Towels

[birdie73]

After purchasing new towels is it a good idea to rinse them in cold water first or to wash them, in order to retain their softness.

[smurfchops]

I dont wash them first, I just use them ! Lovely.

[Jemisa]

Yeah, but all the fluff comes off of them, my H complains it gets caught on his stubble.
Give 'em a wash on 30c & put Lenor or suchlike in last rinse. Finish off in tumble dryer for that soft squishy feel.

jem

[society]

I think it's best to always wash towels and underwear before using them.

[smurfchops]

Why do you wash underwear when its new ? I think it feels all lovely and soft before its washed for the first time.

[society]

You don't know where they have been, filthy hands probably helped with the sewing and packing, and to wash off any excess dyes which might left on the fabric.

Customer rarely knows where in a warehouse items are stored, or where they've been before reaching the stores' shelf.

[boxtops]

I don't ever put fabric softener in my wash - there is really no need for it - I just wash my towels and tumble them, they come out lovely and soft and fluffy.

[chazza]

I always wash towels before first use, they don't seem to be absorbant otherwise!

[ummmm]

After time Helen...after one wash. They feel lovely but they are useless for their intended purpose.

[heathfield]

Cotton contains a natural oil. In towel manufacture, not all of the oil may have been removed from the cotton before the towels have been made. any oil will left will reduce absorbency, so it's a good idea to give the towels a really hot wash before first use. This will remove any remaining oil that's present and improve absorbency

Conditioner... Debenhams used to have a sign up in their towels department saying not to use fabric conditioner on towels. It makes the fibres slippery which leads to fibre loss in the washing machine and in the tumble dryer. And by putting a plastic film on the fibres, which is what conditioner does, it makes the fibres less absorbent.

[birdie73]

Thanks to all for those very helpful comments, I've always put conditioner in my towels so will try the new ones without it.