How To: Washing Dunroven House Tea Towels
April 16 2021 – CoCo B. Kitchen & Home
Have you ever wondered what would happen when you washed your tea towels a different way? How about trying a different style weave or towel content and wasn't sure how it would turn out?
Well, we are here to answer all your questions. We have taken one of every different type of Dunroven House tea towel and washed them 5 different ways to show you what would happen.
Keep in mind this is not every towel Dunroven House offers, but we chose one from each type group.
Click here for the full image gallery of all the towels up close.
Washing Groups
- Delicate Cycle - Cold Water - Low/No Heat
- Delicate Cycle - Cold Water - Air Dry
- Delicate Cycle - Warm Water - Medium Heat
- Normal Cycle - Cold Water - Low/No Heat
- Normal Cycle - Warm Water - High Heat
Group 1: Delicate Cycle - Cold Water - Low/No Heat
This group is Dunroven House's washing recommendations. Outside of airdrying this is the group that will give you the least amount of change in your towel, while not minimizing ironing. My washer called it Delicate Cycle, but yours may call it Gentle. it is also important to note why using cold water is important. While these towels are color fast, some times warm water can make colors run. We all know this with the fabled red sock in a whites load. It CAN happen, and usually with a red color if it does.
Group 2: Delicate Cycle - Cold Water - Air Dry
Here you will find the least amount of shrinkage, but the largest amount of wrinkles. If you enjoy time ironing, then go ahead and air dry all your towels.
Group 3: Delicate Cycle - Warm Water - Medium Heat
So my washer and dryer would not allow me to use high temp water or high drying heat while in the delicate cycle. Group 3 and group 4 were the two groups with the closest results.
Group 4: Normal Cycle - Cold Water - Low/No Heat
While you would think this group would match group 1 the most, it does not. The normal versus delicate cycle can have an effect on the shape of the towel, just the same as temperature can have an effect.
Group 5: Normal Cycle - Hot Water - High Heat
The vast majority of Dunroven House towels are cotton, and all of them have some percentage of cotton in them. Anyone who has done any kind of laundry with frequency will know cotton shrinks, and shrinks significantly more with heat. Unless you are using these towels in your home as kitchen use and do not expect them to look beautiful, go ahead and use this washing type if it is easier.
Towel Types
- Plain Weave
- Waffle Weave
- Pre-shrunk Waffle Weave
- 75/25 Cotton/Linen Blend
- 60/40 Cotton/Linen Blend
- Herringbone Weave
- Terrycloth
- Basket Weave
- Pick & Pick Design
- Jacquard Woven
- Slubbed Weave
- Printed Plain Weave
Plain Weave
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Plain/Flat Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 2
- Least Wrinkles: 5
- Summary: This towel is Dunroven House's most popular towel type. There are several towels that fall in this towel type (ex. 734, K360, K315). This towel is a good example of the manufacturer's washing recommendations. While air drying, you see the least change, you get far less wrinkles with the low/no heat.
Waffle Weave
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Waffle Weave Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 2
- Least Wrinkles: 5
- Summary: If there was ever a towel to air dry this is that towel. The results really speak for themselves. This is a great representation of the nature of what the waffle weave does when washed. They work great as a kitchen towel, they also are beautiful when embellished in any way. You just need to understand that if you are going to embellish them you need to wash it first, or plan for it to not be washed at all.
Pre-Shrunk Waffle Weave
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Waffle Weave
- Plain Weave band at end
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 5
- Least Wrinkles: 2
- Summary: The answer to all your waffle weave problems. These towels do not change weave and they hardly shrink. You can see group 5 barely shrunk. Group 2 actually got large by 1/2" each side.
75/25 Cotton/Linen Blend
Specifications
- 75% Cotton/25% Linen
- Plain/Flat Weave
- Hemstitch
- Hang Loop in Corner
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 2
- Least Wrinkles: 5
- Summary: There was not a huge difference between these towel washes other than to note that the higher heat made the ends curl significantly more.
60/40 Cotton/Linen Blend
Specifications
- 60% Cotton/40% Linen
- Plain/Flat Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2, 3
- Most Wrinkles: 2
- Least Wrinkles: 5
- Summary: There was not much difference between group 2 and 3 to determine a difference. Overall there was not much difference in wash for these towels.
Herringbone Weave
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Herringbone Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 4, 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 4
- Least Wrinkles: 5
- Summary: Overall there was not much difference between these towel washes. You 'll notice less shrinkage with this weave than you will the plain weaves.
Terrycloth
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Plain/Flat Weave one side
- terry pile reverse
- Hang Loop in Corner
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: NA
- Least Wrinkles: NA
- Summary: There was not much change in these towels after wash. You could not see a clear difference between most.
Basket Weave
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Basket Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: NA
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 2
- Least Wrinkles: NA
- Summary: Outside of the air dry group 2 having significantly more wrinkles and less shrinkage, there was not a difference between any others.
Pick & Pick Design
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Plain/Flat Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 4
- Least Wrinkles: 1
- Summary: There was significant edge curling on all these towels except for air dry. These followed the plain weave closest in results.
Jacquard Woven
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Plain/Flat Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: NA
- Least Shrinkage: NA
- Most Wrinkles: NA
- Least Wrinkles: NA
- Summary: It would not be fair to any group to assign the most shrinkage or most wrinkles as they were all pretty much the same. There was not many wrinkles to be had in this group.
Slubbed Weave
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Slub Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: All except 2
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: 4
- Least Wrinkles: 5
- Summary: Here's another example of not much difference between washes except for the air dry. Consistently air dry will always give you the least amount of shrinkage.
Printed Plain Weave
Specifications
- 100% Cotton
- Plain/Flat Weave
- Hang Loop in Corner
- 20"x28"
Analysis
- Most Shrinkage: 5
- Least Shrinkage: 2
- Most Wrinkles: NA
- Least Wrinkles: NA
- Summary: So these towels are very stiff. They are very stiff because the majority of the towel has printed ink on it. So that makes them very stiff. While this will be a disadvantage if you are attempting to soak up a bunch of water, it speaks for itself through the washing process. Since the towel is printed, it will shrink less and have far less wrinkles.
To view the whole image gallery up close follow this link here.