Ignore ( at your own choice of risk :-) ) the temp instructions on the care label, unless the towels of question are some sort of specialty fabric or decorative items. I wash all my towels in hot water, have never looked at the care labels. Only ones that have evidenced deterioration (beyond normal wear) are a few of unstable fabric dyes that faded or changed color from adding chlorine bleach.

The bath towels from Costco withstand what I put them through inside my washing machine. I have the white ones. I can't seem to harm these in any way and my towels get a harsh and very hot treatment when I wash them.

AVOID the Land's End Supima Towels. They turn hard and scratchy from HOT water. HOT in my washer is 140F. I've wasted too much money on those.

I have some of the old "velour" type bath towels that are thirty years old and they are still soft. They recently got pulled out of retirement from the back of the linen closet, put back into service, and are doing well in our FL washer. I think something bad happens to the longer loops (talking about YOU, Lands End Supima towels) from hot water..

HOT water also shrinks the band woven in to most towels that is a few inches above the hem. That has been my experience.

@dadoes I have tried that approach before, unfortunately, it gets expensive to throw away the towels after a couple of washes

@SEA SEA Which towels from Costco did you like? Kirkland?

The towels that come to mind are the Ikea bath towels. They state in their care instructions "Machine wash very hot"

Jeff

@Jeffrey Caban Yes the IKEA towels can easily be washed in hot washes but they aren't that great in general and quite thin and flimsy. I have some for everyday use.

Luxury hotels can not be washing their nice towels in cold water, especially not now when covid is around....

Some of the lesser priced Ikea Bath Towels are indeed thin but the Ikea Flodalen is a nice thick towel with some scratchiness which I prefer.

Jeff

I’ve bought white 100% cotton Ralph Lauren bath towels for $45/towel Canadian $ and I’ve bought Walmart 100 % cotton towels for about $7.00 each and I can’t tell the difference. I always wash white towels in hot. I’ve had my Lauren towels for maybe 7 years and the Walmart for 4 years. My Lauren ones are gray now (even though I wash whites separately in hot water with oxyclean). I have been happy with both

I haven't thrown out any towels in years. My dad pulled some near-pristine towels from his neighbor's trash some years ago, appears they were redecorating and threw them out, complete with fold- or hang-lines. Some were discolored here-and-there on hang-lines. He kept some, gave some to me. The discoloration disappeared after several (hot) washes (usually with chlorine bleach, moderate dose).

struggle brother, yes, the house brand at Costco--Kirkland. Sometimes they sell a name brand like Ralph Lauren or some sort. I'm not referring to that. These are regular ole Costco bath towels. They sometimes go on coupon. They are good value even without coupon. I really can not harm these towels. Between powder detergent, oxygen bleach, 140f water and an old school top load Squeen Queen that will identify and destroy anything of slightly lesser quality, they look and feel the same now as they did 5 years ago. I have others from 15 or so years ago that are also in good shape. All of these get used and washed each week. I've been pleased. I've been hoping that the thinkness would subside a little over the years as I prefer a slightly less thick towel and that hasn't happened either.

@SEA SEA I had a look at their site again, Costco that is, and I can't find any of their own bath towels.. But will have a look in person the next time I go there.

Like Sea Sea, I have Kirkland white bath towels and wash them on extra hot with Grab Green pods. I also have one giant white Brookline towel. I wash it on extra hot and Grab Green and it comes out softer than the Kirkland, but it cost $85 and I think it is too heavy and too big at over 3 pounds, dry.

Ok, sorry to hear that strugglebrother. I was in store about two months ago looking for hand towels of the same sort and couldn't find any. I wonder if the pandemic has their suppliers a little off target at this time. Next time you go in give it a look around and see if they are they there. Fingers crossed for you. Maybe once we all get back to normal again stock will return. In the meantime, I have some Threshold washcloths from Target that are nearly as indestructible if that helps for the right now. I can't speak to Threshold bath towels but I put my washcloths through a big work out and same laundering. Note, these are colored and the color has faded a little but the fabric quality is holding up surprisingly well. I wish I had got them in white.

@hcbm Brooklinen says cold or warm wash and low heat tumble dry (meaning they will not get dry) and then replace after 2 years.. They might have gone down in quality since you bought yours as many others.

I might buy one IKEA Flodalen and try and wash it and see and look out for Kirkland when they are back in stock...

Still wonder what luxury hotels use and how they wash theirs

https://www.costco.com/charisma-100%25-hygrocotton-2-piece-bath-towel-set.product.100400043.html 

These are the ones. Or, as close today as the ones I have. It has been a few years, so perhaps they are slightly different. Hard to say without touching them in person. They are sold in a two pack. Hygrocotton...I don't know if that is a new cotton, or the same as I have...I don't know. Mine said 100% cotton.

anything that is 100% cotton. Cool wash is recommended to preserve colors....not necessary with white towels.

I have the Charisma 100% hygro cotton from Costco and think they are great. Have had for several years without issue. I wash in hot water and I don't think they've faded. My heaviest/densest towels; they take longer to dry, too. Mine are not white, though, so I cannot speak to that.

SEA SEA - thanks for that Costco towels tip. I found them online (your link did not work for me) and ordered some to try.

I also buy the Charisma white at Costco. Love them, wash in hot over and over. They are a good buy

Costco towels are AHHHHHH-mazing. :)

strugglebrother, I don't follow washing directions that say cold. The towel is fairly new and a gift. I wash all sheets, towels, and linens on extra hot. Extra hot is about 125 F in my machine. I can't open the door to measure the temp or water would cover my floor. I have an old Maler compact machine. If a company tells you only to use cold call and ask them what cold is in real numbers. Most of the time it is actually warm to hot in a modern machine. Water can be 33 F to 85 F and still be cold.

