Nice, thick new towels--but they don't dry you off.

[raccoon]

They just kind of...blot the water off you. I encountered these towels recently when I was visiting a friend.

Anybody else run into this? What is to be done? What if all new towels are like that?

[Logical]

1. This is a GD topic? Towels? n-t

[Glassunion]

2. Well... It could be an NSA conspiracy

So that would fall under current events.

[treestar]

54. There are chips in those towels

So the NSA can measure how much water people are using in the shower!

[Ikonoklast]

74. Those towels are manufactured by a holding company that controls a dozen shell corporations

that contract out production to offshore concerns, all of which are owned by the guy that invented The Human Squeegee.

[raccoon]

4. Well, if I put it in the Lounge, I don't have as much chance of getting a serious answer. nt

[Adam051188]

12. ur serious?............

[A Little Weird]

45. There's a forum called Household Hints & Help

I have read lots of great tips over there and this would be a good topic for that forum - http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1093

That being said - I would wash the towels a couple of times using vinegar in place of fabric softener in the rinse. I personally prefer to let them air dry because they don't seem to get as much static as when using the dryer.

[Kaleva]

49. Didn't know about that group. Just subscribed to it.

[enlightenment]

56. I never use fabric softener for towels.

It blocks absorption.

[A Little Weird]

59. I don't either

In the summertime, I don't use it on anything. But it does help with static, so in winter, I use it on colors and sheets. Many people I know won't even consider giving it up though.

[enlightenment]

84. Vinegar works just as well.

Though I admit it doesn't smell "April Fresh" . . .

[rug]

50. We are too busy dealing with the latest military incursions to deal with your towel problems.

[dipsydoodle]

16. SOP for GD includes "issues"

Maybe if the towels were paper that would be tissues.

[Katashi_itto]

52. They were made in....BENGHAZI!!!!!!

[Logical]

55. OK, makes sense now! (good one!) nt

[Katashi_itto]

57. :)

[treestar]

61. So few seem to be getting the point!

If those towels are bad, we must immediately worry that they are all bad and that we will all end up wet! Damn that Obama!

[busterbrown]

67. Are you talking about Benghazi’s on third?

Great restaurant, I heard..

[Katashi_itto]

81. :)

[lame54]

69. Sounds pretty general to me

[Adam051188]

3. the next occupy movement is born.....

[MineralMan]

5. All new towels need to be thoroughly

washed before they are used. Otherwise, they don't work well. That's my guess for these towels. Your friend probably put them out, unwashed, so they'd look brand new. A trip through the washer and dryer will fix that, I'm sure.

[MH1]

21. But no fabric softener.

Good towels don't need fabric softener and work much better without. (Must be dried in the dryer though. Hanging towels to dry results if terry-cloth boards. )

[MineralMan]

22. That's true. I don't use that stuff for anything.

Costco basic detergent, only. Wash and dry. A little Clorox for white stuff.

[no1uno]

31. Yep..

you hit it right on.

[Gormy Cuss]

35. You can fix that washboard effect by tossing them in the dryer for five minutes.

Also, thicker towels don't seem to get as stiff when they're line dried.

[MH1]

38. Yes, that's correct.

Actually I line dry 90% of my stuff but the exception is towels and sheets. I figure I'm doing my part by line-drying everything else (and usually I am out of "line" for drying by the time I get to the towels and sheets).

[Kali]

62. NNOOOO!!!!

I LIKE good rough, line-dried towels! Like getting a spa treatment or something. Defoliating all that gross stuff off your skin!


soft towels feel dirty to me, like they have been used for weeks - give me a nice, rough ABSORBENT towel any day!

[elehhhhna]

6. new towels need to be runthrough the wash and dryer

a few times before use or they don't seem to work right. I think it's the sizing they put in the cotton?

[elehhhhna]

8. yep, here;

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-New-Towels-More-Absorbent

[pintobean]

65. Baking soda will also remove stiffness from new jeans.

The owner of the dry goods store where I buy my work clothes told me that and it works. A half cup in the wash cycle.

[madokie]

11. When I can get by with it I leave the dryer sheets out too

they seem to make the towels less absorbent, to me anyway.

[BlueToTheBone]

15. If you don't use a detergent with phosphates

you don't need dryer sheets. I haven't used dryer sheets for 10 years.

[madokie]

20. Thank you for the tip

we have a front loader and I'm not sure what is in the detergent we use but I'll check it out and see.
When I do laundry my answer always is, Honey I forgot concerning the dryer sheets

[BlueToTheBone]

28. I use Mrs. Meyers concentrate

no chemicals and has great fragrance. 7th Generation, Biokleen, some others like that. If you have material that is rather clingy, put a bit of laundry soap on something like a washcloth and it will do all the things dryer sheets do without the chemicals. I stopped because the stuff makes me itch. I'm very uncomfortable in my skin as it is without adding to!

[madokie]

37. Thank you, I'll be looking for that for sure.

DU has the mostest bestest people

[BlueToTheBone]

44. I so agree!

Happy New Year!

