The main reason is that they wash their towels in hot water 40-50c with commercial detergent and no fabric softener. Fabric softener can really reduce the absorbency of your towels,which leave a waxy residue on towels, for example. Also, cotton gets more absorbent with use, and hotel towels are well-used.
Use Vinegar or Baking Soda
Use vinegar or baking soda on your towels instead of fabric softener. Because fabric softener contains silicon which makes your towels water repellent. So, they won't wash well. Add 1/2 cup of baking soda or vinegar to the laundry at the time when you add your regular liquid detergent.
High-end hotels prefer to use Egyptian cotton, which is softer, fluffier, and cozier than regular cotton. Such that, even Mizu Towels use this fabric to make their luxury towels. Although it is lighter than Egyptian cotton, some hotels also use Turkish cotton in their towels.
This is because cotton towels are treated with a silicone finish at the end of the manufacturing process. This provides the perception of "softness" to customers who are touching the towel while shopping in retail stores. In reality, that silicone coats the towel fibers and significantly diminishes their absorbency.
Ensure cleanliness and hygiene
While hotel towels are generally cleaned and sanitized after each use, it's still a good idea to inspect them before taking them home. Look for any stains, tears, or signs of wear and tear. If you notice any issues, it's best to inform the hotel staff and request a replacement towel.
While it may be tempting to take those plush, soft towels home with you as a memento of your stay, it's important to know that taking hotel towels is considered stealing. Hotels take towel theft seriously and may charge you for the missing towels or even pursue legal action.
In a hotel, towels have to be washed after every single guest, many times, while guests are still there. They are washed much more frequently than your everyday towel. That's why after 1-year, it's customary to consider replacing your towels and trading them in for newer, brighter alternatives.
Start a hot-water rinse cycle and let it fill up completely. The hot water helps break down chemicals and contaminants on the towels. Add about a cup of white vinegar to the mix, which will further help break down any chemicals that have made your towels less absorbent.
Of all the fabrics, cotton is the most absorbent material. So it means a cotton towel will absorb more moisture than a microfiber, bamboo, or any other towel.
Wash your towels in warm water or hot water -- not scalding -- with one cup of white distilled vinegar. This will strip towels of any built-up residue and help restore absorbency. DON'T USE DETERGENT, only white vinegar. Run the load a second time using only a half-cup of baking soda.
One of the most well-known secrets of the hotel industry in keeping their sheets enviably is peroxide-based detergents. Bleach is also added to the mix. While these chemicals are truly effective in preventing white linens from greying or turning yellow, they do require some level of expertise.
Gather all towels
Many hotels have signs in the guest room bathrooms instructing guests to leave towels they don't plan to use again on the floor (or in the bathtub) as a sign to housekeeping that you want them replaced.
Think about it: Hotel towels are almost always white, likely for the same reason. They can be bleached, just a little, with every wash to stay fresh and clean looking for a very long time, without the unsightly bleach stains you'd get from doing the same thing with colorful towels.
Here's what should happen: The standard operating procedure is for towels and sheets to be changed between every guest, according to Joe McInerney, president of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (www.ahla.org).
spa towel (may cover part of body) massage towel (may cover part of body, but this is more likely to be at the masseuse than in your room) face towel (smallest of the lot) swimming towel - you don't necessarily want to take your wet shower/bath towel to the hotel pool, or use your salty beach towel in the shower.
Try a little vinegar + baking soda.
We prefer a more natural approach to softening towels. Try pouring one cup of white vinegar to your load every six weeks or so. You can also mix half a cup of baking soda with your normal amount of detergent, to loosen up fibers and clean off any chemicals or grime.
While both cottons offer long, absorbent fibers, Egyptian cotton tends to be more absorbent and slower to dry; while Turkish cottons are slightly less absorbent and are quick to dry.
First, check your laundry powder or liquid. If it has built-in fabric softeners, avoid using it on your towels. Softeners create a coating on the towel's fibres that actually REPELS water and impairs absorbency and drying power.
Towels that are heavier, more expensive or higher quality have a greater GSM than cheaper towels that tend to fall apart more easily. Typically, the more loops that are woven into a towel, the higher the GSM. The lightest towels are 300 to 400 GSM. A decent-quality, medium-weight towel runs 400 to 600 GSM.
The coating may make your towels feel nice, but it also makes them less absorbent. Avoid using dryer sheets when washing bath, kitchen, microfiber or cleaning towels or rags. If you have children, avoid washing their pajamas with dryer sheets.
Add Distilled White Vinegar and Wash as Usual
Do not add any detergent or fabric softener. Instead, add two cups of distilled white vinegar to the washer drum. The vinegar will help strip away the residue left in the towels that is causing them to feel stiff.
Towels. While everyone loves to dry off with a soft towel, liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets can reduce the absorbency of terry cloth and other fluffy fabrics. If you feel like your towels aren't drying as well as they did when they were new, skip the softener every few washes.
Typically, hotels wash their bedding once every week including various kinds of comforters, sheets, and pillows. However, they often swap out the pillowcases and linens between the guests. It's a common practice that the hotel comforters are rarely automatically changed – unless a guest requests it.
Additionally, hotels often keep track of their inventory, including towels. If they notice that towels are missing, they may have to spend time and money restocking their supplies. This can ultimately impact the overall guest experience and potentially result in higher prices for future guests.
Standard Practice for Most Hotels
For most hotels, the standard practice is to change sheets between each guest's stay. This means that when you check into a hotel room, you can expect to be sleeping on freshly laundered sheets that have not been used by anyone else.