If your dog towel has started pushing water around instead of soaking it up, or it smells even straight out of the wash, it's usually down to how it's being washed. The good news is it's easy to fix.
The quick version
- Shake or brush off dried mud and hair outside first.
- Wash at 40 to 60°C with a normal amount of detergent.
- Don't use fabric softener.
- Wash dog towels on their own, or with other synthetics.
- Dry them fully before they go back in the car.
Get the mud and hair off first
Let muddy towels dry, then give them a good shake or a brush outside. Dried mud comes off easily, and you'll keep clumps of hair and grit out of your machine.
Pick the right temperature
A 40°C wash is fine for everyday mud. Go up to 60°C now and then if the towels smell, as long as the care label allows it. Use your normal detergent. Too much leaves residue that makes towels stiff and less absorbent.
Skip the fabric softener
This is the big one. Fabric softener coats the fibres with a waxy layer. On microfibre it fills the tiny gaps that hold water, so the towel stops absorbing. Leave it out, and skip dryer sheets too.
Wash towels separately
Microfibre grabs lint and fluff from cotton, which clogs the fibres. Wash dog towels on their own or with other synthetic items. It also keeps dog hair off your clothes.
Dry them properly
Line dry or tumble dry on low. High heat can damage microfibre. Most importantly, make sure towels are completely dry before you fold them or leave them in the car. A damp towel in a closed boot is where that smell comes from.
Bringing a tired towel back
If a towel has already stopped absorbing, run it through a hot wash with no detergent at all to rinse out built-up residue. Some people add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse. Then dry it fully. That's often enough to bring it back.
How often to wash
After every really muddy walk, or every two or three uses if it's just been rain. Having two towels makes this easy: one in use, one in the wash.
Our towels
Our large microfibre dog towels come as a pack of two, 140cm by 70cm each, so there's always a clean one ready. The same washing tips work for the Boot Room Drying Coat.