Taking Care of your Bamboo Towels and Robes
Added on January 8th, 2009
Found in latest news, some useful info
The new bamboo fibre that every one is talking about it, the natural, green, renewable and eco-friendly textile of the 21st Century. Bamboo thrives naturally without the use of pesticides and requires significantly less water. Bamboo is a cellulose fibre which is converted into yarns without the addition of toxic chemicals, and is 100% biodegradable in soil by micro-organism and sunshine, causing no pollution to the environment.
Well Cultivated have done a great deal of research on bamboo clothing, finding a threading problem on towels and dressing gowns. During our investigation we have find out that snagging is not only common on bamboo terry towels but is also a common issue on other organic fabrics use on towelling and dressing gowns.
During our investigation my husband Dave and I tested a great number of towels from M&S, Debenhams, John Lewis and other bamboo towels suppliers. With surprise all these towels have the same snagging problem. Snagging is a major problem for retailers with the emergence of new softer fabrics and the new understanding needed by customers on how to care for these new organic garments.
When you first feel a bamboo towel you will be surprised by how soft it is, that is what we first noticed. You will also notice the towel is not as thick as a normal cotton towel despite being heavier per square metre. However, the bamboo towelling can absorb up to three times more water than a cotton towel. Bamboo towels have micro gaps that provide for this high absorption.
Even more unique is the fact that bamboo towels are naturally anti- bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-static. This is not an added property; it is a natural capability of bamboo fibre. It will not wash out even after years of use. You can leave a damp bamboo towel in the washing basket, a gym locker, on the floor or the bottom of your backpack and it will not have that funky gym sock smell.
Wash and Care Instructions for Your Bamboo Towels
It is recommended to wash these bamboo towels dressing gowns and all other bamboo garments before use as this helps prevent snagging of the loops. Wash at 30 Degrees C, preferably in an eco friendly detergent. Then line dry or tumble dry at a very low setting. Fabric softener should never be used as it clogs up the fibres in the yarn, which can reduce absorbency and retain any odours present.
You should wash your bamboo towels before first use. We recommend careful handling when washing your new bamboo towels. To prevent snagging of the loops and towel shrinkage carefully follow these simple steps:
1. Place your towels in a washing bag prior to its first laundering to protect the towel in the wash.
2. Launder towels with lukewarm water on delicate wash with like colours (do not add bleach) and thoroughly rinse.
3. Hand dry or tumble dry on a very low temperature.
4. We recommend using a very delicate detergent or bath gel to freshen up the bamboo garment. Alternatively, plain warm water will be enough to keep the towels clean due to the special washing properties of bamboo.
5. We do not recommend the use of fabric softeners as they tend to block the micro-gaps in the fibres leading to reduced absorbency.
About the Fibres:
The bamboo fibre is filled with various micro-spaces and micro-holes that give it a moisture absorption rate that is 3 times higher than cotton! They have an ultra soft feel and are woven using bamboo for the pile (loops) and organic cotton for the backing (70% bamboo, 30% cotton)
Tags: bamboo towel, bamboo towels, dressing gowns, eco laundry, snagging, threading, washing