How Much Does a Dry And a Wet Bath Towel Weigh?
Walk into any household’s bathroom, and chances are you’ll see a bath towel hanging on the towel rack. Well, towels have for many years been our shower companions, thanks to their ability to quickly dry our bodies after a refreshing shower.
But even with their widespread popularity, most people don’t know even the most basic information about these essential household necessities. For instance, not many of us can tell the weight of a dry and wet towel, even though such information may come in handy when deciding how many towels to pack for a trip and where you should hang them.
And with that said, just how much does a towel weigh when it’s dry and when it’s wet? Well, in this article, we will be unveiling what has remained shrouded in mystery for many people for many years. Read on to discover more about bath towels.
How Much Does a Dry And a Wet Bath Towel Weigh?
The weight of a bath towel depends on several factors such as its size and absorbency level. However, an average bath towel should weigh about 1.54 lbs. when dry and about 3.31 lbs. when wet.
The weight of a towel isn’t cast in stone. It differs depending on a variety of factors. These factors include the size, absorbency level, type of weave, quality, and fabric.
1. The Size of The Towel
More oversized towels will definitely weigh more than smaller ones of the same material. Some more miniature towels can weigh as little as 0.5 lbs. when dry, while the larger ones may weigh 2 lbs. or more when soaked in water.
2. The Absorbency Level
Absorbency level is the ability of a towel to soak up water. There are three types of absorbency when it comes to towels; low, medium, and high absorbency.
The lower the towel’s absorbency, the lighter it will be when wet. On the other hand, a highly absorbent towel will be heavier when wet due to the more water content.
3. The Type of Weave
Some weave designs use more material than others, which will obviously increase the weight of the towel. For instance, a terry cloth towel has a heavier and denser weave than a huck towel. This is because the terry cloth weave uses more loops per square inch than the huck towel.
4. The Quality of The Towel
The quality of a towel also has an impact on its weight. A higher-quality towel made of superior materials will weigh more than a lower-quality towel made of inferior materials.
5. The Fabric Used
Different fabrics used in making towels also have different weights. For instance, a cotton towel will weigh more than a microfiber towel.
What Sizes Do Towels Come In?
Sizes come in five different sizes from which we get their names; washcloth, fingertip towel, hand towel, bath towel, and sheet towel. Each of these types serves a different purpose.
1. Washcloth
The washcloth is the smallest of the lot and measures about 13″ x 13″. However, some sizes measure about 12″ x 12″. Since they are the smallest, people often use them for face cleansing or washing hands.
2. Fingertip Towel
Also known as finger towels, this variety is a tad larger than washcloths and usually measures about 11″ x 18″. As their name suggests, we use them to dry our fingers after washing our hands, but they are the most preferred for decorative purposes.
However, these towels can also serve in powder rooms as guest towels. And since they are usually fancy, they often come with monograms.
3. Hand Towel
The hand towel is larger than the fingertip towel and usually measures about 16″ x 28″ and 18″ x 30″. These towels are often placed in powder rooms or near bathroom sinks for people to dry their hands.
And much like fingertip variety, hand towels also do well for decorative purposes.
4. Bath Towel
Bath towels are the largest of the predecessors and measure about 27″ x 52″ or 28″ x 54″. And as you might have guessed from their name, bath towels are for drying our bodies after taking a shower or bath.
Bath towels are of two different types;
- Decorative towels: Usually have fancier designs, but they are not as absorbent as everyday towels.
- Everyday towels: They are not as aesthetically pleasing as decorative towels, but they are more absorbent.
5. Sheet Towel
The sheet towel is the largest variety. Usually, this towel measures about 36″ x 60″, but it also comes in a larger size measuring 40″ by 70″.
Sheet towels are more often preferred in the master washroom, although you can also find them in guest bathrooms and half baths.
We often use sheet towels for drying our bodies, but their large size makes them ideal for use as beach towels or pool towels.
Do Wet Towels Weigh More?
