Why Use Bamboo Towels for Bathtime
Baby towels are sold on how plush they are, and in a Singapore bathroom plush is almost the wrong thing to want.
What makes bamboo towels softer than cotton?
The fibre is made as a smooth, round strand, while cotton is a flattened, twisted ribbon, so there's less friction against the skin. On a newborn, whose skin is thinner than yours and whose barrier is still forming, that's a real difference.
This counts most when you're drying her, because that's when a towel can do harm. How you dry counts for more than the fabric: pat, never rub. Rubbing is what turns a warm, damp fold into a red one. A softer towel just gives you a little more room for error when you're tired and rushing. I can't tell you how much more, only that I noticed it.
Are bamboo towels more absorbent?
Yes, a little. What happens after it soaks up the water counts for more.
Bamboo viscose takes up a lot of water, and it lets it go easily too. That second part is what counts here. In this climate, a towel that soaks up everything and then stays wet is worse than one that absorbs enough and is dry by teatime.
Absorbency claims in this category are routinely inflated. A thick towel takes more water because there's more of it, and that has nothing to do with the fibre. Compare like weights (grams per square metre) before you believe a number.
The rest of bath time
Why quick-drying counts so much in Singapore
Because a towel here has to dry in air that's already full of moisture, and most baby towels are designed for countries where that isn't a problem. A plush 600gsm hooded towel in a flat at eighty per cent humidity will still be damp the next evening. Damp cloth grows bacteria, so within a couple of days it smells, and then it's going onto your baby's face. It's the towel complaint I hear most often here, and the cause is how the towel was made. Buy lighter than you think. A thinner bamboo or muslin towel dries between baths, and since a newborn is bathed two or three times a week, it will be dry every time you reach for it. Hang it spread out, wash at sixty degrees where the label allows, and skip fabric softener because it coats the fibre and cuts absorbency. Own three, so you never use one damp.
Choosing one that lasts
Four things to check, in the order I'd weigh them.
- Weight. Lighter is better here. Anything marketed as extra-plush is designed for a temperate bathroom.
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification, Product Class I, which is the class for articles intended for babies and toddlers and has the strictest limits on substances.
- Construction at the edges. Hems and hood seams are where a towel fails first, and a rolled double-stitched hem outlasts an overlocked one by a wide margin.
- The hood. In the first months it helps keep her warm on the way out of the bath, but you don't need one. A plain rectangle does the same job.
The version I'd give a friend: get the room warm and have the towel open and waiting before she comes out, because the exit is where a calm bath turns into a screaming one. That costs nothing and it does more than upgrading the towel.
On the specifics
Are bamboo towels good for babies?
Yes. Bamboo towelling is softer and more absorbent than most cotton, gentle on thin newborn skin, and quick-drying, which keeps it fresher in humid climates.
Why do baby towels have hoods?
Babies lose heat fastest through the head. A hood keeps warmth in from the moment baby leaves the water, so they stay calm while you dry them.
How many baby towels do I need?
Two or three works well: one in use, one drying or in the wash, and a spare for travel or swimming.
How should I wash bamboo towels?
Machine wash cool or warm with mild detergent, avoid fabric softener and bleach, and line dry. Bamboo gets softer with washing.
Sources
This guide is general information, written to help you understand a topic and ask better questions. It is not medical advice and does not replace your own doctor, midwife or paediatrician. Anything that worries you about your baby belongs with them.
Read next: Why You Should Use a Bamboo Washcloth When Bathing Baby · How to Bathe Your Newborn Baby
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