[madokie]

48. Happy New Year to you

[Tree-Hugger]

27. This is true

I use cloth diapers for my babies and most brands caution against using fabric softener (it also voids some warranties ) as it will interfere with the absorbency of the material. I believe fabric softener leaves a residue on fabrics. Nasty stuff, anyway.

If you want softer fabrics, you can use a splash of white vinegar in the rinse cycle of your wash. The smell does not remain. Or you can use wool dryer balls in the dryer. I have done both and they work well.

[DebJ]

33. Just like the soft toilet paper my daughter buys...seems to coat you with lotion

but worthless for the intended purpose.

[Tree-Hugger]

34. Yes!

My husband just accidentally bought a fluffy brand rather than our usual. It was worthless for it's intended purpose.

[madokie]

36. Thanks, I'll look for some

If you use dryer sheets you can take your filter out of the dryer and hold it flat and poor water on it and it will hold water like a jug. Air will still go through it but water won't so that tells me the sheets has to hinder whatever you dry using them absorbency.

[onehandle]

7. I've encountered those in hotels. They look luxurious, but don't soak up a drop.

I figured they were designed to impress at first glance, but not entice you to steal them once you use them.

[dipsydoodle]

9. New towels are like new hankies.

Best washed before use.

[Cirque du So-What]

10. I encountered some towels in the '70s & '80s

that had some degree of polyester in the mix. They never absorbed well, and I'm certain they'd been through the wash several times. Ever since then, I've always made sure the label said '100% cotton' before purchasing towels.

[lunasun]

58. yes 100% cotton and prewashed

[NV Whino]

13. Make sure they are not polyester

Cotton or bamboo are the only materials that absorb properly.

[dembotoz]

14. sadly part of the problem is that there is more of me to dry

time for a new years resolution or some such

[DefenseLawyer]

17. I took a towel from a Holiday Inn in 1993

It was an accident! It somehow ended up in my luggage as I was packing. As if the authorities will ever believe that. I've been on the run ever since, staying one step ahead of those ruthless Holiday Inn bastards. The sad thing is, that towel won't dry you off, it just kind of blots the water off you.

[TwilightGardener]

18. I hate soft, fluffy towels. Towels should be a little rough, for the best drying.

[Kali]

63. YES!!!

[snooper2]

19. You are supposed to use the underwear you had on fist

get all the big drops, then the towel is just for a little primping!

[postulater]

46. ^^^^ This works. I can attest.

[gollygee]

23. I think the problem is

too much polyester and not enough cotton.

I prefer 100% cotton towels. For robes too!

[intaglio]

24. Probably fabric softener

Give them a couple of washes without softener and dry them. They will feel rougher but will dry you properly.

[xulamaude]

25. The cotton is just not the same anymore.

I'm pretty sure that almost all commercial cotton is genetically modified.

The best towels I have are vintage, from the 60s and 70s. You can find them at Estate sales/garage sales and for way cheaper.

[northoftheborder]

26. I agree this is not a topic for main Discussion Topics, BUT.......

since we are responding, has anyone tried the new bamboo towels? They are supposed to be super absorbent and soft... I haven't tried.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. They need to be washed thoroughly before they are used.

They put something in the threads or yarns during the manufacturing process, probably to make it easier (slipperier?) to work. That stuff has to be washed out (but don't use fabric softener) before the towels will be absorbent.

[alcibiades_mystery]

30. KIDS! YOU KIDS! KIDS!

OFF MY LAWN!!!!!

[lillypaddle]

32. That's why

The only two towels I like to use I received when I got married in 1967. I have other towels, I just don't use them. Plus, I like the smaller size of the old towels, which wrap nicely around my wet hair.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

66. never use terrycloth on your hair

those little loops are like velcro to the hair shaft. I use an old cotton tshirt to dry my hair and no more frizzies!

[lillypaddle]

70. Thannks for the hint

Maybe that's why I'm getting bald!

[roody]

39. Are they called microplush? I bought

some of those on clearance. They will never absorb anything.

[Motown_Johnny]

40. Perhaps that is the intent.

If we assume that even the most thorough shower can still leave trace amounts of particulate matter on a person's skin, then it may be more efficient to blot the remaining water off yourself rather than wiping it.

This method would transfer more of the particulate matter to the towel and decrease the possibility of smearing the water droplets, possibly pushing the unwanted matter back onto the skin.





There, you wanted a serious answer. You got one. Now I feel like I need a shower.


This really is lounge material.

[RC]

41. Wash and dry the towels at least twice before first use.

Use your wash cloth to sponge the excess water off yourself, before toweling dry. The excess water gets wrung off in the tub and not on the towel, where the excess moisture on the towel can cause it to smell moldy and mildewy after a few uses. Especially in the high humidity summers. The towels don't get as wet and therefore dry quicker.
A trick I learned in the Navy. You'd be surprised at the amount of water you wring out of the wash cloth, that then, doesn't go on the towel.

