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Bath towels can be a pretty costly investment for some people, especially if you have more than one bathroom in your home. Some people carefully search out just the right towels and may pay a hefty price, including shipping if they find just what they want online. Some people like to buy towels that are made of certain types of material such as Egyptian or Brazilian cotton because they are softer and more absorbent. However, these bath towels are more expensive, so you want to take good care of your towels to keep them looking like-new and extend their usefulness.

One thing you will want to do after purchasing new towels is to wash them before use. This may not seem to make a lot of sense, but you never know how many people touched the towels at the warehouse or in the store before you bought them. While they may not still contain germs and bacteria, they may be a bit dirty. Also, some new towels contain chemicals and oils that may make them less absorbent until they are washed off. To do this, wash the towels in warm water with ½ cup of detergent, and 1 cup of white vinegar. The white vinegar will get rid of that new towel smell that some towels have after you purchase them.

Another part of caring for your towels is considering how often you should wash them. After all, frequent washing can wear the towels out quicker. But, you also want to make sure your towels are clean to prevent spreading germs. How much you wash your bath towels is a personal choice. Some people know they work jobs that require them to get dirty each day. Although you wash all the dirt off in the bath or shower, you will still have skin cells and oils on your towels. In cases such as this, you should wash your towels after ever couple of uses if not every use.

People who don’t get as dirty during the day may want to use their bath towels several times before washing. Just make sure after you use the towel, you spread it out well on the shower curtain rod or towel rack to allow it to dry properly. Either way, you should wash your bath towels every week to make sure you remove grim and germs.

Hand towels and washcloths will require more frequent washing because they are using to remove makeup and may contain more oils and lotions than bath towels. Because these are less expensive than bath towels, you may want to purchase more when you initially buy your bath towel set to make sure you have replacements when they start to show wear and tear.

Proper washing will help keep your bath towels looking like-new as well. Make sure you separate towels by color and don’t overstuff the washer when loading it. Overstuffing can lead to tears in the towels because there isn’t enough room plus you can put a strain on your washing machine. Avoid using fabric softener when you wash your towels as it can reduce the absorbency of the towels.

When you wash towels, you will want to wash only towels. Don’t mix in clothing or bedding because chances are those are of a lighter weight and will dry before the towels, which will cause wrinkling. Dry towels on medium heat and make sure they are completely dry before removing them from the dryer.

Proper care can extend the lifespan of your bath towels as well as ensuring that you are keeping your family and visitors safe from germs and bacteria.

Bathroom accessories also play important roles in making bathrooms attractive and useful. Since people prefer items that combine practicality with good looks, these ubiquitous materials should ooze quality, beauty and be the epitome of usefulness. The most commonly used accessories are towels, fixtures, soap dispensers, different types of holders for candles, towels, toiletries, cosmetics etc, towel racks, bath baskets and curtain rods for showers, candle holders, rugs etc.

Showers and bathrooms are the most preferred areas of the house as far as a tired person is concerned. In olden times, bathrooms were looked upon as just a necessary evil, but presently, they have acquired much importance which can be matched with that of a bedroom, kitchen or living room. While all other parts of the house are constructed for our physical well-being, bathrooms help in rejuvenating both the mind and the body.

This new-found importance of bathrooms has resulted in them becoming glamorous rooms and a true friend of those living in the house. Now people try to redesign and remodel their bathrooms periodically so that the visual interest is kept intact. Bathroom accessories are invariably small but thoughtfully added items that make your bathroom more attractive and practical.

But there is a need to select your bathroom accessories thoughtfully. There is no point in cluttering up your limited bathroom space with all kinds of frills. Fix the accessories at only the suitable spaces and give a thought about the color scheme too. It is true that these fixtures usually eat up almost twenty five percent of the total bathroom construction cost. But the aesthetic beauty and usefulness provided by them cannot be matched by anything else.

Colors and patterns of bathroom towels like hand towels and bath towels should invariably complement that of the background wall tiles. In fact, choosing the correct accessories and towels requires an artistic bend of mind. Due to this, you can ask for advice from other members of the family or a professional designer in your endeavor to give your bathroom a lucid look and feel.

Some bathroom accessories like flower vases are of purely ornamental value while racks and fixtures are absolutely practical appendages. Some pieces like towels and toiletries are both decorative and useful at the same time. Bathroom vanities have become absolute necessities for the well-healed due to the improved ambience these can provide to the bathroom.

Another popular trend, especially in designing children’s bathrooms, is to use temporary fixtures, wallpapers, accessories etc because children quickly outgrow their living surroundings. The emphasis here should be on improving the fun factor rather than practicality. The materials used should be durable, light, attractive and safe.

