Help! Non-absorbant bath towels!!!

Hi all,
I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post this question, but here goes...

Has anyone else noticed that the new bath towels that they purchase do not want to absorb water/moisture? I have purchased expensive and cheap towels and it seems like all manufacturers are doing something to the towels so the towels don't want to absorb water/moisture very well. Washing several times does not help. Towels never used to be this way. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there any towel out there that does absorb water/moisture? It just seems like you need to rub and rub to get the towel to absorb the moisture off of your skin after you take a shower. It's ridiculous; it's a towel and is MADE to absorb the moisture off of your skin, so why doesn't it?

Does anyone have any insights into the reason for this? Field Crest (I think this is the brand) towels were great towels, but I can't find them anywhere. I used to purchase them at Target. If anyone has a technique to treat the towels so the towel becomes absorbent or removes whatever is on the towel to prevent absorption, please let me know.
Thanks in advance,
Mike
tl³
tried to correct spelling error in title, but couldn't.

This message was edited Aug 24, 2008 12:32 PM

Do you use fabric softener on your towels? If so, don't. It coats the fibers and your towels won't absorb water well.

You might try first washing them with some added 20 Mule Team Borax powder or Arm & Hammer washing soda to thoroughly remove any residue of treatments added to the fabric in the first place.

Also, you want to find towels with as much natural fiber (cotton) as possible. The more synthetics like polyester used, the less absorbent the towel will be.

This message was edited Aug 24, 2008 1:39 PM

Costco towels absorb great - like you I have found some that do not and actually they were more money from Dillards/ or Macy's I forget. I second the opinion on the water softener and natural fabrics.

Most towels are made in another country and are treated with pesticides to prevent moths/etc during transport. This junk can usually be removed by several washings with hot water, laundry detergent and a little oxyclean.

That is interesting, I was looking for towels last weekend and all I could find were those velour feeling towels and they do nothing to get the water off. I also think that some of th terry ones have much smaller 'loops' and have no room to store water. I also had to change detergent, as mine had fabric softner in it, and as stated above, that just shuts the towel down. I thought I was the odd ball. I mean the stores are packed with those velour ones, somebody must buy them.

Here's an interesting response at Yahoo:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080525203901AAFM1LC

It's interesting that there is no mention of the pesticide residue. That is something I learned about at a medical conference on allergies. It is also in clothing that is shipped by boat and causes allergic and sensitivity problems. Things should be laundered before using. So no matter what towels you but, if they are manufactured in another country and have to be shipped then they will have something on them to prevent moths and other creatures!

I knew a fellow once that walked through (didn't stop) the ladies dept at a local Sears when clothes were being unpacked, and had to go to the hosptial and ended up on a ventilator. He kept saying it was the 'newness' and the 'smell' (that nobody usually smells) and I wondered if it wasn't the dyes (he never could wear new things without a washing) but now I am wondering if it wasn't the pesticide.

That is exactly why I wish there was more information about this to protect the public - imagine a small child in the same situation, and those kids usually have accompanying allergies and/or asthma.
Another subject I get worked up about is celiac disease. There are a lot of people with stomach problems that affect their lives but the average length of time to be properly diagnosed is 12 years. It took 15 years and many visits to the best gastroenterologists (my husband was an MD) to finally find out what is wrong with me. One month after being diagnosed I felt like a new person and my gut is still healing. It took a woman MD to find the cause. :)

Got you beat there .... my brother...now 53 - has been ill since he was 30 --- rail thin...stomach issues, toilet issues etc. etc. etc. he had a routine colonoscopy last year (a few years too late... since he was beyond 50) and the doctor (a woman!!!) saw the bowel lining looking very suspicious for celiac disease ---and sure enough he had it. Can't make up for the deficiencies that can be caused (or the years lost feeling miserable) Anyway, he is a changed person... not moody..not sour from not feeling good every single day... his energy levels are up, he is more productive, and he really is enjoying life.... one tiny tiny bit of the wrong thing can set the inflammation off -----
like any allergic reaction - but he is super careful. I just sent him the Trader Joe's website - they have a huge inventory of gluten free foods --and are super careful that the manufacturing/packing plants are in compliance too.

I bought 'Sahara w/Dry Fast system' (I believe that was the name) bath towels several years ago and loved them! It took seconds to dry off after a shower. I believe Fieldcrest made them, but can't find them anymore. I would snap them up if I found them again.
I hate the velour ones, too. Pretty to look at, but not very useful.

Not to steer the thread off, but my sister was just diagnosed with Celiac disease about a month ago. Have no idea how long she had it, but has had lots of health issues over the years and makes you wonder if she had known sooner, if she wouldn't have developed fewer problems.
She has gone to the Whole Foods Market and Central Market to buy groceries. Thanks for the info on Trader Joes. Will check it out. What a lifestyle change!

