How terry towels are made
Terry is woven on looms with two warps: a tight ground warp that forms the base, and a slack pile warp that is pushed forward to form loops on one or both faces. Pile height, yarn count and pick density set the weight and feel. Towels are woven in long lengths with flat dobby borders and plain sections where they will be cut, then bleached or dyed, softened, cut, hemmed at the ends and folded.
Weight is the main commercial measure. Buyers order by grams per square metre (GSM) or by weight per piece or per dozen, and a few percent less yarn per towel adds up across a container. Softness depends on yarn (combed, ring-spun or zero-twist) and on the softener, which can also make a new towel repel water.
Solapur Terry Towel is a registered geographical indication (GI application 9, Maharashtra). Karur in Tamil Nadu is a Town of Export Excellence for handlooms, and IBEF names it among the handloom centres making toilet linen for export.
What we check on bath towels
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Each sampled towel weighed on a calibrated scale; average and lowest compared with the spec | Average below spec, or single towels far below it |
| Size | Length and width measured flat, without stretching the pile | Undersize, especially in length after hemming |
| Absorbency | Drop test: a drop of water on the pile, timed until it sinks in; or a towel corner dipped | Water sitting on the surface for several seconds |
| Loops | Face and back examined; loops pulled lightly with a fingertip | Pulled loops, bald patches, loops pulling out in rows |
| Hems and selvedges | End hems for width and stitching; selvedges for straightness | Hems unravelling, selvedge waviness, stitch skips |
| Dobby border | Border straight and parallel to the hem; jacquard name or pattern correct | Crooked borders, pattern faults |
| Shade | Towels in a set (bath, hand, face) compared in a light box | Hand towel a different shade from the bath towel |
| Shrinkage and lint | A few towels washed and dried where agreed, then remeasured; lint in the filter checked | Excessive shrinkage, heavy lint |
| Rub | Wet white cloth rubbed on dark shades | Colour transfer |
A lab can measure water absorption of terry with ASTM D4772, and dimensional change and colour fastness to washing, where you need reportable figures.
Common bath towel and terry product defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical cause | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Needle or metal fragment in a towel | Broken sewing needle in hemming | Critical |
| Average weight below spec | Lower pile height or finer yarn than ordered | Major |
| Poor absorbency on new towels | Silicone softener overdosed | Major |
| Rows of pulled or missing loops | Loom fault, snagging in finishing | Major |
| "Bamboo" on the label with no rayon or viscose fibre name | Marketing wording copied onto the fibre label | Major |
| Shade difference inside a set | Pieces from different dye lots | Major |
| Single pulled loop, small oil spot | Handling | Minor |
Your defect list decides the final class.
Labels and claims on towels
- Bamboo. Most "bamboo" towels are viscose or rayon made from bamboo pulp. The FTC says the fibre must be named as rayon (or viscose), for example "rayon made from bamboo", not as bamboo. EU fibre names come from Regulation 1007/2011, so the label says viscose.
- Fibre labels. In the US, the Textile Act label shows fibre percentages, origin and the dealer's name or RN. In the EU, see EU textile labelling; in Canada, Canada textile labelling.
- Cotton claims. Words such as "Egyptian", "Pima", "long-staple" or "organic" on the pack need supplier documents or certificates; see organic cotton home textiles.
- Chemicals. Reactive dyes on dark towels and softeners are where restricted-substance problems appear; see azo dyes and restricted substances and OEKO-TEX and GOTS for certificate claims.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
Towels are heavy and absorb moisture from the air. Cartons packed in the monsoon or stored on a damp floor gain weight and can grow mildew at sea, which shows as grey spots and a musty smell. The inspector checks that towels are dry to the touch, that cartons are off the floor, and that the carton count and weight match the packing list. Gift sets with ribbons and boxes need the box size and the visible face of each towel checked.
- Fibre, yarn type, GSM or weight per piece, with the lowest acceptable single-piece weight.
- Sizes for bath, hand and face towels, with tolerances.
- Border design, hem type and colour standard per set.
- Absorbency method and pass rule, and whether towels are pre-washed.
- Shrinkage limit and wash method.
- Labels and claims per market, fold and pack type, carton weight.
Bath mats with a tufted pile and anti-slip backing are inspected as small rugs: see bath mats. Shower curtains are covered on curtains and blinds.