North Shore Trading

Washing Your Towels

Always wash your towels in warm water before use, and wash dark colour separately. It is not advisable to wash towel with other garments. To maintain the softness of your towel, always follow the washing instructions on the label. Too little detergent allows the mineral salts from the water supply to deposit back into fibres during rinsing. This can cause fibres to feel hard and coarse to the touch. Each time a towel is used, more mineral salts are absorbed into the fibres. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not dry clean.

Removing Stains

Make-up: Soak in a warm washing detergent solution then wash as directed. Blood: Soak separately in cold water. Keep changing the water until it is clear. Wash in the usual way.

Reduced Absobency

Frequent washing with heavily concentrated fabric conditioners can reduce the absorbency of the towels, by building up a fine water-resistance layer on the fibres. Please follow manufacturer’s instructions when using fabric softeners. If your towels do not absorb water as quickly as when they were first bought, wash them a couple of times in warm water without fabric softeners.

Linting

It’s normal for all new towels to display some sign of linting. In the unlikely event that your towels have excessive linting, wash them two to three times to remove the surface lint/fluff. Tumble drying also assists in removing surface lint. Tumble dry dark colours separately.

Pulled Loops

Because of the nature of weaving a looped towel, it is safe to cut off a pulled loop. If you see a pulled loop in your towel, just snip the loop off with a pair of sharp scissors. This will not cause any runs in the towel.

Drying Your Towels

To achieve a softer towel, tumble dry/line dry after washing. It is possible to over dry your towel by drying on too high a temperature for too long. Even drying on a hot day can cause overdying. Overdying will remove the moisture that is naturally present in the fabric, causing it to feel harsh or rough, and it may cause the fabric to become brittle and shorten the lifespan of your towel. Do not leave towel wet or damp in the washing machine or clothesbasket as this may cause staining or mildew stains.

Fading Colours

Some washing powders contain optical brightening agents (OBAs). These are designed to reflect light and keep your whites looking bright. However, on pastel shades such as cream and pink, they will give the towel a faded. Washed-out appearance. Wash your coloured towels in a product specifically designed for coloured washes. Always follow the manufacturer’s instruction.

Uneven Fading/Patchy Colour

This can occur if detergents come into direct contact with the towels. Do not pour detergents directly onto your towels. Some household products such as toilet, shower or bathroom cleaners, or beauty products such as blemish treatments, can bleach or cause colour changes to a towel. If your hands are not rinsed well before drying them, there may be a transfer of chemicals onto the towel. This will not show until the towel is washed. If you are aware that a towel has come into contact with any of the products mentioned, gently wash the towel in cold water before laundering. Do not use bleaches or any other whitening agents on coloured towels