Yarns Used in Towel Production and Their

Properties
Towel fabrics should have properties such as high hydrophility, high wet strength, good
dyeability, high color fastness, washability, soft handle, and anti-allergenicity. Cotton is the
most widely used fiber in terry fabric production, as cotton yarns can provide all of these
features in the most efficient way. In addition to cotton, fibers such as modal, bamboo,
lyocell, soy, corn, seaweed and flax can be used in towel production, albeit at a low rate.
Although bamboo fiber can be used in towels because it is soft, antibacterial and highly
absorbent, it has not yet become widespread due to its low production amount. On the other
hand, the dry strength of linen is higher than cotton and its strength increases by 25% in the
wet state like cotton. In addition, this fiber, which has a very high absorbency, can be used
in the production of some special massage and sauna towels, although it has not become
very common in towels due to its hard touch and the very long processing process.

The use of synthetic and synthetic blended yarns in towel production is limited, and in
frequently washed hotel towels, polyester / cotton mixture can be used rarely in the ground
and weft. Thus, it is ensured that the towels are resistant to frequent washing and that the
non-shrinkage feature improves after washing. In addition, since they can absorb water up
to 5-7 times their weight, in recent years, microfilament polyester yarns have been used in
towel production by mixing them with cotton.

The use of modal fiber obtained from 100% beech wood cellulose in towel production has
also increased in recent years. The fiber in question has features such as extremely high
softness, hydrophility, color brightness after dyeing, high color fastness and easy
maintenance compared to cotton. In addition, by mixing it with cotton, the problem of
hardening and yellowing of cotton after frequent washing is largely solved.
Yarn Properties Used in Towel Production
Towels; It can be produced with three yarn systems: pile warp, ground warp and weft (for
border and / or pile area). However, the border scarf thread is only valid for border towels.
Yarns used as ground warp: Since the ground warp yarns are exposed to more tension
during weaving, they must be both resistant and flexible. For this reason, folded, high-
twisted yarns are generally preferred in ground warping, and as a result of the
developments in sizing technology, it has begun to be used in well-sized single-ply yarns.
Carded ring yarn is generally preferred as ground warp, but rotor yarns can also be used
due to price and cost pressure. Yarns of Ne 20/2 or 24/2 and with a twist of 500-550 t / m
are widely preferred as folded twisted yarn on the ground, although not often used, 12/1 or
10/1 yarns can be used as a single layer. In addition, 100% cotton yarns are generally
preferred as ground warp, and cotton / polyester mixture can also be used for high strength.
Yarns used as pile warp

The yarns used as pile warp have a very important place in determining the finished towel
properties, and it is necessary to select the pile yarn in accordance with the criteria such as
the weight of the towel, velvet or curl. As pile warp, 100% cotton, single or double layer
yarns can be used, and layered yarns are preferred for vertical pile classic towels, single-
layer yarns for spiral pile towels. Below are two types of pile structures. In double layered
yarns, giving a certain value of twist may be sufficient for the yarn to work without size.
The twist number used in practice for the yarns to be used as pile warp is around 200-255
t / m, and the low twist number provides better touch and water absorbency of the towel, but
a decrease in strength occurs. As the number of twists increases, less problems are
encountered during weaving and weaving efficiency becomes higher. In addition, the
arrangement of the pile is much smoother, the velvet is easier to do, and there is less velvet
waste compared to low-twisted yarn. In addition, there is no or less fluff problem seen in
high pile lengths and low-twisted yarns. The pile warp yarn numbers commonly used in the
industry can be listed as Ne 16/2, 20/2, 24/2, 30/2, 8/1, 10/1, 12/1, 16/1 and 20/1. The
thickening of the yarn used in the pile increases the surface coverage (less visible ground).
In addition, depending on the quality of the product to be produced, it can be worked with
combed, carded or open-end yarns, and the products produced using open-end yarn are
harder to touch and less water absorbent.
Yarns used as wefts

