough clean of the washing machine drum, it's best to use a professional cleaner, which you can purchase at a drugstore. Just pour it into the machine and run it empty at either 60°C or 90°C. The cleaner will circulate throughout the internal components and screws during the wash cycle, removing residues and limescale. This is a good practice to clean your washing machine every three months.
Fabric Softener? Better not!
When washing towels, avoid using fabric softener. It coats the cotton fibres and creates a film that reduces the towel's absorbency. However, if you still desire long-lasting, fragrant towels, go for Puella laundry perfumes, which are an excellent and effective alternative to fabric softener. Puella laundry perfumes are made with a high concentration of essential oils and unlike regular fabric softeners, they do not clog the washing machine. They are suitable for all types of fabrics, do not clog the fibres of your laundry, and do not affect their functionality. Moreover, they provide intense and long-lasting fragrance to your clothes. Read our customers' verified reviews or order a sample kit of perfumes and see for yourself!
Proper Drying
If possible, dry towels hanging in an open space, preferably outdoors in partial shade. Allow several hours for them to fully dry. Sun and fresh air will give towels a natural fragrance. Folding and storing towels while they are still damp can lead to unpleasant mildew odours that are difficult to remove.
If you use a dryer, choose a low to medium drying temperature and shake out the towels thoroughly before placing them inside. If you want the towels to be soft, you can use dryer balls, which you can buy at any drugstore. Using them can reduce drying time by up to 25%.
Also, keep in mind that the fragrance added to towels by Puella laundry perfumes will not fade even after using the dryer.
In addition, don't forget to hang towels on a hanger or rack in the bathroom after each use. If possible, let towels air dry spread out or folded halfway on a radiator or towel rack after showering or bathing. Never leave towels or washcloths thrown around in the bathroom. They will remain damp, promoting the growth of various bacteria and moulds, which can irritate the skin.
Also, don't forget to regularly ventilate the bathroom itself. In humid environments, towels quickly lose their scent and acquire a musty odour.
Ironing
Ironing can have a disinfecting effect on one hand, as it removes bacteria from the laundry, but on the other hand, it can irreversibly damage certain fibres.
You can safely iron towels, cloths, and cotton waffle towels, but avoid ironing terry towels as this would flatten and break their fibres, thereby reducing their absorbency.
Fragrance in Your Closet as well
Store your towels in a dry, well-ventilated space to prevent mould and unwanted odours. To maintain their freshness, you can hang one of Puella's fragrance tags in your closet or linen cabinet. Designed to release fragrance for a long time, they ensure that your towels stay pleasantly scented long after washing.
In this article, we've shown you everything that's necessary to maintain the fresh and long-lasting scent of towels. You've discovered that it's a combination of several factors: choosing and correctly dosing suitable detergent, proper drying, storage, washing machine maintenance, and bathroom ventilation. By choosing a quality laundry perfume Puella, you'll enrich not only your towels but also your home with a beautiful and luxurious scent.