Why You Should Think Twice Before Using Bleach On Cotton Towels

Pristine white towels add a sense of elegance and make your bathroom look like a spa, which is why some people are always selecting white towels for their bathrooms. This elegance comes at a price, as white towels can quickly pick up stains. It seems that the crisp white fabric only lasts for a day or two until it's streaked with makeup, dirt, and other marks. You may think that since bleach can give you an excellent clean on other surfaces, it's safe for your towels, but don't rush into bleaching everything just yet.  The good news is that the laundry experts at Clorox say that you can use bleach on fabrics such as cotton towels, provided you follow proper laundering steps. 

However, bleach, particularly chlorine bleach, is abrasive to a variety of materials, including fabric. A common reason we're told not to use bleach on cotton towels is that it risks damaging the fabric. Using bleach can cause fiber deterioration, especially if you use too much. So, you'll need to consider the towels' care instructions and the bleach you plan to use to ensure your towels' lifespan. 

First, look carefully at the towels' care label, as these laundry codes tell you how to clean everything the right way and how to care for the fabric. Look for a triangle, which stands for bleach use. An open rectangle means it's bleach-safe for any bleach type, while the striped triangle means you can only use chlorine bleach. A crossed-out bleach icon means you shouldn't use bleach at all. Next, consider the fabric of the towel; is it 100% cotton? Bleaching is safe for 100% cotton. According to Clorox's laundry scientists, you can bleach the non-bleach-safe towels as well, provided they're 100% cotton; as they report, this is a way for towel manufacturers to mass-use the same care label for all of their products.

If you decide to bleach your cotton towels, start with the specific amount of laundry detergent needed for the load, and only wash the towels with other whites. Avoid cramming the washer full of towels so you achieve the right balance, and if you have a top-load model, don't twist the towels around the agitator. Your towels need to be free to tumble throughout the wash for thorough cleaning. Measure out ½ cup of bleach, or you can use ⅔ cup for heavily soiled towels.  You can add bleach to the washer while it's filling with water before adding clothes. Alternatively, you can add it five minutes after the wash cycle has started by diluting it in a quart of water. Fabric softener is one product you should never use on your towels, though, as it can trap moisture in the towels' fabrics during a wash cycle and reduce their absorbency.