The Perfect Workout Towel, Fitness E.C.

In the United States today, over 54 million people are members of a gym, and there are over 34,000 member-based fitness facilities across the country. The increasing statistics are evidence that people value fitness, and with a swelling number of gym members, there comes an added emphasis on proper gym etiquette — from the appropriate gym gear to cleaning machines after use to locker room decorum.

Why Are Workout Towels Essential?

Choosing the right workout towel is partly a personal decision based on your unique needs, but there are universal reasons why it's important to use one. Workout towels are crucial to a successful workout for a few reasons:

• You can use your workout towel for added protection. Gyms offer spray bottles with cleaning solutions as well as paper towels to wipe down equipment before and after you use it. Before using a machine, consider wiping it with the provided materials, then laying your towel down for added protection. An extra barrier between you and the equipment could save you from picking up bacteria or a fungal infection.
• Workout towels keep you feeling clean. Besides the sanitary reasons, using a sweat towel will keep you feeling clean and dry while working out. Sweat building up in your pores can cause pimples, which is why it's important to shower or at least wash your face after a good workout. Wiping your face with a clean towel during your workout will eliminate the buildup. A workout towel can keep your face, eyes and forehead feeling clean and dry.
• Your workout towels keep you cool. Part of a good workout includes increasing your heartrate. As your heartrate increases, so does your body temperature. Use your towel to cool your body temperature during a workout. A quick swipe over your brow using your sweattowel can encourage you to push yourself further during a workout.

1. Material

Cotton is the most common material for workout towels — and for good reason. Cotton fibers are absorbent and dry quickly, and cotton continues to play an important role in American economy. It's an excellent material for workout towels, but it's not the only option. Other materials include:

• Cotton-polyester blends
• Microfiber
• Linen

Although microfiber is worthy candidate for a workout towel, cotton is the best option due to its availability, absorbency and durability.

2. Size and Weight

Towels are usually measured by their fabric density. Towels that weigh less are thinner, and they're usually less expensive because they wear down faster. If you plan to use a workout towel every day, you might prefer a heavier towel that will last multiple washes, but remember that a heavier towel will trap more moisture and could easily harbor bacteria if not properly washed and dried.

Gym towels should be washed after every use, so many people prefer a towel that will hold up over time. However, some gym goers choose to purchase economically priced gym towels in bulk, so they can replace them frequently. It's a matter of preference, as is the size of your workout towel.

Many people prefer workout towels that are small and easily packable. You surely don't need a full-sized bath towel to wipe off the sweat during a good workout, but some people prefer something larger than a hand towel. To determine your optimal workout towel size, consider the length of your workout. If you plan to hit the gym for an hour or more, you might want a slightly larger sweattowel. If your workouts typically last 20 minutes, a standard hand towel size will probably be fine.

3. Absorbency

There's no point in using a workout towel if it doesn't serve its main purpose: to absorb your excess sweat created during a workout. Every towel is made up of loops within the weave of the fabric. The loops in a sweat towel allow it to absorb sweat or water. The more loops in your workout towels, the stronger their absorbency.

An old, threadbare workout towel won't be very absorbent. At the same time, your gym towel doesn't need to be as absorbent as a full bath towel you would use to dry off your entire body after a shower. The best sweat towel should be somewhere in the middle — absorbent enough to keep you dry during a workout, but not so thick that it retains bacteria between washes or causes you to carry extra weight in your gym bag.

Finally, be sure to take proper care of your workout towels, as certain detergents and fabric softeners can affect their absorbency.

4. Length of Time Required to Dry

The thinner the towel, the faster it will dry. Thinner towels also wear out faster than their thicker, fluffier counterparts. If you're supplying towels for an entire gym and need to quickly wash and dry them, it might be important to choose towels that will dry fast. If you're supplying workout towels for yourself or your family, you might not be too concerned with the length of time required to dry them. Whatever your situation, remember that fully drying your towels is crucial. Mold and bacteria can grow in damp towels, causing health and hygiene issues as well as unpleasant odors.

5. Lint Created During Drying

Towels can shed quite a bit, which could pose a problem if you're supplying towels for a gym facility. No one wants to wipe their sweat away with a towel full of lint and other debris from the dryer. Lint occurs eventually with most towels, as cotton is a fiber that naturally sheds. However, it's the excess lint that can be annoying.

To avoid excess lint, don't over dry your towels. If you purchase new towels, consider washing them separately from your old towels. Regardless of their quality, new towels will likely shed and create lint during drying. Instead of transferring lint to your older towels, separate the old from the new during the washing and drying cycles.

How to Care for Your Workout Towels

Workout towels require a few specific instructions for care. Here are a few important tips to keep in mind when washing and drying your workout towels:

• Wash after every use. Gyms harbor bacteria, and you don't want to reuse a gym towel, which is basically your sweat rag. Be sure to wash your workout towel after every use to avoid odors, bacteria, mold and fungal infections.
• Add baking soda to your laundry detergent. Baking soda will help keep your workout towels fresh and soft. It also helps to loosen the fibers and remove odors that often build up in workout towels.
• Don't use too much laundry detergent. Using too much detergent will wear down your towels and cause them to lose absorbency over time. You typically use workout towels to wipe the sweat from your face and body, and you don't want excess chemicals from laundry soap residue making its way into your pores.