Cotton terry qualities are popular for many cleaning tasks

Towels turn out to be a textile for all occasions in hotels. They are by no means just used for drying off. As there are enough of them in the guest bathroom, they are quick to hand and serve completely different purposes, it must be said. For example, if lipstick smears or is applied too heavily. In this case, a soap cloth or towel proves to be the perfect textile for removing make-up. Especially face towels seem helpful to get rid of the dust on their leather shoes so that they shine for the next business meeting the next morning! The same goes for hair treatment, which only develops its optimal effect at body temperature. Then the towel piled up into a turban achieves the desired effect. 

There are hardly any limits to the creative use of terry linen in hotels! Not only guests, but also staff find numerous uses for bathmats, hand towels and bath towels. For example, the cleaning staff uses them for polishing the shower cubicle or wiping the tiles dry. 

Pay attention to the stains when washing terry towels, bathrobes and mats!

Whatever happens to the terry linen has a direct impact on the laundry. Various stains can hardly be removed using the usual washing processes, as these are tailored to the typical load of terry cloth. And that is water.  

They are not designed to remove fats, (Ayurveda) oils, sunscreen creams, mildew, soot and many other types of dirt - even if the treatment includes an oxidative wash bath to maintain the basic white value.  

Still, detergent manufacturers have special products in their range with which most stains can be removed during the wash or in a subsequent wash process. With an important exception: 

Shampoos, shower gels etc. are the culprits – and why? 

 Chemically, the worst culprits can be clearly identified as polyquaternium compounds, also known as polyquats. They cover terry towels and terry bathrobes with stains that cannot be removed and sometimes make the terry cloth even more unsightly with every further wash cycle. Where do they occur and why are they used? 

These chemicals are used in numerous cosmetic products as a cheap alternative to silicone, because they also have a film-forming and antistatic effect. As part of conditioners, for example, hair can be pleasantly combed, and the skin appears smoother. For these reasons, polyquaternium compounds are incorporated into shower gels, shampoos, body lotions and various hair styling products.  

But they do not only get on skin and hair, but also on terry towels - for example when drying off after a shower or toweling your head. And that's where the trouble for the laundry begins. 

Polyquats act literally like dirt magnets in laundry 

 The polyquaternium compounds contained in personal care products are positively charged (cationic) and are almost magically attracted to negatively charged bodies, which include cotton. Since they also have several positively charged "arms", they can form further compounds with substances that have an opposite charge. This includes, for example, the dirt dispersed in a washing solution. 

Anyone who thinks that the combination of cotton, polyquaternium and dirt will come off again during the washing process is wrong – the dirt remains rock solid. 

And polyquaterniums are even able to bind more dirt with each subsequent wash, with visible consequences: the terry cloth first shows slightly greyish stains that become darker and darker.  

There is no cure for this - the product can no longer be used and must be sorted out. This can be expensive for a hotel with its own laundry and for the laundry with rental service. Apart from that, it is harmful to the environment. 

Limit the loss of your terry - by avoiding polyquaternium compounds in personal care products 

Although a professional laundry can do a lot about most stains it is powerless with respect to polyquats because it cannot override physical or chemical laws. Therefore, our tip: 

For hotels: Act yourself and avoid personal care products that contain polyquaternium compounds in your guest bathroom and wellness area! 

The change will pay off even when guests will use their own products. The reason is that constantly buying new towels and bathrobes is much more expensive. 

For the rental laundry: Please inform your hotel customers about the negative effects of polyquats and work with them towards an adjustment of shampoos, shower gels – with noticeable effects for your budget!