You’re fresh from the shower and not ready to get dressed again. At moments like this, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of slipping into a warm, fluffy bathrobe.
Your guests feel the same way, which is why bathrobes have long been a crucial part of good hotel service. But like anything in your establishment that provides guests with comfort, robes require proper care. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the essentials of care for bathrobes.
Use a hanger
Whatever kind of fabric you’re dealing with, keeping your robes on a hanger will help maintain the integrity of the garment.
In between seasons
If you switch from robes made from lighter and heavier fabrics between seasons, make sure you wash the robes before putting them in storage. Use cedar balls to repel moths and other pests.
Preventing fading
Dark-colored robes can fade after a few washes, so try to wash and dry them inside out, and avoid drying them in the sun. Wash these robes in cold water on a shorter cycle, as warmer water and long washes will pull color from the fabric.
Tip: Add half a cup of salt when washing colored fabrics for the first time to prevent colors from running.
Pay attention to the label
Manufacturers put care instructions on labels for a reason: so that you – and your guests – can get the most out of your robes.
Care for bathrobes means following the rules for different types of materials:
1. Cotton
Perhaps the easiest robe fabric to clean. Cotton is durable, so you can toss these robes into a washing machine with mild detergent, in warm water and on a normal cycle. Always wash new robes before their first use.
Use only about half the amount of detergent you’d typically use for cotton garments to keep the robe soft and fluffy. Give the robe an extra rinse to remove any lingering detergent.
Tip: Adding ½ cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle will clear away any lingering soap or detergent residue.
2. Polyester
Just like cotton, you can machine wash robes made from this material in warm water, although some polyester blends need to be dry cleaned. When drying polyester, use a low temperature and warm iron when needed.
3. Silk
Silk seems like an almost fragile fabric, but it’s easy to care for these robes if you follow certain precautions. We realize that we just said that you should pay attention to manufacturer’s labels, but with silk, we’d suggest erring on the side of caution.
Even if the label says a silk robe is safe for machine washing, we’d suggest washing it by hand.. Do not use bleach to clean silk, as the chlorine will damage the fabric, and make sure you avoid drying silk in direct sunlight, as that can also cause damage.
4. Linen
As with cotton, it’s a good idea to wash linen bathrobes before use, because it will take a few washes for the robes to reach maximum absorbency. Avoid using fabric softener with linen robes – or at least use it very sparingly – as this can make them less absorbent over time. Linen robes should be tumble dried with some dryer balls to make them extra soft.
If you’d like more advice on how to properly care for bathrobes – or are in the market for new robes for your establishment – contact InnStyle.
Our expert sales team looks forward to helping you find the types of robes that will make your guests feel at home.