More Towel Terminology

A towel is a towel, right? Wrong. There are many different types. The glossary below defines towel terminology.
Terry – Cotton terry towels are woven on a loom. Terry towels utilize an additional yarn to form loops which cover both sides of the towel.These loops are normally referred to as "pile" or "loop surfaces."
Velour – Velour towels are produced in the same fashion as terry, but with an additional process that shears the terry loops to a shorter length on one side. Some people prefer the decorative sheen that results. The terry side should face the skin for optimum drying.
Printed – Colorful designs are printed on the surface of both terry or velour towels. Designs are normally printed on one side.
Jacquard – These towels feature a slightly upraised area of fabric, which creates a decorative effect. The design is woven right into the towel on a special jacquard loom.

Towel Terminology

When purchasing towels, thickness should not be your only determining factor. New fibers hitting the market are both lighter and more absorbent than traditional cotton. Some are made of natural fibers It is said that there is a new movement when it comes to big fluffy towels, people are having a downsizing mentality. New towel technologies in include Modal, a natural fiber made from beech wood, that when blended with cotton creates a lightweight, highly absorbent towel. Consumers shouldn't be put off by the initial stiffness of some towels, in the weaving process, a potato starch is sometimes used on the thread and some of that may remain. Towels will get softer as you wash them.

Attractive towels can be made from many different fibers, but functional concerns should be considered when stocking up on these bathroom essentials. As a towel’s main purpose is to blot up water, 100 percent cotton towels are the best for the job. Cotton is hydrophilic, which means it has a strong affinity for water. Synthetic fibers, on the other hand are hydrophobic; this means that a cotton-polyester towel will not be as absorbent as an all-cotton towel. Cotton actually absorbs moisture within the structure of the fiber, between its various layers or walls.

Terry Cloth or Velour?
A terry cloth towel features loops that enhance its drying ability. The more loops, the greater the drying power. But some people prefer the sheen of a velour towel, which is created by a shearing process that removes part of the terry and shortens the fabric pile. But keep in mind that the velour towel’s shorter loops makes it slightly less absorbent. However, this does not affect its performance as long as it is used to blot, rather than rub dry. Shoppers who can’t decide which they prefer, are in luck: some towels feature terry on one side and velour on the other.

Another measure of a towel’s drying ability is its thickness. Thick towels contain more
cotton yarn; the thick loops will dry the body better than thin loops made with less cotton.
Make Sure It’s Cotton since cotton content plays such a key role in a towel’s effectiveness, consumers can be sure they are purchasing 100 percent cotton towels by looking for the Seal of Cotton trademark, which appears on many towels, bath and bedding items. In fact, two out of three Americans would rather buy all-cotton towels from an unknown manufacturer than a cotton/polyester blend towel from an established brand, according to the recent studies.

Towel Care Tips
Good towels should last more than a decade, which means consumers should consider making an "investment" by purchasing the highest quality towels they can afford.

Here are some tips that will help prolong the life of a towel:
Launder frequently with soft water and detergent.
Avoid fabric softeners as they contain silicones that will make them virtually water repellent.
Deeply colored towels will bleed during the first three or four washings, so wash them separately at first. After that, continue to wash similar colors together.
Do not bleach colored towels.
Wash white towels separately because subtle pick-up from colored items will occur gradually over time.
If drying by hanging, shake towel once while still wet, and again after dry. This will fluff the terry loops.
Do not iron towels, as it will reduce absorbency.

Linens - Fiber Quality

So you are out looking for new sheets for your bed and I would venture to guess that one of the first things you thought about was the thread count. Sure thread count matters, but there are several things aside from thread count to consider when you are buying linens for your home. I am going to break down these points so you can make more informed decisions and not pay for anything more than you need to.

Our first topic is fiber quality. 100% cotton sheets are by far the most popular and widely used type of sheets. There are massive variations in the quality of 100% cotton sheets. The highest quality cotton is long staple cotton. Staple refers to the length of the cotton fiber; the longer the fiber the better because it creates stronger and finer yarns. Among long staple cottons, the longest are Egyptian extra long staple and Pima (sometimes called Supima). Egyptian Cotton and Pima cotton are basically one in the same.

