How to wash and care for your towels

White and grey bath and hand towels on a wooden towel ladder

There's nothing like the feeling of wrapping yourself in a plush, fluffy bath towel for that spa like feeling every day! But how do you keep your towels soft and fluffy? Follow our guide to washing and caring for your towels and your towels will last longer and feel like new for years to come.

  1. How to wash your Egyptian cotton towels
  2. Top tips for washing your towels
  3. Should you wash new towels?
  4. Can you wash towels with clothes?
  5. How to dry towels

     

    HOW TO WASH YOUR EGYPTIAN COTTON TOWELS

    To keep your scooms Egyptian cotton towels in tip top condition follow these washing guidelines:

    • Wash before use and then weekly.
    • Machine wash at 30° - 40° using non-bio (enzyme free) detergent. Don't add too much detergent as this can clog up your machine and your towels.
    • Fabric softener can reduce absorbency so it is best not to use it but if you do, use it sparingly.
    • Line dry or tumble dry at low/medium heat - use our Wool Dryer Balls to reduce tumble drying time and add a little extra softness without using chemicals.
    • If you use ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide in your skincare routine or suncream, we recommend white towels, as these chemicals can discolour coloured towels.
    • Don't use detergents or stain removers containing optical brighteners or bleach, as these may leave marks your towels.

     

    TOP TIPS FOR WASHING YOUR TOWELS

    Separate your laundry and wash similar colours, whites and fabrics together.

    • Don’t over fill your washing machine or tumble dryer. Give them space to do their job.
    • Use a good quality laundry detergent which works well at lower temperatures. It's more environmentally friendly.
    • Different fabrics dry at different speeds. We suggest tumble drying similar fabrics together.
    • Make sure your towels are fully dry before folding them or putting them in a cupboard.
    • Fabric softener can ‘clog up’ all those lovely soft zero twist loops in your scooms towels that act like thousands of mini sponges. That’s why we don’t suggest using it. Our towels are so soft, you won’t need fabric softener in any case!

     

    SHOULD YOU WASH NEW TOWELS?

    We recommend washing new towels before you use them for the first time. Here's why:

    FINISHING CHEMICALS - Unlike scooms, some brands use a finish on their towels to give them an extra sheen, but it can impact absorbency. A wash will remove this.

    FRESHNESS - A towel will have been weaved in a factory, then either stored in a shop or packed and delivered to you. A first wash ensures that your towels are at their best on first use.

    LESS SHEDDING - It is possible to get a few stay threads or cotton fibres on new bath towels. This shedding is normal and can be removed by a first wash.

    MAXIMUM ABSORBENCY - The absorbency of cotton towels can be improved by a first wash as it helps the cotton fibres absorb and release water.

    FLUFFIER TOWELS - Your towel may have flattened a little in its packaging or delivery box. A first towel wash will fluff up the cotton fibres and give you a super plush towel from day one.

    LOCK-IN COLOURS - If you have coloured towels, the colour may run a little the first time you wash them.

     

    CAN YOU WASH TOWELS WITH CLOTHES?

    If you only have one or two towels to wash, then it can make sense to wash them with other items of a similar colour and fabric (cotton) that require the same wash cycle. But make sure you don't overfill your washing machine.

    If you generally wash your towels at a warmer temperature or on a longer washing cycle than your clothes, then we recommend running a separate wash for towels of a similar colour.

     

    HOW TO DRY YOUR TOWELS

    The best way to dry your towels so that they are soft and fluffy is in a tumble dryer. Check the temperature settings on the care label. Use our Wool Dryer Balls to reduce your tumble drying time and to add a little extra softness without using chemical softeners like dryer sheets. 

     

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    TOP TOWEL CARE FAQS:

    How to keep towels soft?

    The best way to keep towels soft is to wash them correctly. They should be machine washed at 30°- 40° once a week using a non-bio (enzyme free) detergent. It is best not to use fabric conditioner. Towels can get stiff and lose absorbency when they clog up with washing powder and fabric conditioner.

    What temperature to wash towels?

    Towels should be machine washed at 30°- 40 once a week using a non-bio (enzyme free) detergent. Modern detergents are so good at their job, that there's no need to wash towels at a higher temperature. It's also kinder to the environment.

    How to wash towels to keep them soft?

