Care & FAQ

Wash before first use. Never use softener.

A complete care guide for Imabari towels, plus the most common questions we get. The five-step routine below will keep a towel performing at full absorbency for ten years of daily use.

The routine

Five steps. About six minutes of effort per month.

Wash before first use

Cold or warm, mild detergent. Rinses the cotton sizing and activates absorbency. Skip drying — line dry for the first wash if possible.

Never fabric softener

Not in the wash, not in the dryer, not as a sheet. It coats the cotton and reduces absorbency permanently. White vinegar (½ cup, rinse cycle) is a safe alternative.

Tumble dry low

Or line dry. Lower heat extends fiber life by years. A few dryer balls help maintain loft without adding any coating.

Wash with like colors

Especially the first three washes. Imabari dyes are color-fast but indigo and beni (red) tones bleed slightly on first use.

Re-fluff every six months

A long tumble on low with two dryer balls restores loft. Every six months is plenty — don’t overdo it.

Frequently asked

Questions, answered plainly.

What makes a towel an authentic Imabari towel?

Authentic Imabari towels are woven in the Imabari region of Ehime Prefecture, Japan, and certified by the Imabari Towel Association. The certification requires passing a 5-second water absorption test and meeting strict standards for color fastness and durability. Certified towels carry the red, white, and blue Imabari mark on a sewn tag

How do I wash an Imabari towel?

Machine wash cold or warm with a mild detergent. Do not use fabric softener — it coats the cotton fibers and permanently reduces absorbency. Tumble dry low or line dry. The first two to three washes increase loft and absorbency, so wash before first use.

Why is the water in Imabari important to the towels?

The Soja River, which runs through Imabari, has exceptionally soft water — low in calcium and magnesium. Soft water allows cotton fibers to absorb dye more deeply and rinse out cleanly without leaving mineral residue. This is the original reason Imabari became a textile region in 1894.

How long do Imabari towels typically last?

With proper care, a quality Imabari towel will last 5–10 years of daily use without significant loss of absorbency or loft. The low-tension weaving process keeps cotton fibers full and lofty, so the towel tends to soften rather than thin over time.

What does “no fabric softener” actually mean?

Fabric softeners work by leaving a thin waxy coating on fibers. On regular towels this can mask roughness; on Imabari towels it destroys the very property that makes them special — water absorption. One use of fabric softener can reduce absorbency by 25–40%. White vinegar in the rinse cycle (½ cup) is a safe alternative if you want to soften further.

Where does Towelshop ship from?

Towelshop ships from our warehouse in Illinois. We import our inventory directly from a single distributor in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, so U.S. customers get authentic Japan-made towels without international shipping fees, long lead times, or customs paperwork.

Still curious?

Email us at sales@towelshop.co.

Usually answered within a day, by an actual person.