Millenium towels from Bonjour of Switzerland

Towels! Oh wonderful towels!

We love soft and absorbent towels! With so many great towels to choose from, it is easy to get lost in the selection process!

So this newsletter is dedicated to the things we believe to be important in purchasing a towel that will bring you drying happiness for a very long time.

Most people, if not all, are looking for a towel that is very absorbent. You only need one bad towel experience to know that the moisture should go on the towel, not you. Similar to bedding, the best way to get absorbency is to have a good quality hollow cellulose fiber such as Egyptian cotton, linen, or micro fiber. The better the quality and quantity of good fiber used, the better the absorbency.

To really find out the quality of the towel you must pay close attention to the content label. By USA labeling standards for a manufacturer to have "Egyptian Cotton" on the label, there only needs to be ten percent Egyptian cotton in the towel. We look for towels that are made entirely of Egyptian cotton or with Egyptian cotton in the pile (which would make the Egyptian cotton fiber content between 60 and 100 percent). The pile of a towel is the loops of cotton that come from the base weave which give the towel its texture.

The pile on a towel can be either single or double ply. This means that a single loop of yarn is twisted on to itself, single ply, or two loops of cotton yarn twisted together, double ply. We have also come across some new towels (available in September 2004) that can be described as no twist towels which have a soft brushed velvet feel. Whether a towel has a single or double ply, it is only what the towel feels like to your hand that is most important. A tighter pile on a towel (meaning more loops per square inch) may give more life to the towel, also having less likeliness to pull and more coverage to absorb. Longer looped piles may also give more absorbency, as more cotton is exposed to pick up moisture.

	Abyss towels available at Christina Lynn

Grades of Egyptian cotton vary in towels (because there is no thread count standard like in bed sheeting) so we can find a level of quality in the weight of the towel. Most of the bath-sized towels we prefer are somewhere between 500 and 700 gram weight or about one pound each. Heavy towels don't necessarily mean more absorbency, and lighter towels can loose their plush feel.

The finishing edges of our towels are just as important as what is in the center of the towel. We like sturdy stitched edges or bindings that won't shrivel disproportionately when laundered. One reason we love our Abyss towels offered at Christina Lynn, besides the performance of the towel, is because the binding is attached before the towel color is dyed, so it is always perfectly matched and does not shrink or shrivel.

Cotton is not the only fiber that is absorbent. Here at Christina Lynn we adore our micro fiber towels from Bonjour of Switzerland. These silky low pile towels made of micro model fiber (Beech wood) are the most absorbent of any towel we have experienced. These are quickly becoming our contemporary customers' favorite. Also available at Christina Lynn are cotton and linen blended towels. These towels have a slightly coarser feel when new, but soften over use and have proven to be not only stylish but also very absorbent.

Caring for your towels

Towels, like all linens, should always be laundered with like items. If towels are washed with garments that have zippers, velcro or hooks, your towels are going to pay the price in looks and wear. Always make sure to separate colors as towels are made to absorb and they are more likely to absorb colors from other laundry. Wash in warm water (do not bleach) and dry in a warm, not hot, dryer. Line drying towels can make them smell wonderful, however leave them very stiff.

Towels and Robe from Rhapsody

FOLDING AND DISPLAYING TOWELS

We are frequently asked how to fold towels so they look like those featured in design magazines.  We recommend several ways: For hanging towels we like to see bath towels folded lengthwise in thirds and hung over the towel bar, with a decorative hand towel hung over the bath size towel.  Instead of hanging towels, rolling them and then stacking them or placing several in a basket also makes for a great look.  For stacked towels (on a vanity or by the tub) we prefer towels to be folded crosswise in half and then crosswise again, then in thirds so they lay flat and the side folds don’t show. 

Great towels come in an array of quality, style and texture.  Additionally there is an almost endless selection of color and pattern to choose from.  We stock a wide selection of the best qualities in several price structures available in current colors.  We invite you to visit our store for all of our selection or shop on line for our seasons best.   We hope you will agree great towels are oh so wonderful.