I am considering ordering some Costco towels!

I have some towels from Target (I think their signature version) and they are better than my Pottery Barn towels.

Washing towels on cold? Nasty.

I have 20 year old white Ralph Lauren from Horchow, 15 year old whites from Bj’s, and a pile of “Hotel Collection” whites edged in blue bias from Home Goods. I pretty much boil them all, occasionally Clorox them, and they all look amazing.

Actually, I wash 90% of our clothes and linens on hot. I do generally ignore instruction tags, and assume they were written by CYA corporate lawyers.

Do y’all have any recommendations for towels that don’t get sopping wet (and cold!) just from drying off after a shower? I have tried numerous brands and they just don’t work well like towels back in the day.

My Costco Charisma towels will arrive this coming week. I'm looking forward to the HOT wash experiment.

ericalynn523, I'm not sure I can help with the towels being 'sopping wet' after using them. Maybe I just don't fully understand. You want an absorbent towel, but also one that dries out between uses. Do you happen to use fabric softener on your towels?

If you’re going in to Costco, and it probably depends on the store/stock, the charisma will go on sale for like $5.99 which is a deal that can’t be beat. Sometimes the employees can tell you when they are going to be marked down. I wash mine hot all the time and they are wearing great! I also have an inexpensive electric towel warmer that doesn’t do much to warm the towels, but I have it on a timer and it is terrific for drying them. We also have a hardwired Runtal towel warmer and that thing is fierce, heats the room, towels, etc.

Just got the Flodalen IKEA towels in, washed them as instructed, no fabric softener...

Verdict

No soft feel at all doesn't feel like something you would have in a nice hotel, quite hard on the body and not the greatest water absorption. Might use them as rags..

Search continues.. Maybe Costco, but I wonder with these cheaper brands...

@SEA SEA I wonder if those Charisma towels are the same ones that you actually own...

Many many reviews seem to say that they have changed from the past and instead of collecting water now they just smear the water around.

Could buy and always return if that is the case.

@doreycrouse I guess I mean when you’re using the towels, they can’t absorb as much as towels used to and they’re just wet when you’re using them.

strugglebrother,

Yea, it's hard to say without touching them in person or using them. Cavium ordered some and should arrive soon. She has good taste and judgement and I'm sure she'll report back here for all of us to know if the quality is still as good as it used to be. We will await the review!

ETA, mine are perfect, so I really hope they are the same. Everyone should have a least a couple good towels that hold up well.

Our Costco Charisma towels arrived yesterday. Since then, they have been run thru several no heat/air fluff dryer cycles to get the worst of the lint off before they are washed. These are really soft. But so are Lands End Supima bath towels, until they are washed in 140°F water.

I might chicken out and wash them in Very Warm 50°C/122°F water instead. My hubby is going to love these, if they stay soft. Nothing in our house is this soft, except one Lands End Supima wash cloth that has never seen water, so that I can always remember how soft the towels were before washed in hot water.

First wash done on the Costco Charisma bath towels . I ordered four white ones. They are not bath sheets, but are quite large and thick.

I washed them in 122°F water and a teaspoon of Tide Free &Gentle liquid detergent and three rinses. They are not quite as soft as they were pre-washing, but still softer than anything else we have (except the one decades old bath towel that is still soft). Hubby loves them. I like them a lot. Time will tell how the softness holds up.

The care label made me laugh, the bit about avoiding detergents with optical brighteners. More of a CYA thing. It is nearly impossible for most consumers to find them. LOL

Care label pic:

Hilarious...as if most people will even know what an OBA is. Why that advice anyhow? That it could make them look blue?

OK, I didn't read all the posts.

I have Costco towels that are the large packs they offer at the store. Packs come in sets of 6 bath towels, 12 hand towels, 24 washcloths. They are a great towel IMO. Not too thick that it does not dry well between uses, and not too thin. These are not as thin as the gym towels that are at my gym. These are not the Charisma brand which are a little more luxurious. I must have white towels for esthetics and the washing routine I have. I never use fabric softener either.

I have been washing my hand towels, my washcloths, and my bath towels for about 7 years. I wash them in 140 to 190 degree heat. I wash with a top shelf detergent. Like Persil powder, which unfortunately was taken off the US market some years ago (I am almost out of my stock pile). These towels are just starting to show some threads at the edges. Here are some picks taken today. these hand towels are used by my DH who farms and will have grease and barnyard rubbed in as he dries his hands. He apparently doesn't get them cleaned, lol. But with the high water temp and the top shelf detergent I have always had bright white towels. I assume there is an optical brightener in the detergent. I NEVER use chlorine bleach. I use STPP in every load. I am on a septic system and ours works just fine.

Costco Hand towels that my DH wipes his grimy hands on all the time:

Bath towels that do not get the abuse that the hand towels get. Thats the tag that I'm holding out, to show that this is not torn toweling:

I want to buy more, but have no need as of yet. Maybe I. should buy some for the day I want to replace, because these might not be available in the future.

enduring - if you know anyone who sews and has a serger (a/k/a overlocker), you might think about asking them to serge the long edges where the fraying usually begins. I have extended the life of many of our older towels by years, after doing this.

I love my Sam's Club towels! Wash in hot water all the time!