What towel material do you want? There are more material options available for bath towels than almost any other home textile. While the options are nearly endless and can range from silk blends to linens, cottons and microfibers are the most effective and popular materials to use for bath towels. Egyptian cotton is touted as the perfect combination of luxury as well as availability. The fibers of this cotton type are extra long and therefore perfect for creating extra plush bath towels. If you are looking to go one step further with cotton luxury, consider Turkish cotton towels. With an even longer fiber than Egyptian cotton towels, they are thicker, softer, and more absorbent and bulkier than Egyptian cotton. Consider Turkish towels as the ultimate in bath luxury. If you are looking for a more affordable natural fiber, consider Terry Cloth towels. Terry cloth is extremely absorbent, and is a common material for bathrobes as well as cover-ups due to its high absorbency. The density of fibers creates a sponge-like absorbency that really makes this towel an extremely effective option. On the other hand, there are also Microfiber towels. These are towels made from synthetic materials and therefore can dry you as well as themselves faster than natural cotton. Although they are not as plush as the cotton varieties, they can be folded to unusually small sizes and will take up less space in a bathroom or linen closet.

What do you want your towels to feel like? Do you like when your towels are fluffy and soft, or heavier and more dense? This has to do with the construction of the towels, just as much as the material of the towels. Lighter towels have a longer pile, much like a rug, and therefore are less dense. They are constructed using low-twist yarn, resulting in a light, plush towel. For denser, and more uniform towels, you will want towels constructed using high-twist yarn. These towels have shorter piles and are more absorbent, due to the amount of yarn per inch.

Which towel sizes would you like? After making countless material and style decisions, now comes the task of selecting which towel types to purchase.
• Bath Sheets measure the largest at 35” x 60”. For those of you who prefer more coverage or just like to hang out in your towel after a shower, consider this luxurious indulgence — for the master bathroom or even for guests.
• Bath Towels are the perfect utility player of your towels. At 27” x 52”, it’s easy to find room for extra towel storage and uses for these.
• Keeping at least one Hand Towel nearby in the guest bathroom or powder room is a common practice. Hand towels can vary by a few inches in size depending on the task that you plan to use them for. Consider if you will be washing your face or hanging them for guests to dry their hands, and determine accordingly.
• For guest bathrooms, you can also consider using Finger Towels, which measure at only 11” x 18” and can be easily folded or hung up for more decorative purposes.
• Wash Cloths are the only towels not actually used for drying. Hang in the shower or fold next to the sink for washing your face, body, or even bathroom countertops. Measuring at only 13” x 13”, you can easily keep a few out at once.

How to care for your towels. Once you have spent the money to invest in a new set of bath towels, you want to make sure that they maintain their original softness and fluff for as long as possible. Surprisingly, it’s important to wash your bath towels once before using them in order to set the color and improve their absorbency. Avoid contact with skincare products as well as fabric softener. In order to maintain color and extended absorbency, keep skincare products, which can bleach and fade bath towels, away from your bath towels. Fabric softener can actually stiffen towels and prevent them from maintaining their full absorbency. If your towels need some rejuvenating, add a dash of vinegar to the wash. This can help eliminate the musty smell which can accumulate over time, as well as break down any accumulated residue. Just remember to dry your towels fully, and don’t be too liberal with the laundry detergent, and you can enjoy your towels for an extended period of time.