The summer season is in full swing, and like us, many of you are clocking countless hours at the pool and the beach. As much as you factor in sunscreen and eye protection, it's your fabrics that bear the brunt of this fun, frequently getting dirty and exposed to chlorine, salt water, and sand. Despite the heavy use and harsh conditions, it's easy to neglect fabric care after a long day of beach duty. To keep fabrics in top shape after beach day, it's important to take the extra step and prioritize your laundering process. To master best practices, we went straight to Sammy Wang, P&G Fabric Care Senior Scientist for her insight on cleaning and maintaining our high-use beach and pool fabrics.
"Always follow the care instructions on garments and accessories," started Wang, clearly acknowledging that your beach towels and your bath towels have dramatically different care needs. "Specialized items with treatments or delicate constructions may need to be hand washed or spot cleaned with stain removers, so check the label before machine washing. In general, we recommend putting delicate items like bathing suits into mesh bags before washing (to help prevent snagging) and washing in cold water with a suitable detergent designed to clean well in cold like Tide."
She added, "Avoid containing wet towels and beach fabrics for too long, as it can cause musty smells. If possible, let items dry out before transporting them home."
Tips for Washing Towels, Beach Blankets, and Other Pool and Beach Fabrics
"For pool and beach towels and blankets, shake out excess sand or other dirt before putting them into the washer," notes Wang. "Also avoid leaving them wet for too long after your outdoor activities, because it can cause musty odors. Let damp towels dry out if possible. Towels and blankets used at the pool or beach can get quite dirty, so make sure to use a quality detergent that can deep clean the salt, sunscreen, chlorine, and body soils." Don't forget to check the washing instructions: pay attention to pieces with vibrant colors and darker colors before you put everything into the washing machine at the same time.
She adds, "Beach and pool towels are also particularly prone to trapping odors, so try using an odor-fighting fabric rinse like Downy Rinse & Refresh to remove odors. Downy Rinse & Refresh is a specialized formula that helps strip away the source of odors instead of covering them up. Use it with laundry detergent by loading your detergent like normal then adding Downy Rinse & Refresh into the fabric softener compartment of the washer."