There is also a magazine - published 4 or 6 times/year. Nice glossy well done. I got it for him via Amazon and he loves it. I think it is called Gluten Free but I can look again at my receipts if you can't find it. Yes, the disease causes widespread problems outside of the bowel stomach pain;upset stuff..memory/cognitive stuff and anemia.
Back to the original topic..(my apologies TreeLover)
Have you tried to google a search for the Fieldcrest Towels? Sometimes the online shopping sites have links to things we can no longer find. I learned tha there is actually a warehouse that sells all the discontinued types, brands, colors nailpolish, lipstick, makeup that we love. Of course, I've misplaced that too --but it is out there.

PS - Fieldcrest = Cannon and Royal Velvet towels.

http://www.target.com/gp/search/601-8570105-5520114?field-keywords=fieldcrest%20towels&afid=google&CPNG=Bath&LNM=fieldcrest_towels&LID=658852&ref=tgt_adv_XSGT0781

Target says it sells Fieldcrest Towels.

MollyD

There is a magazine called "Living Without" and man many books. If anyone wants a list I will be happy to send. Also many tips, like not having Pepsi or other gluten free soft drinks that come from a fountain instead of a can. It's everywhere!

I would like the list Portland.

books:
The Gluten Free Bible by Jax Peters Lowell - my favorite.
The Gluten Connection by Shari Lieberman.
The Living Gluten Free Answer Book by Suzanne Bowland - my Mom's favorite, she was diagnosed when I found out she had been suffering the same symptoms as I was but she was not verbal enough - sick for 30 years and now much better at 85.
Gluten Free Girl by Shauna Ahern - excellent, also has a web site, husband is a chef who changed his entire restaurant kitchen to gluten free.
Baking classics by Annalise Roberts.
Cookies for Breakfast by Michael Perlman, who developed recipes for his little sister.
Gluten Free French Desserts by Valerie Cupillard.
There are soooo many more books available.

web sites:
gluten free mall by Scott Adams - scroll down to chose celiac in the media to read latest articles both scientific and not.
gluten free girl.
many universities have info.
google lists of medications that are gluten free.

tips:
soft drinks from fountains instead of cans often have additives that contain gluten - the additives preserve carbonation.
don't eat strawberries that have been grown with hay, etc mulch - grow your own!
salad bars have tongs that people stick in the croutons and them back to the lettuce or other stuff.
bulk foods in places like Whole Foods - people use the tongs for several items and the bin you choose may be contaminated.
people may tear their bread near your food and tiny crumbs can make you sick.
many people who have small intestine damage that is not yet healed cannot tolerate xanthan gum, which is used in many gluten free foods in this country but rarely in other countries.
Italy is easy for travel - all Italian kids are tested for celiac before the age of 5 and they are very aware and have lots of foods.
Ditto for England. When I was working in England a physician there first alerted me to the probability that I had celiac.

You will have so many tips of your own as you go along, and se what makes you ill. You have to be a detective. There are many support groups in almost every community. It is so easy to make your kitchen gluten free - I say that from experience but my children are grown and it may be more difficult if you have kids.
It is extremely important for kids and grandkids of folks with celiac to be tested - that is how my poor Mother was diagnosed after suffering silently for so many years.

Another thing to remember is this is not an allergy, but an autoimmune disease and even choosing to eat something with gluten increases your chances of developing other conditions, like non-Hodgkins lymphoma. So this is serious and must be taken as such.
If I can be of any more help please let me know.

This is not what the thread was about and I apologize for getting so far off track.....now back to towels - I like white so they can be bleached!

THANKS forwarded it all to my brother.
I didn't know about the fountain drinks.

About the towels. Costco has thick cotton absorbant towels all sizes ---- I want to say Martex but not certain. And, they are affordable too.

Portland1-Thanks so much for all the information. My sister will be very appreciative. She is learning more about this everyday.

MollyD, thanks for the link, but I don't see the Fieldcrest Sahara towels. I think they just don't make that particular towel anymore.

I'm a 'white towel' lady myself- I don't like worrying about fading them and can wash them all at the same time.

There have been some threads about celiac's disease in the healthy living forum, I think.

I don't know what brand my towels are, but they're the cheapest Target towels, I use fabric softener and they absorb great! I'm just about to go buy some new ones, mine are 2 1/2 years old and are just starting to show wear. I think they're like $5.00! Maybe $7.00 now with inflation.

Crissy
I think that is what some are saying the new ones aren't performing like the old ones.

