Choosing a top quality towel: Tips for discerning the duds from the darlings.

There are many factors to consider when looking for new towels for your home. Some common considerations can include things like: price, colour, pattern, fibre content, absorbency, softness and even brand name.

But what about quality? How do you determine a great quality towel? Below are our top tips for discerning the duds from the darlings.


1. WEIGHT :

Towel weight is measured by grams per square metre or GSM. Towels and bath robes typically vary from between 300 to 800gsm. A high quality towel is usually 600gsm and above.
Two key factors will influence the weight of a towel:

i) LOOPS: The deeper the pile or the longer the terry loops, the more plush (full bodied) and soft to the touch your towel will feel. It will also mean a greater overall surface area which will improve the towels absorbency and have you feeling dry much faster.

ii) WEAVE: The tightness of the weave structure in combination with the length of the terry loops will influence the weight of your towel. A tighter weave structure will mean smaller gaps and more loops per square inch. More loops means a fuller handle and greater absorbency. See expert tip 2 for help determining the density of a towel’s weave.

Expert Tip 1: If you are looking at towels online, make sure the seller clearly specifies their weight.

Bamboo: 450gsm is poor. 550gsm is good. 650gsm is excellent.
Cotton: 400gsm is poor. 600gsm is good. 800gsm is excellent.

Why the difference between Bamboo & Cotton?
Bamboo fibre is denser than cotton fibre. A bamboo towel may feel a little finer than a cotton towel with the same GSM. However, since bamboo fibre is more absorbent than cotton fibre, a lighter bamboo towel will absorb more than the same weight cotton towel, making it equal to a higher weight cotton towel.

Expert Tip 2: LOOK TO THE LIGHT: It may sound strange, but it’s genius, I promise. Open up your towel and hold it up to the light – in natural daylight is best, but up to any strong light will do.

Poor Quality Cotton Towel

Our Bamboo Towel

A poor quality towel will have a looser weave and the light will stream right through. If the towel maintains its opacity, you’ll know you’ve found a great quality towel.


2. FIBRE:

When looking for a top quality towel, fibre content is another important consideration.
Cotton: Most people are familiar with cotton towels and cotton is by far the most common fibre used to manufacture towels. There are significant adverse environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of cotton towels making their ongoing and continued use increasingly unsustainable. Their more eco-friendly organic cotton counterparts are a smarter and more sustainable choice.

When looking to buy new towels for your home, why not consider the benefits of these alternative fibres:

Bamboo: More and more people are becoming familiar with the benefits of bamboo towels. They are extremely soft, highly absorbent and a sustainable alternative to conventional cotton towels.

Flax: Fewer people still are familiar with flax (linen) towels. Flax towels are generally considered more eco friendly than cotton towels. They are strong, absorbent and have a uniquely rougher texture which exfoliates and invigorates the skin as they’re being used.

Other: Seacell (derived from seaweed) and Legna (derived from wood pulp) are new fibres that are emerging in towels. Both these new fibres are soft, absorbent and considered a more eco-friendly alternative to cotton. Keep an eye out for towels made from these fibres into the future!


THE LAST WORD:
We know that truly great quality towels can come at a premium price, but we think top quality towels are always worth the investment. The better the quality of towel you buy today, the longer they’ll last, which means buying fewer over your life time. So even though you might spend more initially, you won’t be spending the same amount as often, and the more money you will save overall. Not to mention the less waste you will be creating! We recommend always buying the very best quality towels you can afford.

Organic Cotton - Farming

The differences between organic cotton and conventional can be seen when the farming process is broken down into stages, such as seed preparation, soil preparation, water, weed control, pest control, and harvesting. The basic premise of organic cotton at the farming level is facilitating what the earth does naturally –thrive.

Conventional cotton growing creates a dependent cycle of chemical use which hinders nature from doing its job, and therefore creates the need for more chemicals to compensate. For example, with conventional cotton, the pesticides and herbicides used to keep pests and weeds at bay takes all the good nutrients out of the soil in which the cotton is growing. The soil therefore needs more chemicals in the form of synthetic fertiliser in order to boost its nutrients again, for the cotton to grow.

