Care Instructions

A good cotton towel should get better with age. These are the few things that make the difference between a towel that lasts a season and one that lasts years.

Before first use

Wash your towels once before you use them. New cotton carries a finish from the loom that sits on the surface of the fibre; the first wash lifts it and opens the pile, which is when the towel becomes properly absorbent.

Wash the first two or three cycles separately. A little lint in the early washes is normal for any new cotton towel and settles quickly.

Washing

• Wash separately from dark colours, at a maximum of 40°C.
• Use half the detergent you think you need. Excess detergent does not rinse out fully and builds up in the pile, which stiffens the towel over time.
• Do not overload the machine. Towels need room to move for the water to reach the fibre. A drum that is two-thirds full washes better than one packed tight.
• No bleach. It weakens cotton fibre and will yellow white towels over time.

Never use fabric softener

This is the single most important thing on this page. Fabric softener works by coating the fibre with a thin waxy film. That film is what makes a towel feel slippery-soft for a wash or two — and it is also what stops it absorbing water.

Cotton softens on its own with washing. Let it. If your towels have already lost absorbency from softener build-up, run them through a hot wash with a cup of white vinegar and no detergent, then a normal wash. That usually strips the coating.

Drying

• Tumble dry on low heat. High heat scorches cotton fibre and makes it brittle.
• Do not over-dry. Take towels out while they still hold a little moisture and let them finish in the air. Over-drying is the most common cause of a towel going rough.
• Shake each towel out before it goes in the dryer. It lifts the pile and helps it dry evenly.
• Line drying in shade is excellent. Direct, prolonged sun will weaken the fibre and dull the white.

Protect the white

White cotton reacts to oxidising agents. Keep towels away from:

• Benzoyl peroxide (in many acne washes and creams)
• Hair dye and hair-lightening products
• Acids and strong cleaning chemicals
• Self-tanning lotions and heavy beauty creams

Marks from these are chemical bleaching of the fibre, not staining, and cannot be washed out. A dedicated darker towel for hair colouring days is a sensible habit.

Do not iron

Ironing flattens the pile, which is exactly the part of the towel that does the absorbing. A towel is meant to look lived in.

Storing

Store towels completely dry, somewhere with air movement. Cotton folded away while still damp will develop a musty smell that is difficult to remove. If you rotate sets, give stored towels a shake and an airing every few months.

Bath Mat

The Retreat Bath Mat is woven cotton throughout with no rubber or latex backing, so it washes and dries exactly like the towels — 40°C, low tumble dry, no softener. Hang it to air between uses rather than leaving it flat on a wet floor.

Quick reference

Do	Do not
Wash at 40°C, separately from darks	Use fabric softener
Use half the usual detergent	Use bleach
Tumble dry low, remove slightly damp	Over-dry on high heat
Shake out before drying	Iron
Store fully dry	Pack the drum tight

Questions about caring for your towels? Email customercare@maison1952.com.