The quick answer

Turkish towels are easy to care for. Wash them in cold or warm water on a gentle cycle, use very little detergent, skip the fabric softener, and tumble dry low or hang them to dry. Done right, they get softer with every wash and last for years.

Washing your Turkish towels

Wash in cold or warm water, never hot, to protect the fibres and the colour. Use a mild detergent, and only a small amount, because these towels need very little to come clean. Wash new towels separately for the first couple of washes, while the colours are at their richest. And skip the fabric softener completely. 

A good Turkish cotton towel stays soft naturally, so softener is not only unnecessary, it works against you. The chemicals and the plastics inside softeners embed themselves into the natural fibre, coating it and weighing it down. Over time that makes the towel stiff, heavy, and bulky, the very opposite of what you want. High end cotton performs best left alone, with nothing added, so it can simply do its own thing.

Washing new towels for the first time

Here is something many people do not realise. Most Turkish towels are not pre shrunk at the manufacturing stage, which means they need a careful first wash to avoid shrinking unevenly or losing their shape. It is worth knowing this before you buy, because a quality Turkish towel should come pre shrunk and ready to use. At Pomp and Sass, every towel arrives pre shrunk, so there is no fuss and no risk. You can start using yours right away, with no delicate first wash to get right and no chance of an unwelcome surprise. That is simply part of what buying a quality product should mean.

Drying and keeping them soft

Tumble dry on low, or hang them in the sun, which naturally freshens them. Give them a good shake when they come out to loosen the weave and fluff up the texture. One lovely quirk of quality Turkish cotton is that it softens the more you use it, so your towels only get better with age.

Caring for the tassels

Here is the good news. Quality tassels need almost no special care. A well made tassel, with enough yarn to hold its shape, will come through the wash looking great on its own. Just make sure they are not caught or twisted around other items in the machine, and if one ever needs tidying, a gentle smooth with your fingers is all it takes. No brushing, which can cause fraying over time.

What separates a quality Turkish towel

Not all Turkish towels are made equal, and knowing what to look for protects your investment. Seek out a tight, dense weave, which is the foundation of both durability and absorbency. Pay close attention to the tassels too. They should feel substantial, with enough yarn to look full rather than thin and sparse. That yarn volume is not just decorative, it is what drives absorbency, and a towel built with that much quality cotton is one that will last for years rather than seasons.

At Pomp and Sass, every towel is made to exactly this standard, ethically and sustainably crafted with a tight weave and full, substantial tassels. Explore our collection and feel the difference quality makes.