Care Instructions

Suggested Care Instructions for Thomaston Mills Sheets

Sheets manufactured by Thomaston Mills contain polyester and cotton fibers. The laundry care instructions can vary depending on the equipment used by various laundries but should follow the below listed guidelines.

Wash water temperatures will cause very little variation in shrinkage or color up to temperatures of 160 degrees F.
Optical brighteners have been added during the finishing process to both the cotton and polyester. Normal alkaline wash conditions are acceptable (pH of 9-10) and the addition of an optical for the cotton in the wash cycle is recommended to help maintain the white shade over repeated laundries. Chlorine, peroxide, or sodium perborate bleach can be used in moderate amounts. In all cases, the pH of the fabric should be brought back to 5.0-7.0 pH range prior to drying.
The use of an optical brightener is not recommended on dyed shades because of the apparent change in color caused by this addition.
Drying can be in a tumble dryer or on a mangle. The fabric shrinkage has been stabilized during manufacturing by the use of resin finish for the cotton and heat stabilization for the polyester. Goods are heat set to a minimum of 325 F at our finishing plant in Easley SC.

Caution:

If the fabric reaches this temperature during drying, excessive shrinkage can occur. Many operations exceed these temperatures by trying to run hotter in order to run faster. This will cause problems with shrinkage and color.
If drying in a tumble dryer, always use the cool down cycle prior to stopping the machine to prevent wrinkling.

NOTE: Tumble dryer temperatures should never exceed 300 degrees F. For those customers who insist on running mangles above 300 degrees, very good success has been achieved by taking the new (unwashed) sheet or pillowcase through the mangle at the temperature that it will be run one time dry before using it. This stabilizes the fabric at a higher temperature and when going into the mangle wet in future use the shrinkage is dramatically reduced.

The laundry chemical suppliers can recommend the most appropriate chemicals for use in specific laundry equipment.

Suggested Care Instructions for Thomaston Mills Towels

Wash and dry your towels before using them for the first time. Washing the towels first will remove any manufacturing finishes and allows maximum absorbency.

Avoid using fabric softeners on toweling, as it will reduce the absorbency of the fibers.

Give your towels a shake when taking them out of the washer. This will help fluff the terry loops that aid absorbency.

Don't iron towels; this will reduce absorbency.
Line or warm tumble dry
Use warm or cold water for washing colored towels.
Dark and medium colors should be washed separately.
Use regular washing detergents and never use bleach and OBA on colored towels.
Avoid hot water washes as this could fade the magnificent colors in your towels over time.
Do not let them in direct sun light for a long period, it can fade the color.

DRYING

While tumble- drying will make the towel fluffy, do not overdo the drying, as the heat from the dryer can damage the integrity of the cotton fibers. We recommend using a lower heat setting occasionally or alternate between air and heat drying.

ABSORBENCY

To maximize the absorbency of a towel, add a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle, about every six weeks, to restore the towel to full absorbency. The vinegar removes any excess detergent, which can affect the towels’ absorbency.

PULLED THREADS

As all our towels are woven, a pulled loop will not unravel the towel. If you catch the towel and pull a loop, cut off the pulled loop with a pair of scissors.