The Ultimate Guide to Peshtemal Towels, Everything You Need to Know

This week I’ve been looking to replace some of my bath towels as they’ve now come the the end of their very long life. Of course, I’ll repurpose the old towels but recently I’ve heard quite a lot about peshtemal towels and wondered what all the fuss was about.

After doing quite a lot of research I found out there are so many advantages to these types of towels. So much so that I’ve decided to go ahead and replace my family’s towels with peshtemal bath towels.

If you’ve not heard of this type of towel before, or as I did, wonder why everyone is talking about them then please do read on.

What are Peshtemal Towels?

Peshtemal towels are a type of Turkish towel that is used for drying yourself after a bath.

These towels are made from 100% cotton and come in various sizes and colours.

Peshtemal towels can also be referred to as:

• Peshtamal Towel
• Turkish Towel
• Fouta Towel
• Hammam Towel
• Pestemal Towel

Because these towels are flat-woven they are incredibly lightweight and very absorbent, making them perfect for bath time use.

Whilst peshtemal towels originated in Turkey, they are rising in popularity and can now be found all over the world.

History of Peshtemal Towels

With the origins dating back hundreds of years, the peshtemal towel was traditionally used in the communal Turkish baths or “Hammans” by bathers who wanted to keep their modesty intact.

They are commonplace in the Persian and Ottoman hammam culture.

Where do Peshtemal Towels Come From?

Peshtemal towels are handmade by master weavers from the textile heartlands of Turkey.

Turkey is one of the largest garment exporters in the world with the country’s garment industry being it’s second-largest industry. Towel manufacturing can be found in all areas of Turkey however Istanbul still leads the way in terms of total production with Bursa, Denizli and Izmir also producing a lot of product.

Advantages of Peshtemal Towels

There are many key advantages with peshtemal towels

1. Lightweight & Thin – making them ideal for travel
2. Absorbent – these towels absorb a lot of water, ideal for swimming and bathing
3. Luxurious & Soft – lovely to the touch
4. Quick Drying – much quicker to dry that alternative towels
5. Eco Friendly – made from 100% sustainable cotton
6. Handmade – made with love by master weavers in Turkey
7. Hypoallergenic – great for those with allergies
8. Hardwearing – these towels have a really long life
9. Easily to wash – wash in the machine, they won’t shrink.

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Other Uses of Peshtemal Towels

Peshtemal towels have many uses with the most obvious being at bath time. With the Turkish towels being super absorbent they make drying yourself super quick and there are some uses that you may not have thought of so far.

Here is a list:

• Beach towel – absolutely ideal as a towel to hit the beach with.
• Lounge throw – brighten up any sofa with a peshtemal towel, keep one close for those cold winter evenings.
• Travel throw – keep nice a cosy when travelling on airplanes, trains and in cars.
• Travel pillow – folded up this Turkish towel makes a very comfortable pillow.
• Body wrap, shawl or sarong – wrap a peshtemal towel around you to enhance your outfit
• Head scarf – wear a smaller Turkish towel as a fashion item, to dry your hair or simply to keep your head cool in the summer.
• Table linen – Yes, peshtemal towels make great table linen especially for those adhoc occasions.
• Picnic or outdoor blanket – lightweight by design these towel make wonderful picnic blankets

With this list in mind I think you’ll agree that these amazing towels are so versatile making them very practical for everyone.

How to Wash Your Peshtemal Towel?

Caring for peshtemal towels is actually a lot easier than people think.

As not all peshtemal towels are made the same so please do check the label or consult the manufacturer of your towel before you launder it

Below are the most common steps to clean your Turkish towel.

• Wash your peshtemal towel with similar colours at 30 degrees
• Avoid using fabric conditioner
• Ideally leave to air dry, do not tumble dry your peshtemal towel as it damages the fibres
• If you are not a fan of the air dry look then you can iron your peshtemal on a high heat like all other cotton

If you are storing your peshtemal then make sure it’s kept in a dry place securely wrapped up away from rodents.

Gifting Peshtemal Towels

It seems that gifting peshtemal towels is becoming much more popular.

I think one of the reasons for this is that many people have not heard of these kinds of towels and their wonderful benefits and so people are delighted when they receive one as a gift.

In fact after they use the towel they’re most likely to buy more for the family and even gift a towel next Christmas time themselves.

3 of the Best Peshtemal Towels