You can easily buy your bathroom accessories from online stores that sell them. The process can be easy and fun if you are sure of what you want. Never get perplexed with all the types and colors available. Stick to your needs, otherwise you would have to live with an unsavory and unsuitable bathroom for long periods.

Whether you are wrapping yourself in a soft, thick fluffy bath towel after bathing, or enjoying the collection of bright and colourful towels accessorizing your bathroom, you need to be able to choose great bath towels. A collection of soft fluffy towels ensures that your bathroom offers you a spa-like experience at home.

The most popular fabric for bath towels is 100% cotton, as it is a highly absorbent fabric and helps you feel dry quickly. Cotton comes from several subtropical countries, the U.S.A., Australia and China. Egypt is the country that produces the world’s best cotton, but Central and Latin America also produce high quality cottons. Some of the most expensive cottons come from Egypt and Brazil. However, the type of cotton is not necessarily the main consideration when you are buying towels. Occasionally, cotton can be blended with polyester (up to 10%) to prevent shrinkage and damage from wear and tear, which produces lower quality towels.

One of the most important features when selecting towels is how the towels feel, when you pick them up. When you touch good quality towels, they should feel soft and velvety with a weight you notice. Lower quality towels are less absorbent will lose their shape and can feel scratchy when you touch them. Watch for dense stitching, double-folded ends and a solid border. The towels should be perfectly square at the corners when folded. Lower quality towels lose their shape after frequent washing.

What is the difference between terry cotton and velour?

Towels are frequently described as either terry cotton or velour. Terry cotton is created through a weaving process that loops the fibres on both sides of the fabric. With velour, these loops are cropped to create a smoother texture. Water has a tendency to bead on the fibre, giving the impression that it takes hours to dry. Velour towels are more frequently used for decorative purposes while terry cotton towels are popular as towels for daily use.

What are Microfibre towels?

Microfibre towels are made completely of synthetic fabric. They are thin, long wearing and can absorb five time their weight in water. Athletes, fitness buffs and travellers find many uses for these towels because they dry quickly and are very lightweight. These towels do not offer a range of colors.

How should I care for towels?

1. Wash towels in either warm or cold water. Dry them outdoors on the line. If you pop them in the dryer, use the cool or delicate cycle to prevent the decorative strips from shrinking.
Tip: Stretch the trim after each washing and drying, even if you hang the towels outside to dry.

2. Wash dark towels separately; they can lose their colour over time. Do the same for thick pile towels for at least the first five or six months to keep them fluffy.

3. Don’t use fabric softeners. They contain silicone, which can reduce a towel’s ability to absorb moisture.

4. Don’t wipe the sink with your towel. Toothpaste, makeup remover and some first-aid creams can stain or discolour your towels. (http://www.tableandbathlinens.com)

Bathroom towel racks are one of the most commonly used means of adding extra storage space to a bathroom. They are relatively simple to install, and can help to keep your bathroom looking tidy and stylish.

The most basic racks come in two different designs. The first is not actually a rack, but rather a single horizontal shelf that can be used to store folded towels. However because it is a shelf, it does not offer the ability to hang towels. For that, you need a railed towel rack.

Railed towel racks are similar to towel shelves, but because they contain rails they can be used to hang towels vertically as well as store them horizontally.

More expensive designs tend to have an arrangement of two or more railed shelves, in addition to an under hanging rail bar or set of hooks. These provide extra storage space, as well as hanging space, and are therefore far more functional that shelves or single railed racks.

Although these are physically larger than the other alternatives, their extra functionality tends to make them the preferred option for homeowners.

Installing A Towel Rack In Your Bathroom

Towel racks require a bit more skill to install than regular towel hooks, although the basic principle remains the same. You must first decide where on the wall you would like to install your rack, making sure there is enough clearance space around the rack.

If you are installing a railed rack, you also need to ensure that there is enough vertical space for your hanging towels. This can easily be done by holding a towel at the location you are thinking of installing your rack, and making sure that it does not touch the floor and is a reasonable distance away from it.

After deciding on your location it is important to scan that area with a metal detector to check for electrical wiring or pipes in the wall. Once you are certain there is nothing there, place your rack on the wall using a spirit level to ensure it is completely level. You can then screw in your rack into the wall.

Depending on the size of your rack, you may have to use wall plugs in addition to the screws. These will provide extra grip to the screws, and prevent the rack from ripping them out the wall under heavy loads.

This whole process shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes, after which you will have added some valuable storage space to your bathroom!

In ye olden days (you know, fifty years ago), the bathroom was a strictly business sort of place. You went in, did… (well, you know what you do in there!), and then you were done.

Today, though, the bathroom has become a sanctuary for many. If you have a big family with kids, friends of kids, spouses, pets, etc. running up and down the halls or constantly demanding your attention, the bathroom may be the last place in the house you can escape and remain unmolested for a while. (Three cheers for the person who decided to put locks on bathroom doors!)

