Types of towels — what are towels

Let’s start with what is most often of interest to ordinary people, what is the difference between modern towels on the market and how to make the right choice.

DIMENSIONS OF MODERN TOWELS

The size range in different countries may differ slightly, so consider the most common types in Ukraine.

— 30×30 and 30×50 — small (in some countries they are even called guest napkins), they are often used as kitchen towels;
— 50×70 — the generally accepted size of a standard kitchen towel;
— 50×85 and 50×90 — the size of a standard hygienic towel (for face or for hands);
— 50×100 — a small towel for the shower, usually used on the road, business trip;
— 70×140 — this size assumes a standard bath towel;
— 100×150 — increased size for bath, beach, massage, bath and sauna towels.

And the main advice, without which information about the right choice would not be complete…

What should I pay attention to when buying towels?

— a good product will never “crumble” and leave villi;
— high-quality material will always be evenly dyed;
— besides, the “correct” towel should not have third-party synthetic odors.

If you are counting on the high hygroscopicity of the purchase, pay attention to the composition. Absorbs moisture better than a towel, which contains more than 80% natural material. You can check the product “for synthetics” by blotting water with it. If there are noticeable stains on the surface, then there are synthetics, and there is a large percentage of them. You can also look at the material in sunlight. Synthetic fabric has a noticeable shine in the sun, unlike cotton, which does not «shine» at all.

A little «terry» lyrics…

“Absolute harmony consists of many little things. Each of them is like a drop of water in the ocean. Separated — just water, together — a bewitching splendor. So said one of the famous thinkers of the last century. He talked about love, smiles, small surprises and sentiments. But just as pleasant trifles are important in feelings, so they are weighty in the harmony of home comfort. Every rug, every boutonniere, every vase and napkin in the house forms its meaningful and magnificent, unique melody. Towels also occupy a special place in this melody. They are part of the daily magic of the kitchen, they are almost the «kings» in the bathroom, and they are an indispensable part of the best family traditions. True, just as false notes in a symphony cause a bitter smile among connoisseurs, so poor-quality and improperly selected towels can pretty much spoil the mood for you and your family members.

Therefore — take a MINUTE for this information to give guaranteed COMFORT to your home.

So, according to TYPE and PURPOSE, towels can be divided into several important groups.

BATH TOWELS

Seeing a bath towel in the bathroom is as natural and familiar as waking up in the morning. What kind of product is known to everyone. For those who are not yet familiar with this item of daily hygiene, let’s say that a bath towel is a large sheet of terry cloth that can cover 2/3 of the body after taking a bath, shower, leaving the sauna. It perfectly absorbs moisture (this is the most important requirement for this type of product) and does not lose softness even after prolonged use and several washes. In order for a towel to meet these requirements, when buying, pay attention to the material from which it is made.

Bath towels >

FABRICS FOR BATH TOWELS

Bath products are sewn from different fabrics. Most often, the main raw material, which has the most important characteristics for the consumer, is cotton, bamboo, linen and modal. All of these are natural materials. True, there is also a difference between them.

Cotton. Bath products made of cotton perfectly absorb water and dry relatively quickly. Such characteristics are achieved due to the special weaving of the cotton thread, as a result of which thin loops are formed, giving the product softness. The higher the density of the material, the softer the towel will be.

Cotton bath towels >

Speaking of DENSITY

Density is the number of fibers per unit area. This definition is given by the explanatory dictionary. It is on the density of the product that its ability to absorb moisture, its softness and drying time after washing depend. The density unit is grams/square meter. For bath towels, most often the density is from 300 (thin) to 800 (dense, heavy) g/m2. True, when buying such a product, it is best to choose the «golden mean», since extremes in one direction or another may disappoint you. A fabric with a minimum density also absorbs water minimally, and with a maximum density it gives rise to a heavy and bulky product that dries for several days and becomes an excellent breeding ground for pathogens.

However, not only density determines the quality of terry cloth. It is also necessary to pay attention to the height of the pile (for towels, the optimal figure is 5 mm) and softness.

When choosing cotton products, an important indicator is not only the raw material, but also the type of yarn used in their manufacture.

TYPES OF YARN AND WEAVING OF TOWEL FABRIC

Machine weaving («Open end»). It uses short-staple cotton. The main advantage of this type of weaving is the rigidity of the edges and resistance to loss of shape.

Yarn «ring». They use medium staple cotton and a weave and intricate weaving process. Fabric made from this type of yarn is softer than that produced by machine weaving.

Yarn «singing». The best type of cotton thread, made from long-staple raw materials. It is the “singing” that belongs to our most beloved dignity of terry towels: magnificent shine and softness.

But enough about cotton. Let’s talk about other materials.

Bamboo. Unlike cotton (the fabric of which consists of scattered fibers), bamboo products absorb moisture twice as well due to the integrity of the threads. In addition, such a product has a natural antiseptic effect, dries well. By the way, if you are going to the beach, you will not find a better towel than one made from bamboo. Since, in addition to its main characteristics, bamboo also has a cooling effect.