Egyptian cotton, or extra long staple cotton is produced in Egypt and used by luxury and upmarket brands worldwide. In fact, the cotton species which produces extra long staple "Egyptian" cotton is the native American species Gossypium barbadense was introduced in the 19th century during the American Civil War.

With heavy European investments, Egyptian-grown cotton became a major alternate source for British textile mills. Most of what is labeled "Egyptian cotton" today, however, also includes long staple cotton, the product of the other native American species Gossypiam hirsutum.

Gossypium hirsutum, also known as Upland Cotton or Mexican Cotton, is the most widely planted species of cotton in the United States, constituting some 95% of all cotton production. Worldwide, the figure is about 90% of all production for this species.

Interestingly enough, ancient Egyptians made their clothing from linen, a product of the flax plant - not cotton.

The Best Flour Sack Towels - Not embroidered

Next time you need to stock up on pricey microfiber rags or disposable electrostatic dust cloths, opt for flour sack towels instead. Flour sack towels outperform microfiber and disposable dust cloths for cleaning and dusting all areas of your home. They're large, absorbent, durable, and (perhaps most importantly) cheap.

What in the World are Flour Sack Towels?
They're called "flour sack towels" because the tightly woven cotton used to hold flour from the mid-1800s through the 1950s was repurposed into towels, bedding, and clothing by the resourceful women of days gone by. You can buy a set of five through me for just $10 + shipping.

OK, So They're Cheap. But Do They Clean?
I've been using a set of flour sack towels for decades. I use several a day as I do general cleaning and trail after my daughter. They still look great after several hundred washings–and I use chlorine bleach, people!

I'm sure you all can think of many more super ideas for using flour sack towels. Here are a few of my favorite uses:
Dusting:
Flour sack towels are lint-free, making them ideal for dry-dusting TV and computer screens.
Use them with furniture polish or lemon oil for dusting wood furniture.
They hold onto dirt better than any microfiber/Swiffer-style cloth I've used, so they're great for dusting ceiling fans and blinds.
Baby:
Bib: tie the short end around your baby's neck to cover her body from chin to knees, or fold the towel in half for cup practice or messy foods for double-layer absorbency.
Burp Cloth: lip one over your shoulder to burp a gassy baby–supersized flour sack towels cover more of you (always a good thing when you're in the line of upchuck fire). I did this so many times when my daughter started screaming just as I started prepping dinner. Saved me 30 seconds from trekking to her room in search of a burp cloth–in screamtime, that's 4 perceived hours.
Kitchen:
Lint-free flour sack towels are fantastic for drying dishes, particularly glassware, without streaking.
Wipe up messy kitchen spills: coffee, marinara, grease–I use them on everything, because the stains come out easily in the wash with a scoop of Biz or cup of Clorox, no problem.
Cover dough to keep it from drying out as it rises (slightly dampened), or cover baked goods to keep insects and dust out while they cool without trapping steam inside as foil or plastic wrap can.
Weird but true point on sanitary cleaning: flour sack towels don't trap hair (like cloth napkins and terry cloth towels do),so you won't have to pore over your towels looking for icky stray hairs before you use them around food.
Dry lettuce and veggies after washing–just wrap the food in a clean flour sack towel and gently squeeze.
Note: Don't use fabric softener if you use flour sack towels for food prep–nobody wants their brownies to smell April Fresh and fabric softener makes them less absorbent!
Shine your faucet with the damp flour sack towel after you finish drying dishes, then use it to spot-mop the kitchen floor–3 cleaning tasks quickly done with 1 towel.
Windows and Mirrors: Have I mentioned that flour sack towels are lint-free?

Make them pretty!
If you just can't hang with plain ol' white, buy a set of them from me that have been embroidered. I have many patterns that I have done, check out the flour sack towel link for more ideas. Embridered towels run $7 per towel + shipping. I still bleach these and have never had the colors fade.  NON-embroidered towels are $2 per towel.