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Towels: Easy Care Tips to Make Them Last

Good-quality, properly laundered towels can arrive with your newborn and stick around until he starts kindergarten and look little the worse for wear.

The expected life span of a good to best-quality towels is five to ten years.

(Best-quality are generally defined as those made from premium fibers, such as Supima or Egyptian cotton.)

Here's the care and feeding routine for these thirsty, soft babies:

1. Wash before using.

Resist the urge to put it directly on the bathroom hook.

Instead, get it primed for softness and absorbency before the first use.

Many manufacturers add a finish that creates a sleek, soft feel, but in truth this actually diminishes its absorbency.

While these chemicals will rinse out with a few washes, you're often left with a scratchy, rough item that bears little resemblance to the plush one you brought home. To get the maximum fluffiness and absorbency:

• First, soak or wash in cold water without detergent or fabric softener.

• Tumble dry low.
  

And only then, into the bathroom they go.

2. Wash separately.

This is both for the longevity of your bath items and that of your family's clothes.

Clothes with zippers, hooks, and buttons can pull out loops on some and snag others.

Further separate dark colors from their lighter cousins. This will keep both light and dark colors intact.

3. Read the label's specific washing directions.

If the fiber washes best in cool water, the label will tell you this. Otherwise, warm is best.

Extra-hot water can fade colors and reduce the softness the kids love. (And hey, who are we kidding here? Parents love it, too.)

Unless it has come into contact with an ill family member (thereby requiring a stronger laundry detergent and possibly chlorine bleach), choose a gentle laundry detergent to protect both the fibers and the color during weekly washings.

Use only half the recommended amount of detergent to keep them soft and absorbent.

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About the Author

Tara Aronson is a native Californian. Having grown up in San Diego, she studied journalism and Spanish to pursue a career in newspaper writing. Tara, whose three children - Chris, Lyndsay, and Payne - are the light of her life, now lives and writes in Los Angeles. She also regularly appears on television news programs throughout the U.S.