A quick survey of my very absorbent towels and washcloths reveals that they are all 100% cotton, and they were made in Portugal, Turkey, and England. Portugal-made towels seem to last forever! A lot of my towels were mail-ordered from the Lands' End catalog, and I've never had a problem with any Lands' End towels. On the subject of treated fabrics, I'm sensitive to chemicals (on my skin or in the air), so I wash all new clothing before use. I also use a non-perfumed laundry detergent, and a non-perfumed fabric softener sheet in the tumble dryer. The fabric softener sheet does not seem to affect the absorbency of the cotton towels.

Hi all,
Thanks so much for all the replies. I have been out of town for a couple of days and just got back. I will check out the Yahoo link.

The towels that I have purchased are 100% Cotton. I do use dryer sheets, but I have always used dryer sheets and they have not affected my old towels that are absorbent (Cannon/Fieldcrest).

GW,
I have borax and washing soda (I have made and used the homemade (HM) laundry soap recipes that you posted here at Dave's) so I will wash them in that without using dryer sheets and see if that helps. Right now I am using a huge pail of dry laundry soap I purchased at Sam's and it does a good job at cleaning clothes and was very inexpensive. I tried to find Zote at my local Wal*Mart and the gal at the service counter said she hadn't seen it for a while. I do have some bars of Fels Naptha soap I could use to make some of the HM laundry detergent.

I will have to check out Target.com - I never thought to look there. The last time I was at Target I didn't see any Cannon/Fieldcrest towels on the shelves. I have a Sam's Club membership since the closest Costco is 15 miles away (wish it was closer!) and the Sam's is less than a mile from my house.

There is a Lands' End outlet store not too far from me so I will have to check there to see if they have any towels for sale.

Thanks, again, for all of the help and ideas for finding decent/absorbent towels and/or trying to "fix" the "bad" towels that I already have. There is nothing more frustrating than getting out of the shower and trying to dry off with a towel that will NOT absorb the moisture off of my skin. (:o(

Any other tips/suggestions/ideas are more than welcome!
Thanks,
Mike
tl³

At the end of June I found these towels at Wal Mart on sale for $1.97. We were having Dave's uncle stay with us for a week and were going to run short on towels so I said What the heck and bought 3 of them. They absorb really good, not as good as my Target towels, but I do like them, we'll see how long they last. When I get back home from vacation I'll look at the lables and see what brand all my towels are. My mom has Custom Home towels from Wal Mart and they're soft but they don't absorb nearly as good as mine, but she uses a water softner, fabric softner, and the dryer sheets.

crissyr,
What brand of towels did you purchase at Wal-Mart? I purchased some inexpensive towels at WM a while ago and they are crap.

I don't know what brand they are, I'll have to wait until I get back home next Tuesday. I'll let you know.

OK, thanks.

Whew! I raced Gustavo last night! I got home at 1:30am this morning. I beat it though, got a little wind blown and rained on, but it was a light rain, nothing like today!

So, my Target towels are Bella brand, they are 2 1/2 years old and are just now showing wear. My Wal Mart towels are Mainstays brand. I've only had them a couple of months. I like the Bella brand better, and they were the $5.00 ones.

I need to go get the mail but it is pouring! I'd like to get it before the weather deteriorates even more though. I'll wait until this band passes, check radar again.

Thanks for the info, Crissy! I have some Mainstays towels from Walmart that do not absorb water very well. I think they're dark blue towels? Hmmm... I will check at Target tonight for the Bella towels.

Glad you made it home safely. No reason to get drenched by the rain; the mail will be okay until it stops raining (:o)
Thanks again,
Mike
tl³

My Mainstays towels are beige. They're soft and not as absorable as the Bella's. The thing about the Bella towels is I have white and light green. The light green ones smell like mildew if I don't pull them out of the washer the minute it gets done. The white ones never smell like mildew, I'm thinking it's the dye they use.

I have some Fieldcrest towels, don't remember what store they came from and they have held up for awhile. The tag says made in Kannapolis, NC. Isn't that where one of the Nascar drivers is from? I know they have cotton mills there, guess they make towels too. Pretty good ones...
I bought some beach towels at Walmart and they are icky! They feel like velour and don't absorb at all. I use them when I give the cats a flea bath. They don't seem to mind the towels ;) lol

I bought some new towels and Linens and Things this year. They are Lexington by Country Home and are only available there. They have been absorbent from day one and are still very soft. Not too many colors to choose from though.

Huh, I might have to go check those out ascholz. I have one I bought not too long ago that's Modern Home brand. It has a symbol like Target's but for some reason I'm thinking I got it at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I don't remember. I don't know how absorbent it is either, it just hangs on a towel rack. It is 100% cotton.