Bamboo bath towels >

Linen and modal. Modal is a material derived from the cellulose of eucalyptus wood. Advantages of modal towels: resistance to bacteria and shrinkage with many washes. Linen is a plant familiar from childhood, familiar in our latitudes, which is processed and gives birth to a rough, but durable and “breathing” canvas. In addition, in our country, products made from this ethnic and eco-friendly material have recently been at the peak of popularity.

Linen bath towels >

In addition to bath towels, for personal hygiene, they also use

TOWELS FOR FACE, HAND AND FOOT

They differ from bathhouses in size (three or even four times smaller), sometimes in material and density. For example, velor towels are very often used for the face. The technology of their manufacture is close to terry (weave both those and those in 4 threads). The only difference is that the terry cloth is sheared from velor towels after weaving. Thanks to this, towels look great, have a natural noble shine and are loyal to the skin of the face. True, there is a downside. They absorb moisture much worse than terry «brothers».

Face Towels >

By the way, in the world of sanitary towels there is a place for aesthetics. For lovers of beauty and sophistication, as well as those who are used to picking up every little thing in unison with the general breath of the style of the house, we will tell you about other types of terry towels that you can also pick up in our store.

TYPES OF TERRY TOWELS BY THE METHOD OF APPLYING THE PICTURE

1. Printed. This is the name of towels made of any material, decorated with embroidery or a pattern along the edges.

2. Plain dyed. The very name of the species already focuses attention on the fact that such a towel does not have patterns, embroidery or any other eye-catching decorations. It is made from a fabric woven from threads of the same color, and then tinted (enhancing the natural color by several tones), depending on the needs of the market and fashion.

3. Solid color jacquard. Jacquard is a pattern that is formed on a towel by cutting loops and villi of different lengths. This pattern is made by a machine. And after sewing and drawing a picture, it is painted in the desired color.

4. Multi-colored jacquard. These towels are distinguished by the same motley pattern. True, different elements of the pattern are painted in different colors. The production of multi-colored jacquard towels is very laborious, and the higher price of the final product also depends on this.

5. Multi-colored printed jacquard. In addition to the traditional alternation of the length of the villi and coloring, a pattern made by the method of intricate weaving of threads is also added to the design of such a towel.

In addition to baths, other types of towels are also distinguished by purpose. The second large group

KITCHEN TOWELS

The process of kitchen witchcraft also requires that there is always a “square of cloth” at hand. True, the kitchen wants several other qualities from towels. It’s not enough just to absorb moisture. After all, cooking involves contact with oil, other fats, dyes, sweet syrups, etc. And then, after a delicious lunch or dinner, the dishes need to be washed, wiped and not left marks on it. And this means that softness and hairiness are absolutely unimportant (and, at times, even highly undesirable) qualities. Manufacturers are well aware of the basic requirements of housewives for kitchen towels, and therefore they offer such a set of materials and textures.

Kitchen towels >

MATERIALS FOR KITCHEN TOWELS

Kitchen towels are sewn from hygroscopic, but short-haired materials — bamboo, linen, cotton. An ideal option for the kitchen is the so-called fabric mix — a mixture of linen and cotton. Such a connection allows you to provide kitchen products with unusual strength (and from this — a long service life), an excellent ability to absorb moisture. Moreover, such materials are resistant to washing and almost never shed.

As for processing variations, there are such

TYPES OF KITCHEN TOWELS

1. Stuffed. They are called so because the pattern on such a towel is applied after the manufacture of the product itself.

2. Terry. Bright towels created from weaving threads of different colors and densities.

Terry kitchen towels >

3. Waffle. The name of this species «speaks» about the method of its manufacture and appearance. Waffle towels are called towels, on the surface of which (due to a special weave of threads) cells are formed. This product really looks like a sweet waffle. Waffle towels are made of cotton and linen, so they perfectly absorb moisture and are easy to wash.

Waffle kitchen towels >

Another, relatively small group of towels with a narrow range of applications —

MASSAGE TOWELS

Surprisingly, massage is a kind of religion that requires absolutely unique rituals. Well, for them — special paraphernalia. Among the attributes of massage are a special cream, a roller, and, of course, a massage towel. For massage, special types are made, using, as a material, a mix of linen and cotton. The main task of such products is to rub / warm up the skin well, improve the intensity of blood flow, and refresh the skin.

There are several other types of towels. We can’t help but remember them.

WEDDING. The Slavic wedding tradition preserves a ceremony in which the newlyweds during the wedding ceremony stand on a linen towel embroidered with red and black threads, decorated with wishes-inscriptions, doves and other patterns. This item should be kept in the house for life.

CHILDREN. From adults, baths are distinguished by special tenderness. It is achieved through a double-sided terry weave. And, of course, a cute cartoon pattern as a decoration.

An important characteristic that you should pay attention to when buying a towel is its size.

Baby towels >