The methods used with organic farming including crop rotation and hand hoeing mean that weeds and pests are kept at bay naturally, and the soil is nutrient rich with organic matter. A staggering statistic is that conventional cotton growing accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s insecticide use – that takes a fair chunk of responsibility for spraying all those chemicals into the air.

	Conventional	Organic
Seed preparation	Toxic fungicide or insecticide treatment, potential Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds.	Natural, untreated seeds free from GMO!
Soil Preparation	Synthetic fertilisers, soil erosion due to mono-crop culture.	Natural balance of soil helped by crop rotation means synthetic fertilisers not needed.
Weed Control	Toxic herbicides	Physical removal of weeds, no chemicals
Pest control	Toxic pesticides, insecticides, fungicides	Healthy soil maintains balance between pests and predators, trap crop planting
Harvesting	Toxic chemical defoliation	Natural defoliation methods such as seasonal freezing, water management
Water	Poor quality soil from chemical use leads to polluted water run off	Healthy soil has water retention properties – and any run off is unpolluted

Seed preparation

With conventional cotton, seeds are treated with toxic fungicides or insecticides. Sometimes potentially Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds are used. Organic cotton seeds are natural, free from treatment and definitely not GMO!

Soil Preparation

Synthetic fertilisers are applied to the soil as its nutrients have been depleted due to pesticide use. Soil is also eroded from continuous cropping or mono-crop culture – always planting the same kind of crop, i.e. cotton, in the same place. This is designed to generate as high income as possible for the owner, with little regard for the soil, and is in contrast to organic cotton which is grown using crop rotation methods. This is the practice of alternating different crops on the same field to break weed, pest and disease cycles and to maintain or improve soil fertility, retention and organic matter content. Before pesticides were invented, this was the traditional method used by farmers to protect their crops.

Weed Control

Toxic herbicides are used to control weeds with conventional cotton crops. It is also applied to the soil to inhibit weed germination, and sprayed through the air. Organic cotton, on the other hand requires physical removal of the weeds rather than chemical, and weed control is exercised by hand hoeing and keeping the soil healthy.

Pest Control

Conventional cotton cultivation depends heavily on the use of pesticides to protect the plant against pests and disease, accounting for approximately 25% of world pesticide consumption. Pesticides and insecticides used are highly toxic, and the method of aerial spraying causes potential harm to workers, as well as neighbouring farms, animals and communities. Organic cotton on the other hand maintains a balance between pests and their natural predators through healthy soil, as well as using beneficial insects, biological and cultural practices to control pests. Sometimes a trap crop may be used to lure pests away from the cotton!

Harvesting

The cotton plant undergoes a process of defoliation, where the leaves are cleared, before it is mechanically harvested. Conventional cotton is defoliated using toxic chemicals, the effects on the environment similar in impact to pesticides. Organic cotton uses a natural method of defoliant such as seasonal freezing temperatures, as well as water management.

What about water?

Cotton growing both conventionally and organically uses a lot of water. The benefit of organic is the elimination of toxic chemicals, rather than the sustainability of low water use, as is seen with the bamboo crop. When it comes to irrigation, organic cotton crops are more water retentive than conventional cotton crops, as the soil is rich and healthy. So less water runs off the fields and what does in not polluted.

Refs

http://organicexchange.org/Documents/ocsymbiosis.pdf

Kooistra, K.J., Pyburn, R., Termorshuizen, A.J. 2006. The sustainability of cotton. Consequences for man and environment, Science Shop Wageningen University & Research Centre. Report 223. ISBN: 90-6754-90-8585-000-2. www.wur.nl/wewi

http://organicexchange.org/Farm/Reading%20and%20References/WUR%20science%20shop%20Sustainability%20of%20Cotton%20Apr06%20%282%29.pdf

News Update: Organic Cotton Collection Arrives

We are super excited to announce that the organic cotton collection has finally arrived, after the shipment was lost at sea! Ok, well we thought it was lost at sea because it was so late, but when it finally got delivered the paperwork stated the port of arrival, Sydney Australia, and the date of arrival, 1^st of June! Needless to say Frances was very cranky, and of course there was no explanation as to what the towels have been doing for six weeks...

