Golf towels are something all great golfers use, and that’s because of the many benefits they bring. Not only do golf towels keep your precious golf clubs and golf balls looking sharp, but they also make sure that your club’s grooves are clean enough for optimal performance. 

Golf towels are very common among golfers, but what may separate them is how often they clean them. Some choose to basically never wash their towel, while some wash it after a single dirty round. In this article, we will discuss what golf towels are used for and how often you should wash yours.

Why Should I Clean My Golf Towel?

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Just like you wash regular towels, you need to wash golf towels as well.

Think about it, normal towels are exposed to relatively little dirt, while golf towels are faced with mud, grass stains, and worse. 

Dirty towels aren’t as good at cleaning, which increases the time you spend wiping down your golf clubs. A golf ball or club that won’t get clean can also be highly frustrating and is often caused by a dirty towel. 

Washing your golf towel will also make it last longer, and you don’t want to get picked on by your golf group simply because you didn’t take the time to wash your towel. However, when you’re washing a golf towel, it’s crucial to do it the right way.

Properly Cleaning a Golf Towel – Guide

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So we’ve established that a clean golf towel is crucial, but how do you clean it properly? The answer to this question will vary greatly, but mostly comes down to the material of the towel and the manufacturer’s washing recommendations. Nevertheless, we’ve made a guide that works with most towels.

Check Your Towel’s Washing Recommendations

Before doing anything else, you must check your towel’s washing recommendations.

Some towels may only allow hand wash or cold machine wash, and some towels with specific materials might need certain detergents or none at all. 

Wash by Hands or Machine 

Regular golf towels are typically machine washable, but some towels, such as ones made of microfiber, might require you to wash them by hand or in a washer with cold water. Otherwise, you risk damaging the material, and you might have to throw away your towel. 

Use a Mild Detergent

Although water might be sufficient, using a detergent can remove extra dirt and make your golf towel smell better. Using the proper detergent will lead to longer-lasting towels, and if it’s too strong the towel can get damaged. If you have a white or light-colored towel, using a detergent with bleach will make the color of the towel look like new – almost at least.

Properly Rinse the Towel

To ensure that there aren’t any traces of dirt or detergent left in the towel, it’s crucial to rinse it properly. This can be done through the extra rinsing program on your washing machine or by leaving it underwater for a few minutes if you’re washing by hand. Not only will your towel feel better after a good rinse, but it’ll also last longer. Congratulations! You now have a clean towel.

Dry the Towel

Drying the towel is also very important and can be done in two ways. The first option is to put it in the dryer, but you need to make sure that the towel allows for it. A very wet towel can also take a lot of energy to dry, so sometimes the alternative is better.

The other way you can do it is to leave the towel out in the sun or somewhere else where it dries quickly. This method will use less energy, but the towel will also be stiffer. At the end of the day, how you dry your towel is up to you, but always do it.

Drying Your Towel – Is It Necessary?

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Drying your golf towel after a wet round of golf or washing it is one hundred percent necessary. Even a slightly damp towel can quickly mildew, which obviously isn’t something we want to happen to our golf towels. Towels can also hold on to yeast, bacteria, and virus for long periods if left damp.

Since we want our golf towels to stay absorbent and fresh, we need to always dry them.

Warnings – What Not to Do

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Washing your towel is essential, but it’s also important to know what to do when washing a golf towel. Firstly, make sure to follow your towel’s washing requirements, as it might experience damage otherwise. This includes whether it’s machine washable, what temperatures are allowed, etc.

Then, as previously mentioned, it is absolutely crucial to dry your golf towel after a wash. If not adequately dried, the towel will be more prone to be filled with bacteria and in the worst-case, mildew. 

How Often Should You Wash Your Golf Towel?

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How often you should wash a golf towel is entirely up to you, and the answer varies significantly among golfers. However, a towel that sits in a damp environment will quickly become the home to many nasty microorganisms. 

If you use your golf towel a lot, it’s sanitary to wash it every couple of rounds. A golf towel of high quality that gets appropriately dried will have to be washed less often. If you’re playing during the hot and dry summer, your towel will stay clean longer, but on the other hand it’s also used to wipe off sweat. 

One excellent way to wash your golf towels less frequently is to have two towels in the golf bag: a caddy towel and a clip towel. You can use the caddy towel for your dirty golf clubs and the smaller clip towel for cleaning the golf ball and yourself. This will make it harder for the towels to get dirty, as they’re exposed to less dirt.

Why Should I Use a Golf Towel?

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The number one reason to use a golf towel is to ensure that your clubs are in the very best condition to play your best golf. A clean club head means that nothing interferes between the case and the ball, which makes good contact much easier to obtain.

On the other hand, a dirty club face will make it very hard to put spin on the ball. This is especially true for wedges, which need the maximum spin possible to allow you to stop the ball on the green. 

Golf towels are also used for cleaning golf balls, as they tend to get dirty in wet weather. Dirty golf balls will not have the same speed as clean ones, and the roll might be more unpredictable. This makes putting even more challenging than it already is, and luckily you are allowed to pick your golf ball up on the green to clean it. 

FAQ Section

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How do you clean golf club towels?

Earlier in this article, we made a comprehensive guide on properly cleaning a golf towel. To summarize, you first need to check the washing recommendations in case your towel isn’t allowed to be exposed to heat, machine wash, etc.

Then you wash the towel either in a machine or by hand, depending on preference and washing recommendations. When washing, use a mild detergent for added freshness and sanitation. After that, it’s crucial to rinse the towel properly and then let it dry. 

How often should you wash your golf towel?

How often golfers wash their golf towels is very different, but it all depends on how often you play and how fresh you want your towel to be. However, no matter how often you play, you should wash the towel every couple of rounds.

A great way to wash your golf towel less while also keeping it clean is to dry it properly. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a golf towel filled with nasty stuff that even a machine wash might not be able to save.

Should you wet your golf towel?

Wetting your golf towel before cleaning your golf equipment is an excellent way to make cleaning easier. Not only will the dirt come off way easier, but you won’t have to scrub as hard, and the club will get a lot cleaner, resulting in spinnier shots and better contact. 

If you decide to wet your golf towel, it’s crucial to dry it directly after the round. This can be done in the sun or somewhere else you see fit. A clip towel is generally easier to wet and dry, but a caddy towel can also be used.

Conclusion: Research by Tellmemoregolf.com

A golf towel brings many benefits to the golfer, such as better looking and performing golf clubs, easier putting, and a way to wipe yourself off during rainy or sweaty days on the course. However, a golf towel must also be washed every couple of rounds to sustain its effectiveness and cleanliness. 

To properly wash a golf towel, it needs to be washed with a suitable detergent, get rinsed properly, and lastly and perhaps most importantly, dried. If you follow these steps, your golf towel should last you a very long time. Thank you for reading this article from TellMeMoreGolf, and we wish you a wonderful time out on the golf course.