One of the questions we get asked often is how to best care for our products.

We’re glad that you ask! It means you love our products as much as we do. Plus, it means you want them to last. And once again, we feel the same as you.

Below, you'll find tips for caring for our towels. Also know, in our store we offer products by The Laundress--a company founded by two women, who, like you and me, craved a way to keep fine, quality-made cloth, well, fine and quality-made. Their products may be helpful in your cleaning quest.

And, if you didn’t know we had a store, we forgive you. You can make it up to us by visiting our little shop on Lawrence Street in Moulton, AL. We'd love to have you!

Washing Tips

1. The amount of detergent matters. Use too much detergent, and your towels become less absorbent. Follow the directions recommended on the bottle because detergent residue not only affects absorbency but also can lead to bacteria and mold build up when detergent is not washed out thoroughly. If you suspect build up, add 1 cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle to remove residue left from hard water or soaps.

2. Towels go with other towels. By washing towels with only towels, you keep velcro and zippers away! Those things can wreak havoc on our beautiful products.

3. Fabric softeners are a no-no. It’s because of the residue build-up. Instead of softening your towels, the residue from the liquid can mat down the cotton fibers, leaving your towels less absorbent.

4. Think in 3s. Wash your towels every 3^rd use or every 3 days. Hand towels are the exception. They should be used only one day before relegated to the hamper.

5. Keep them white and bright. Of course, you can use bleach to keep your white towels white. But, there are other, less harsh alternatives like lemons, sunshine, white vinegar, baking soda and even aspirin (white pill only, though). See our earlier post about white, bright linens for more specific directions about these alternatives.
   
   

Drying Tips

1. Small loads rule. Say what?! I know that this one is tough to read because we like to do laundry as quickly as possible. That means, stuff as much in the washer and dryer as possible and hope for the best. Yet, large loads are difficult to dry completely. And, air doesn’t circulate well in cramped dryers, leaving the fibers in your towels matted down and crunchy—not fluffy and soft. The lesson here--quality over quantity. 

2. Fluff, fluff, and more fluff. As you move your towels from the washer to the dryer, fluff them. This returns some of the body to the loops and helps your towels be more absorbent and softer in the long run.

3. Low is better than high. Dry your towels on a low setting to keep from damaging the fibers. Like Drying Tip #1, this one is hard to do. We must fight against our natural tendencies to speed dry in order to ensure long-lasting, fluffy towels.

4. Line them up. Even better than drying on low, hang your towels on the line. Don’t forget to fluff them as you take from the washer to the sunshine. (Remember too, the sun helps keep white towels white.) And for extra fluff, take your towels from the line when they are nearly dry and place in the dryer (on low!) with 2 clean tennis balls. Dry for 5-10 minutes and ta-da. Extra fluffy with a side of sunshine!

Ironing Tips

1. We’re kidding! There are no tips…other than don’t iron your cotton towels. Seriously, it can hurt the absorbency.

Enjoy!

Our towels are the only American-made, 2-ply towels on the market, and we are very proud of that! Our goal all along has been for you to enjoy our products as much as we love making them.

We hope the tips above help you to do just that.

By: Rachel Eubanks, a girl blessed with a small-town Alabama raising. She grew a deep appreciation for farming as she watched her father, an extension agent, work alongside farmers for over 30 years. She now lives outside of Huntsville, AL.