Anyway, a big day of unpacking has resulted in a full warehouse with six new bright colours on the shelves to cheer us up. We are already experiencing strong sales of the collection in the first week which is really encouraging. The collection is live on the site, check it out here.

The organic expo is just around the corner and we are getting excited (and stressed) about all the preparations. Frances had an uncharacteristically pleasant phone call with the bank to organise a portable merchant facility so we can sell towels from the expo. She also met with the graphic designer, which means there will be a whole bunch of printed collateral on the way, like signs and banners and info packs. Next on the list is putting together another product video for the stand – do you remember the last one...?

Megan has been busy keeping all the wheels turning in social media world. And is now the resident expert . She has also signed Eureco up to lots of different networks, the latest exciting one being care2.com where we planted a tree! There are heaps of great articles on all things eco as well as a central petition signing section where you can sign a petition about almost anything. The more you contribute to the site, the more ‘butterfly points’ you earn which you can donate to cool causes like planting a tree or feeding a child. Check out our page and if you are already part of the care2 network please be our friend!

About Organic Cotton

So most of us have been using cotton all our lives – cotton sheets, towels, clothes... It’s supposed to be a natural product, isn’t it? So what’s the difference with organic cotton? I thought organic was just related to those tomatoes?

Food and clothing are two major product groups which have direct contact with our bodies. So shouldn’t we care what kind of processes and ingredients go into making these products? An easy example is organic fruit and vegetables, and the general knowledge that they are grown without the use of pesticides. Who wants to eat pesticides?

The same principle applies for other organic products, in this case, organic cotton towels. Conventional cotton is grown using lots of toxic chemicals, like pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Organic cotton is not.

The term organic describes a method of farming without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides or fertilisers, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering, and are certified by an accredited independent organization. It is a system of farming that strives for a balance with nature, using methods and materials that are of low impact to the environment. (Courtesy of Organic Exchange)

The differences between organic cotton and conventional can be seen through farming processes, such as seed preparation, soil preparation, water, weed control, pest control, and harvesting. The basic premise of organic cotton at the farming level is facilitating what the earth does naturally.

Conventional cotton growing creates a dependent cycle of chemical use which hinders nature from doing its job, and therefore creates the need for more chemicals to compensate. With conventional cotton, the pesticides and herbicides used to keep pests and weeds at bay takes all the good nutrients out of the soil in which the cotton is growing. Then in order for the cotton to grow, the soil needs more chemicals in the form of synthetic fertiliser in order to boost its nutrients. The methods used with organic farming including crop rotation and hand hoeing mean that weeds and pests are kept at bay naturally, and the soil is nutrient rich with organic matter. A staggering statistic is that conventional cotton growing accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s insecticide use – that takes a fair chunk of responsibility for spraying all those chemicals into the air.

The certifications OE 100 and OE blended which ensure our products are organic, extend beyond the farming level, right through to production and finishing of the organic cotton towel product. After farming, the production of the raw cotton into towels requires yarn production, whitening, finishing and dyeing. The Oeko-Tex Standard 100 ensures the final product is suitable for human use, and sets strict limits on the amount of harmful substances contained in textiles.

In particular it includes:

• legally banned substances such as carcinogenic dyes

• legally controlled substances such as formaldehyde, softeners, heavy metals or pentachlorophenol

• substances which can be harmful to health such as pesticides, allergenic dyes or organic tin compounds

• parameters such as colour-fastness and a skin-friendly pH value, intended to prevent health problems

Our Bio Organic Cotton range uses cotton sourced from Europe, India and Turkey. The products are certified organic by the Organic Exchange standard OE 100 and OE Blended. It is certified safe for human use by Oeko Tex. It has been manufactured in accordance with the environmental standard ISO14001.

References:

Organic Exchange Farm and Fiber Report 2009

Kooistra, K.J., Pyburn, R., Termorshuizen, A.J. 2006. The sustainability of cotton. Consequences for man and environment, Science Shop Wageningen University & Research Centre. Report 223. ISBN: 90-6754-90-8585-000-2.

http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Cotton-general/Impact-of-cotton/Risk-of-cotton-processing.php

Oekotex Standard 100

Organic exchange standards OE100 and OE Blended