Edited to add: Never, ever use fabric softener on towels and wash cloths. Fabric softener is a paraffin, a wax, that coats the fibers and prevents adsorption of water. The paraffin acts as a lubricant on the fibers and that why why the fabric feels soft.

[Ikonoklast]

76. THANKS OBAMA!

?imgmax=800

[MADem]

42. Wash in hot hot water with a vinegar rinse.

That will get all the shit the manufacturer puts on the material to make the towels look shiny and new.

Pretty much ALL new towels are like that....but here's the good news...they get BETTER with AGE!!!!

[lapfog_1]

43. you must be a cool and froody dude... you know where your towel is! - n/t

[laundry_queen]

47. Everything everyone has already said

Thought I'd chime in anyway.

Cotton has stuff applied to it, a coating, when it is manufactured. As with cloth diapers, towels may need to be laundered several times before becoming absorbent. Don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets when laundering - it coats the fabric and reduces absorbency and it gets worse with continued use. If you've been using fabric softener and dryer sheets for awhile, to get back absorbency you might have to wash the towels several times, as if they are new, to get rid of the coating.

I notice this issue when I stay with my parents or with my brother. Their towels smell wonderful but just smear water all over me. I know my brother is a chronic fabric softener over-user so I'm pretty sure that's his issue with his towels. Honestly, after using my towels, his feel 'greasy'. ick.

There are different options if static is an problem. Vinegar works well and the smell doesn't remain (I'm super picky about the smell and notice it's just fine if I use it in the rinse). There are natural 'static catchers' like someone mentioned - wool balls but I have some cloths from a local store that do the same thing. Also, not over-drying can reduce some static. In the winter, I often just damp-dry because I live in such a dry climate, that the clothes usually dry as I fold them and they cool off. This results in a lot less static. You can also keep a water mist-er and just mist the clothes or towels that are clinging together, as you fold them. That helps a lot too, and no chemicals or expensive 'special' fabrics or balls. Speaking of balls, lol, I just got some 'steam' dryer balls for Christmas...I'm excited to try them as they are also supposed to help with static.

Anyway...another reason the towels you have may not be absorbent may be if there is too high of a polyester content. Some manufacturers add polyester and it can make everything less absorbent. Also, there are some new 'microfiber' towels around .... those generally have no cotton at all so I'm guessing the cheap ones may feel like they don't absorb as well either. I have the (expensive brand) microfiber wash cloths and they aren't too bad at all (they are great for scrubbing my face so I don't need expensive face wash) but they aren't super absorbent...just scrubby.

Hope that helps!

ETA - forgot to mention...liquid detergent can also coat your fabric...powder is better for getting the manufacturing coating crap off the cotton.

[shanti]

73. same with bedsheets

it's getting harder and harder to find bedsheets that are 100% cotton. I'm a *ahem* woman of a certain age and i get hot flashes at night often. Microfiber sheets just don't soak up the moisture, even though they are touted as having high thread counts. My preference is 100% cotton percale, 300 TC or higher.

But I'm preaching to the choir to someone with the moniker of Laundry Queen, lol!

[laundry_queen]

82. You know, it's probably very pricey

but you may be able to find hemp/cotton blend sheets online somewhere at a 'natural' store. Hemp is far more absorbent than cotton (I used to use hemp blend diapers on my kids). Might be worth it! I'm approaching that age, and my mom had horrid hot flashes when she went through it, so I'm aware of how bad it can get. I live in Canada and my mom tells of opening the window when it was -30 out. This is someone who used to be chronically cold, LOL. Crazy. I'm so not looking forward to it.

Good luck to you! I hope the hot flashes dissipate sooner rather than later.

[marybourg]

51. Microfiber, not cotton

Just had the same problem with some dish towels and when I looked at the label, they were microfiber,r ie. polyester, NOT cotton. Memo to self: Read labels before buying.

[treestar]

53. Benghaziiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is the end of the Republic!!!!!!

[Thav]

60. I'm sure Obamacare brought this change around

It's all about freedom of choice. We need to free market the choice. If we don't, it'll be the NSA reading your emails. Then we'll have Benghazi. Think of the children.

[Historic NY]

64. This story just doesn't hold water!!!!!!!

[treestar]

79. It is dripping with inaccuracy!!

[zentrum]

68. Genetically engineered cotton....

Or pure polyester, which contains plastic.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

71. Get a tattoo....

[The Second Stone]

72. As others have said, fabric softener is a no-no on towels

because it coats them in a very thin layer of wax. Nice and soft, but not absorbent.

[milestogo]

75. Are the towells made by Haliburton?

Maybe they soak up oil.

[Iggo]

77. Wash them...

...then wash them again...then wash them again.

[Vashta Nerada]

78. Towels: the one thing that dries the wetter it gets.

Well, in this case, the one thing that blots the wetter it gets.

Towels are a serious issue.

[tammywammy]

80. Don't use fabric softener on towels, use vinegar instead. n/t

[Whisp]

83. I like thin, light and absorbant towels.

Those big fat ones are annoying and so are big fat bathrobes you get in hotel rooms.