As long as you’re hiding in the bathroom, you might as well make it a pleasant place to hang out.

In the luxury remodeling world, it’s all the rage to put in jetted bathtubs, steam showers with multiple spray heads, saunas, and other high-end spa-like features. Most of us, however, live in the real world, and can’t afford these luxuries. Fortunately, there are ways you can lux up the bathroom without spending thousands of dollars. Below I’ve listed five ways you can get started.

1. Towel Warmer

If you have to get up early, before anyone has been up to turn on the heat in the house, getting out of the shower in the morning can be a chilly experience (especially if your door doesn’t shut all the way, and the dog or the cat is always pushing its way in to check on what you’re doing and leaving the door wide open in the process… not that I’d know anything about this myself, mind you).

A towel warmer is a simple way to make stepping out of the shower a pleasant experience, and prices start below $100 for simple electric models that hang on the wall and plug into an outlet (for a bit more, you can get a warming rack that can be hardwired so there won’t be any cords showing).

2. A Good Showerhead

While we may drool over those jetted bathtubs, the truth is that most of us spend a lot more time in the shower than in the bath. Maybe once a week, you hop in the tub for a luxurious soak, but chances are you use the shower every day. Why not upgrade that leaky, low-pressure showerhead?

For less than $100, you can get a pretty darned nice showerhead. What’s your fancy? An overhead rain shower? A double-head model? A hand-held shower? A unit that comes with a filter to get rid of unwanted minerals and chlorine?

A good showerhead doesn’t cost a fortune, and it can vastly improve your shower experience. You don’t have to be a DIY expert to install one either.

3. Plush Towels

If you’ve got a collection of mismatched, threadbare towels that were purchased sometime last millennia, maybe it’s time to invest in towels that will feel good wrapped around you (especially after you’ve heated them up with that towel warmer!)

Visit a store that specializes in affordable luxury (i.e. Costco) and invest in a good set of towels, and then throw those old thin ones away (or turn them into car washing rags or some such). Towels last a long time, so it’s worth investing in good ones.

4. Fog Free Mirror

Tired of getting out of the shower and having to use your towel to wipe a circle in the mirror so you can see yourself (and even then, it doesn’t work that well)? For about $70, you can get a heater that installs in the back of your mirror. This simple device is all it takes to keep your mirror fog-free, and remove that ongoing daily annoyance from your life forever.

5. Add Seating

If you’ve got a tiny bathroom, this may not be viable, but if there’s a bit of space, you could add a bench or chair to sit upon. Whether you’re looking to take a load off or just have somewhere to plant your rump while you take off shoes and socks, a seat (besides the toilet!) can be nice to have. Make it a comfortable one if you can.

To further your comfort experience, you can even add a television or radio to the bathroom if you like to get a head start on the morning news or listen to music.

There you have it: five ways to create a bit of luxury in that last private sanctuary in the house. Good luck, and enjoy your bathroom!

When a person thinks of a bathroom, dry is not usually the first word that comes to mind. You have a humid, wet place with plenty of slick surfaces. When the shower or bath is not in use it can sometimes be a rather cold place, especially in the morning. However, a towel radiator can give you heat and at the same time dry your towels to a comfortable aridness.

First made popular in European hotels, a towel radiator functions as both a towel rack and as a towel dryer, the towel radiator is increasingly popular in the U.S. It slowly and gently radiates heat that dries and warms towels as they hang out. This can greatly reduce the time needed for a just recently wet rag to dry out as well as give it a comforting feel the next time it is needed.

You can find a towel radiator at a bathroom or sometimes at a plumbing store. Be prepared to take out the wallet, however; a good radiator can cost as much as a $1,000 or more depending upon model and design. This is definitely a luxury item and many people will decide that they are comfortable waiting for the dryer to finish.

If you decide that the luxury is something you want, however, then you can still get a relative bargain. Before purchasing a unit, check out its BTU consumption and EPA power ratings. As they are designed to be used in a bathroom most are safely designed. Still, it does not hurt to look at the instructions and follow all safety tips to the letter.

Maintenance and repair is also an issue. As a towel radiator is a radiator, it will occasionally need to be bled for excess water and air. If you are comfortable with the task, you can often get a radiator key and attend to the job yourself when the rings are not getting as hot as they should get. Before bleeding the system, however, you should make sure to disconnect the unit from the heating system. Not doing so could let air in the moment you let the air back out, resulting in a zero sum game.

Towel radiators are expensive items, but the luxury that they provide is a must for some people. Proper shopping can hold down costs, and occasional DIY maintenance can help even more. With that effort you can be rewarded with warm, dry sheets the moment you step out of the shower.