The weft thread is very important in terms of weaving efficiency as well as the quality of the
towel, and the appropriate weft thread should be selected depending on the weight and
density of the desired towel. 100% cotton, Ne 20/1, 16/1 and 12/1 counts and 240-255 t / m
twist yarns are widely preferred in the industry. Border can be created with fancy knitting or
weft threads that can vary widely in towels. Different types and numbers of yarns such as
rayon, viscose, polyester, chenille and mercerized can be used in the borders.
Fabric Constructions Commonly Used in Towel Production

Towel fabrics can be produced in different constructions depending on the place of use. The
most widely used pile forming system is the 3 weft system. In basic Turkish towels, pile and
ground warps form the texture by connecting R 2/1 separately on the front and back sides.
Warps can be arranged in the direction of the width of the fabric as 1 pile-1 ground or 2 pile-
2 ground.

While the weft density value, which is widely used in terry fabric production in the industry,
varies between 12-25 wefts / cm, warp density varies between 18-30 warps / cm. However,
the density of the weft in the border can be increased 3-6 times compared to the pile area.
The amount of pile warp yarn per unit length is expressed as the pile / ground ratio, the
value generally ranges from 2-10. This ratio is an extremely important size as it directly
affects fabric weight, thickness and various performance properties. In addition, the most
commonly used weight values vary between 380-650 gr / m2, and it is technically possible
to produce towels with a weight of 300-1200 gr / m2.

Towel Production And Towels According To

Intended Use
The towel production consists mainly of yarn, weaving, finishing and ready-made clothing.

The most preferred yarns in towel production are: 100% cotton yarns, because of their high
hydrophilicity, high wet strength, good dyeability, high colour fastness, washability, soft
attitude, anti-allergicity.
 In addition to cotton, bamboo, microcotton, lowtwist, combed, modal, viscose, lyocell, soya,
maize, algae and linen with a small proportion can also be used in towel production.Warp
yarns can be produced by special processes as they can be formed with yarn, carding ring
and open spinning systems.
16/1 Towel: It is made of knitting yarn number 16. It is fuller and smoother than the two-
layer yarn in handle and appearance. The pile length is higher. The absorbency is faster.
For these reasons it is more preferred.
20/2 Towel: It is made of double-layer yarn number 20. Has in contrast to 16/1 towels a
shorter floss. This type of cloth is used when jacquard production is required. It is tougher
than the 16/1 towels.

Towels according to design areas; terry, waffles, velour, embroidered, hotel & spa & baby
towels.
Woven Towels; Dobby and Jacquard towels.
Towels by Colour Type:
 Yarn-dyed towels: are towels made with dyed yarns (yarns in different colours). Jacquard
production is also available on request. It is normally made for use in spas and beaches.
 Coloured towels: they are monochrome towels. After the towel has been made, it is dyed in
one colour.
 Indanhtren colour: This dyeing technique is used to increase the colour fastness when
dyeing cotton products. The colours of the products produced with this production method
have a much longer shelf life.
 Reactive dye: A technique for dyeing cotton products. The colour life is shorter compared to
indanhtren dyeing.

Towels by use: towels, face towels, bath towels, kitchen towels, bath sets, beach towels,
other accessories.
Towel dimensions according to area of application:
 Shaving towel 30×30
 Bath, head and handtowel 50×90
 Bath towel 70×140
 90 x 150 beach towel
 50 x 70 foot towel
 30 x 50 Kitchen towel
 40 x 70 Kitchen towel
Towels by weight:
 Light towels 250-349 g / m2
 Medium towels 350-449 g / m2
 heavy towels 450-549 g / m2
 Very heavy towels from 550 g / m2 and more
Factors influencing towel quality:
 Water holding property of towel fabric
 How many wefts the towel is made of
 Properties of floss, ground and weft yarns forming the terry fabric
 Floss height of towel
 Floss strength (durability).
What are zero twist towels?
Explained in simple language.
Zero-twist towels use longer and stronger cotton fibers,
allowing them to be looped through the towel base instead of
twisted out from the towel.

This means that you feel smooth loops when drying off rather
than many short stubby twists.

