How to Care for White Beach Towels

White beach towels give you a classic and luxe feel by wrapping up after a cool summer dip. Taking care of white beach towels can be quite tough due to their color. Hence, I have put my experience in this post to give you some tips on how to take good care of beach towels with a little effort.

Apart from this, I have also created a guide about how to wash a norwex beach towel that will surely help in cleaning out the dirt.

10 Ways to Care for White Beach Towels

Over time, white beach towels often get a little gloomy, yellowish, scratchy, and smelly. This is mainly because of their aging fiber, frequent exposure to chlorinated and saltish water, UV radiation, high heat, and extra sunscreen contact from your skin. But nothing to worry about, let’s get into the ways to care for your feathery soft white beach towels.

Spot-Clean before Washing

Before jumping for washing, make sure to check for any stains on your white beach towels. Spot-cleaning will keep them looking their best by getting rid of any stains in the first move.

Some stains that couldn’t be cleaned before washing can often become really sticky and leave their yellowish mark forever on the heart of your white beach towel.

So, it’s better to do spot-cleaning before popping them in the washer.

Wash White Only:

It is highly recommended to only wash whites together as they have their own wash settings that keep them in good condition and shape.

Washing whites with whites keep them safe from color bleeding from colored ones, thus, keeping them bright and white.

Wash the Same Fabric Together

After sorting out all your white towels, it’s time to classify them on the basis of their fabric, such as cotton or terry, etc.

As certain fabrics come with their own washing cycle settings i.e. warm or cool water. It is good to wash the same fabric towels together which can handle the same level of heat while washing.

Avoid Hot Wash Cycle

Using a hot wash cycle is becoming more common nowadays, however, a colder wash is a far better choice to take good care of your white beach towels.

Cold wash cycle comes with a lot of benefits such as preventing shrinkage, keeping them bright, avoiding mildew, and getting rid of musty odors.

Using Less Detergent

Beach towels often get scratchy and stiff after contact with excessive use of detergent and fabric softener. The after-wash build-up and residue of these products on the towel will damage its fibers and make them less supple.

Check the care instructions for using the right amount of detergent or use the basic principle of “less is more” while washing your white beach towels.

Don’t Overload

It is always tempting to fill the tummy of your washing machines too full to catch up on your pending laundry.

The extra load will not give the towels to get enough space to move around for a deep clean and brighter look.

And the overload put extra stress on your washer, which can damage it over time.

Proper Way to Bleach

Bleach is undoubtedly one of the essential ingredients for getting brighter and whiter towels. But, it’s crucial to learn the proper use of bleach.

It is essential to know that bleach is a chemical that can pull out all the color pigments from the fabric, permanently. That’s why it is only recommended for white ones.

1. After running the normal washing cycle by using regular detergent, your white beach towels are ready to accept the bleach.
2. Stop the machine after five minutes and make a dilute solution of a cup of bleach mixed with the same amount of water.
3. Pour that blend into the washer directly.
4. Next, close the lid and let resume the washing cycle.
5. Rinse your white beach towels twice after the bleaching to get rid of any chemical odors.
6. Finally, toss your towels into the dryer.

*Note: Bleach is a chemical that can damage, break down, or weaken the fibers of your beach towels.

Use Bleach Alternatives

Baking Soda:

Baking soda is another way to keep your white towels white. Add half a cup of baking soda with the normal amount of laundry detergent to each load of washing white beach towels.

Confused about how baking soda works? It actually activates with the detergent-mixed water and works to remove any stains. Thus, keeps your towels looking brighter and in good condition.

Note: Baking soda can be a little harsh for fragile fabrics but it is good for towels, as they use stronger fabrics.

Vinegar:

If you are looking for the most gentle method to clean your white beach towels by still protecting the towels’ fibers, spell out the vinegar magic.

Vinegar’s natural whitening properties are great for whitening and brightening white beach towels.

1. Take 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and 2 ounces of laundry detergent (of your own choice).
2. Stir them gently for having a well-mixed solution. 
3. Pour this solution into the washer tub that contains your laundry.
4. Start your washer at its normal settings, and let the magic work.
5. Rinse well and dry normally.

OxiClean:

OxiClean is known as the best alternative to use instead of bleach. You can either use that oxygen-based cleaner as a towel presoak or add it during the washing cycle.

• For Presoaking: Get a big tub and make a presoak solution according to the manual’s directions or just by adding a scoop of OxiClean in a gallon of water. Mix the solution well and soak your white beach towels for 20 to 60 minutes before washing.
• As an additive during Wash: Add a scoop of this with your standard laundry detergent in the washer and launder as normal. 

Avoid Overdrying

Try to avoid overdrying your white beach towels either by using a tumble dryer or a radiator. As this can damage the towel’s fibers and make it feel stiff. Instead, use the following trick:

1. Take out your towels from the tumble dryer just before they become fully dry.
2. Now, hang them somewhere to air dry.

This will give you your soft snowy white towels back again in your hands.

Storing Right after Drying

Before folding, it’s good to check for any damp corners. Folding and storing damp towels will end up growing mildew and musty odors.

After ensuring thorough drying, fold them immediately and in the right way to keep them looking much better.

Because the fabric of the towels needs time to settle. Folding right away and sitting overnight will give you soft and fluffy towels that come without any wrinkles.