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Turkish Towels - FAQs

 

Turkish Towels - Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is a Turkish towel?

Turkish towels can be linked back to the 17th century from Bursa, Turkey. They are often referred as peshtemal bath towels, foutas, pestemals, and hammams towels. Turkish towels have been passed down for many generations and come steeped in vibrant history and tradition. You used to only see them in Turkish spas called hammams, steam baths or Turkish baths as a cover-up, but in more recent years, people have started to wear them in public as a fashion statement and even use them as home décor.

These specific towels are composed of Turkish cotton, a specific fabric known for having long fibers—ultimately giving the towels their characteristic durability. Although their functionality over time has expanded tenfold, the techniques used behind making them have stayed the same.

Although you can buy much cheaper knock-offs from factories in China and India, when you buy a towel from us, you can be assured that you are receiving a genuine piece made in Turkey the way Turkish towels should be made—by artisan families and with high-quality martials. 

What sets a Turkish towel apart from a standard bath towel?

This is the main question I get from customers and here’s my answer; pretty much everything! Turkish towels provide the same functions as the standard terry cloth towel but open the door to a vast array of uses. Our towels are lightweight and beautifully hand-made, which lends itself to versatility. So, whether you substitute this for your regular shower towel to add comfort and style to your bath routine or if you’d like an aesthetically pleasing throw blanket, sky’s the limit!

Our towels are portable and fast-drying, making them great to throw into your purse, beach or gym bag if you need them on the go. Additionally, our towels are made with the environment in mind. So, you can have the peace of mind when you purchase one of our towels. 

You mentioned that Turkish towels are versatile, what are some more ideas?

I may sound like a broken record, but the options are truly endless when it comes to how you can use your Turkish towel. Some of the ways I use my towels and customers have told me they use theirs are:

  • A standard towel: beach, bath, yoga, pool, boat, camping, baby towel, hair, or kitchen
  • Throw blanket: for the bed, couch, chair or sofa
  • Blanket: beach, picnic or bed coverlet
  • For the baby as a stroller and car seat cover or baby swaddle and blanket
  • Tapestry on walls and doors or as a headboard decoration
  • Table cloth/runner, chair or sofa cover
  • As a sarong, pareo, or protection from the sun or chilly weather
  • Pillow
  • One customer even told me they used it for their dog as their own personal pet blanket!

I love to hear from you on how you use your favorite Turkish towel! So, send me a picture on Instagram or email on how you style or use your towel to receive 10% off your next purchase. 😊

How do I care for my Turkish towel? 

Caring for our towels may seem daunting for first-time users however, most of or towels are machine washable with the exception of a couple. For any towels that need to be hand-washed, I like to either bring in my towel into the shower or soak it in some tepid, soapy water. 

Here’s a few of my tips on cleaning:

  1. Before the first wash, tighten the knots on the fringes.
  2. If you plan on using the towel as a beach or shower wrap, you can soak it in cold water overnight. This is totally optional but it’ll help make your towel more absorbent.
  3. If the towel is machine washer-safe, make sure you set your machine to a gentle cycle. Avoid bleach, fabric softener and dyer sheets. The towels will naturally get softer after each wash so using these harsh cleaners isn’t necessary!
  4. Hang them to dry once they’re clean—this shouldn’t take long at all. If you’re in a rush and need the towel in a snap, you can throw it in the dryer on a tumble dry
  5. No need for ironing if you follow these steps.

Quick note— if your towel has the term “Pre-washed” next to it, that means that on receiving you delivery, the towel is clean, ironed and ready-to-use!

How are Turkish towels environmentally friendly?

Because I source from small family-run suppliers, a higher amount of care and attention is being put into each towel. This means that unlike larger towel producers, unused supplies from one peshtemal is being used on the next. Bobbins and other sewing equipment are being recycled, rather than being disposed after one single use. Then, once you receive your towel, they require less water, detergent and washing machine energy than the standard terry cloth towel. 

To further reduce our footprint, every order purchased through Shop Pay contributes to a carbon offsetting initiative. This is an extremely easy, almost addictive way you can offset all delivery emissions! #shopbetter

What are Turkish towels made of?

All components of the towel are natural—this means that they’re more gentle on your skin and on the environment. This is because they’re free from harsh toxins and dyes. Our towels are made of using OEKO-TEX 100 Standard certified natural cotton, linen and bamboo.