    Washing detergent and fabric conditioner can clog up the fibres in your towel, reducing the softness. The best way to wash towels to keep them soft is to machine wash at 30° - 40°, use a quality detergent sparingly and don't use fabric conditioner. Tumble dry with wool dryer balls or air dry.

    How to make towels fluffy again?

    Towels can get stiff when they clog up with washing powder and fabric conditioner. You need to remove this to make your towels fluffy again. Wash once using vinegar instead of detergent and a second time using baking soda instead of detergent. Tumble dry with dryer balls or air dry in the wind. If your towels are old they may just need replacing.

     

    Author: Emily AttwoodPublished: 2 July 2021Last modified: 6 February 2024





    Bedding size guide

    DUVET SIZES

    These are standard UK bedding measurements so if you know your mattress size, you can easily work out which duvet size you need. (Width x length.)

    UK sizes Duvet size Mattress size
    Single 135 x 200cm (53 x 79") 90 x 190cm (36 x 75")
    Double 200 x 200cm (79 x 79") 135 x 190cm (53 x 75")
    King 225 x 220cm (89 x 87") 150 x 200cm (60 x 78")
    Super king 260 x 220cm (102 x 87") 180 x 200cm (72 x 78")

    US/CANADA BEDDING SIZES: Approximate matches to UK sizes are US King/UK Super king, US Queen/UK King,  US Full/UK Double and US Twin/UK Single.

    EUROPEAN BEDDING SIZES: Each size - Single, Double, King and Grand king - is a little larger than the UK equivalent.

    Measure your mattress to see which size bedding you need: our UK v European v US mattress comparison guide.

     

    DUVET TOG RATINGS

    Young children can overheat so if they are old enough to use a full size bed, we recommend using a single size 4.5 tog duvet.

     Tog rating Season / heat Feel
    2.5 tog High summer / hot sleepers Light thermal insulation
    4.5 tog Summer Lower thermal insulation
    9 tog Spring & Autumn Cosy medium heat
    All season 13.5 tog 4.5 tog + 9 tog Very warm
    All season 11.5 tog 2.5 tog + 9 tog Warm
    All season 7 tog 2.5 tog + 4.5 tog Lower warmth

     

    DUVET FILL WEIGHTS

    Our goose down duvets have high 700 fill power. Fill weight is measured in GSM (grams per square metre). For example view our 9 tog king size goose down duvet for more duvet details.

    Fill weight (not total duvet weight)
    Single All seasons - 788gsm
    9 tog - 486gsm 
    4.5 tog - 302gsm 
    2.5 tog - 220gsm
    Double All seasons - 1168gsm
    9 tog - 720gsm
    4.5 tog - 448gsm
    2.5 tog - 320gsm
    King All seasons - 1478gsm
    9 tog - 911gsm
    4.5 tog - 567gsm
    2.5 tog - 400gsm
    Super king All seasons - 1671gsm
    9 tog - 1030gsm
    4.5 tog - 641gsm
    2.5 tog - 480gsm

     

    PILLOW SIZES

    Our pillows come in two sizes and two firmness options. (Width x length.)

    Standard  50 x 75cm
    King 50 x 90cm

     

    BED LINEN SIZES

    Our fitted sheets are deep fit, up to 40cm / 15.7" mattress depth. And our duvet covers fasten with large, easy to use buttons. (Width x length.)

    Duvet cover Fitted sheet Flat sheet Pillowcase (pair)
    Single 140 x 200cm 90 x 190cm 180 x 275cm
    Double 200 x 200cm 135 x 190cm 230 x 275cm 50 x 75cm (Standard)
    King 230 x 220cm 150 x 200cm 275 x 275cm 50 x 90cm (King)
    Super king 260 x 220cm 180 x 200cm 305 x 275cm

     

    TOPPER & MATTRESS PROTECTOR SIZES

    Our mattress protectors are deep fit, up to 40cm mattress depth. Choose the same size topper or protector as your mattress size. (Width x length.)

    Topper / protector size Mattress size
    Single 90 x 190cm 90 x 190cm
    Double 135 x 190cm 135 x 190cm
    King 150 x 200cm 150 x 200cm
    Super king 180 x 200cm 180 x 200cm 

     

    £10 off your first order over £200!

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