Yes, wet towels definitely weigh more than dry towels. Dry towels don’t have an additional weight from water, whereas wet towels have the weight of the water they’ve absorbed added to their overall weight.
That means the weight difference between a wet towel and a dry towel depends on the water the towel has absorbed. A towel soaked in water could weigh more than twice as much as a dry towel.
Can You Warm Towels in The Microwave?
Yes, you can warm towels in the microwave, but not all types. Towels with metal linings, tags, and similar materials should never go into the microwave. Otherwise, they can damage your microwave or even cause an explosion in the kitchen.
You might have seen it in some movie and wondered whether it’s okay warm a towel in the microwave. The truth is that yes, you can warm towels in the microwave as long as they don’t have any metal details on them.
Warming towels in the microwave is a great way to relieve muscle pain or get rid of the chill on a cold winter day. It’s also an effective way to open one’s pores for healthy skin maintenance.
Procedure:
- Dampen the towel with water
- Wring it out
- Add essential oils if necessary
- Fold it
- Place the towel in the microwave and run it for 30 seconds
- Remove the towel
Adding essential oils is a great way to get aromatherapy benefits, especially if you intend to use the towel for relaxation or pain relief.
In addition, after running the microwave, be careful when taking it out of the microwave as it will be hot. You can use the towel to wrap it around your body or place it on a sore muscle.
Where Do You Hang Wet Towels After The Shower?
You can hang wet towels on a towel bar, over the shower door, on a hook, or on a hanger. There are also many other creative ways to hang wet towels so they can dry quickly.
For example, you can use a clothesline to hang wet towels if you don’t have any other options. You can also purchase a towel drying rack. You’ll find it a handy solution if you often have wet towels.
Whatever method you choose, make sure the towels have enough space to air out so they can dry quickly. Otherwise, you might end up with a musty smell. Also, spread out each towel as much as possible to minimize the drying time.
Should You Wash Towels And Sheets Together?
You shouldn’t wash towels and sheets together because they come with different materials. Towels are typically made of all-cotton terry cloth, while sheets feature thinner percale cotton, linen, or polyester.
When washing, one of the crucial decisions you have to make is what clothes you should wash together. After all, not all clothes are created equal.
Now, washing towels and sheets together might seem like a good idea. However, it isn’t. As much as they may all feature cotton, there’s still a big difference between the materials used to make towels and sheets and their use.
Towels generally utilize sturdier cotton that withstands abuse. That’s unlike sheets which are cozy and more gentle on the skin. That means different washing instructions. Washing them together might not get your towels as clean as you want them to be.
Again, the two don’t take the same time to dry out. Since the sheets are lighter, they’ll take about 30 minutes, at least twice the time it’ll take for the towels.
So, while you can technically wash them together, it’s best not to. Instead, consider working on them individually. That way, you are more likely to get the best results.
Do Towels Dry Better on Hooks or Bars?
Towels will dry better and faster on bars than hooks because they’re spread out more on bars. When hung on hooks, towels remain bunched up and take longer to dry out since the surface area exposed to the air is minimal.
We’ve different ways of drying our towels. While some people prefer to use towel bars, others use hooks. That stirs up the need to know which method between the two is the best.
Now, bars are much better than their hook counterparts for several reasons. For one, they offer more space for your towels. That means each towel will have more surface area in contact with the air, which will speed up the drying process. On the other hand, hooks tend to bunch your towels together. That limits air circulation and will make them take much longer to dry.
Plus, if you have a lot of hooks in one place, it might be difficult to remove each towel without knocking the others off, which is quite annoying.
So, if you’re wondering whether to use hooks or bars to dry your towels, go with bars. Your towels will thank you for it.
Final Verdict
The weight of towels generally differs depending on the size and the material. But generally, a towel weighs more when wet than dry because the latter weight is of both the towel plus the absorbed water.
But again, that doesn’t mean that towels of the same size will weigh equally when wet. It depends on the absorbency of the towel. Higher absorbency means that a towel can take in more water, which means it’ll weigh more when wet.