Buy heavy, own few
Two thick towels per person in rotation outperform six thin ones. Weight, measured in grams per square metre, predicts absorbency better than any label adjective.
Wash at sixty degrees with half the usual detergent and no softener, whose silicone coats the loops and slowly waterproofs the towel. A cup of vinegar in the rinse, monthly, strips the residue the wash leaves.
Dry them fully
A damp towel is a science experiment. Hang after every use on a rail with air behind it, and dry completely between washes rather than continuously reusing a half-damp weave.
Retire towels to the cleaning cupboard when the edges curl, not when they tear. A former bath towel is an excellent yoga-mat wipe and a better dust cloth, which is a career, not a failure.
Published by the Miraseta journal.