7 Ways to Keep Your Towels White and Fluffy

"You know to keep personal hygiene in check with regular bathing, but did you know your bath towels should hit the showers themselves every three to four days? Ideally, you will want to alternate between two towels and wash them all together to save time and energy.

"Hand towels can fly under the radar, especially if you don't have guests often, but you should tend to these as often as you do bath towels. Wash hand towels every couple of days, since they are used multiple times a day and often by hands that are extra wet, and not always super clean, especially since Summer brings more gardening, outdoor sports, picnics, and other activities that drive us to wash our hands more often than in the Winter.

"If we're talking towels at your vacation home or Summer timeshare, the easy trick would be to wash them before heading back home, or after guests leave after a long weekend."

"The traditional method is to use warm water when doing laundry, but for towels, I recommend using cold. The icy temperatures prevent shrinkage at the seams, help keep colors true (especially neutrals), and work better on certain stains. Beach houses and Summer timeshares are also prone to mildew, and a cold bath every so often is a good way to help discourage its presence!"

"To keep your towels ultra plush, forget about fabric softeners whose chemicals can damage the fibers and make towels less supple over time. Instead, drop a tennis ball into the dryer to agitate and puff them up. You can also amp up a towel's lifetime by washing it separately to avoid pilling and taking it out of dryer before fully dry to avoid damage from overdrying."

"Snowe's towels are made from our signature 'air-woven' cotton, which makes them highly absorbent superperformers when it comes to wicking away moisture and getting you dry. It also means they'll dry faster, so plan on putting them in the dryer for the shortest (and most eco-friendly) cycle on your machine's settings. And don't forget to forego the dryer sheets — which reduce towel absorbency over time."

"Many people guestimate here and while it may seem like no biggie, too much detergent will prevent your towels from rinsing clean. We advise measuring out the amount of detergent exactly to the manufacturer's specifications — knowing that less is frequently more. A "medium" load translates to roughly six to seven pounds of laundry and fills 3/4 of a household machine. A larger laundromat load will require a bit more."

"Either formula will get the job done, but powders will perform better in warm water. However, a liquid formula can double as a small treatment stain fighter to apply directly to stain before going in the wash for extra cleaning power. Laundry pods are super easy and take the work out of measuring, but be prepared to pay more for this convenience."

"Before reaching for bleach (which can actually damage your fabric) to save towels that have lost their bright white luster, try the baking soda and vinegar approach for an alternative fix. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the washing machine with your preferred detergent. Then add 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar during the rinse cycle. When you're done, your towels will look like you dried them in the warm Summer sun."