The surprising purpose behind the band on your bath towels
Updated . First published
It appears to be an innocuous detail at first – but as it turns out, the strip along your bath towel is not just there for decorative purposes.
While the subject has experts divided on the band's intended use, one X user has revealed the true intention behind the overlooked feature.
Turns out the choice to include that seemingly pointless addition is actually rooted in practicality.
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Many will go their entire lives without knowing what the strip on their bath towels is used for. Getty Images/iStockphoto
According to Good Housekeeping's Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Associate Director Emma Seymour, the line along both edges of your towel is more commonly known as a 'dobby border' or 'selvage,' is intended to maintain the durability of the towel overtime.
"It's the dobby border, common on many bath towels," says Seymour.
"It helps the towel keep its shape because it offers more structure than if it was entirely terrycloth. It also helps prevent fraying."
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The 'dobby border', according to experts, is intended to maintain the towel's shape and durability. Getty Images/iStockphoto
One X user agreed the purpose of the line was to prevent wear and tear, also claiming that it "Improves absorbency, adds a polished look" and "helps prevent shrinkage during washing."
Another user pointed out the usefulness of the unassuming stripe for hotel employees and housekeepers.
Posting on Reddit, u/daveyP_ explained that the strip on a bath towel also helps hotels organise them quickly.
"In hotels, when loads of different towels are stacked on top of each other, accommodation services can tell the size of the towel by how many stripes it has."
"I've worked in a hotel and it blew my mind when I found out".
Another had a more scientific take on the dobby border's purpose, theorising that its use is to draw in moisture from the terry cloth portion of the towel.
"I kind of get the feeling that it's there to attract excess water via capillary action. That way it can be easily wrung out and make the towel more effective even when dampened," they say.
But all in all, Good Housekeeping confirms that depending on what you're looking for in a towel the strip – while arguably serving a number of purposes – is not necessarily a must-have.
They say that even without the border, your towel will still absorb moisture just as effectively – with the downside of a decrease shelf life.
"It may not have the same durability and longevity as one with a dobby border," they say.
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