Zero-twist towels are perfect for sensitive skin as the towel’s

long plush loops don’t agitate or irritate it.
The Origins
Zero-twist towels start with needing a higher quality premium
cotton strand. Location does matter, and not all cotton is
grown the same.

Cotton as we know it grows around the seeds of

the Gossypium plant. There are over 50 species of the plant
across the globe. For example, Gossypium hirsutum is the
type of cotton that grows in the Southern United States
while Gossypium australe is native to northwest Australia.

That’s right! Cotton isn’t the same everywhere. Here are

the most common species:

 Gossypium hirsutum – 90%+ of the world’s cotton. Found

mainly in Central America.
 Gossypium barbadense – 7% of the world’s cotton.
Native to tropical South America and Hawaii but more
commonly known as “Egyptian Cotton”. Surprisingly, this
strand is not native to Egypt.
 Gossypium arboreum – 2% of the world’s cotton. Native
to India and Pakistan.
 Gossypium herbaceum – 1% of the world’s cotton. Mainly
found in Africa.
At Wove, we use cotton from the Gossypium
arboreum strand, native to India, in our zero-twist towels. This
strand is commonly known as tree cotton.

This strand of cotton is spun so that individual threads could

maintain tensile strength at counts higher than any other
variant of cotton. Compared to cotton grown elsewhere,
including Egyptian Cotton and Pima Cotton, it’s significantly
stronger and more durable.

The earliest evidence of cotton is tree cotton that dates back

to 5500 BC on the current India/Pakistan border. It’s some of
the oldest cotton around and one of the first cultivated by
humans.
The Length
Ever have a towel that leaves a little bit of it behind all over
your bathroom? Chances are your towel used a cheaper short
staple cotton.

Shorter cotton strands shed and deteriorate. This is typical

with that first, most commonly found cotton species
mentioned above.

Wove bath towels only use long-staple cotton. Each cotton

fiber is between 1.1 inches to 1.4 inches. Long staples directly
translate to strength and durability. On the other hand, short
staple cotton will shed and pile wash-after-wash.

Next up in our zero-twist journey takes us through the special

manufacturing process.

shop zero-twist
The Weave
Up until now we’ve established that zero-twist towels need a
stronger cotton fiber and a longer cotton strand. This last part
is where the magic happens.

Many bath towels are made using twisted cotton. This is

where cheaper cotton strands are twisted together to make
bigger strands. While some towels labeled as “combed
cotton” or “ringspun cotton” may feel soft up front, they also
refer to this twisted method and will not last as long.

Look up close on a cheaper towel, you’ll see these tiny twists.

The downside is that these twists act like tiny bristles, rubbing
up and down against your body.

RELATED: What to look for when shopping for towels?

Wove towels are zero-twist bath towels — a recent

innovation in towel crafting. Instead of twisting the cotton
together, each strand is looped through the towel with a
special manufacturing process.

You feel the smooth loop, not a hard bristle.

The Benefits
Loops, instead of twists, give the towel three substantial
benefits: absorbency, softness, and durability.
Let’s break each one down.
Absorbency
How much water cotton absorbes is a factor of how much
surface area of each cotton strand is exposed.

If those strands of cotton were twisted together, not all of

each cotton strand would be exposed. Some of each strand
would be touching the other strand.

With zero-twist towels, all of the cotton fiber is exposed. This

means that more water can be absorbed by each strand.

Another benefit? Flip that scenario around. Because more

surface area is exposed to air, the towels also dry faster.

That’s not marketing, that’s science.

Softness
This one is fairly easy. Would you rather have a pointy thing
rub against your skin, or a smooth loop?

Zero-twist towels are inherently softer than regular towels as

those smooth loops touch your skin rather than twisted
strands. They’re great for more sensitive skin, or skin that
doesn’t agree with the cold that much.
Durability
Because zero-twist towels use longer cotton fibers that are
inherently stronger because of the cotton species used, they
last longer. The towels don’t shed and therefore retain more
of their cotton over time.