100% Egyptian Cotton Any Good?

Spilchy

Spilchy

New member
I am in need of some 100% genuine, made in the USA, plush cotton 16x16 towels. I have those crappy import cotton ones for grunge and interior work.



I understand FieldCrest makes some good ones. But they are expensive.



However, I was in Costco and saw 100% Egyptian cotton towels with the cotton logo made by Martex that were cheap enough to buy. I want to know if this is ok?



I have the Koala towels from CMA, but want to buy something similar locally. I have the Viking 100% cotton towels (with the cotton logo) from the automotive store and they stink.



What can you guys tell me about finding genuine cotton towels and where do you get them??



What's the idea of Turkish towels? Are they any good? Can you get them locally?



I just want to bolster my cotton towel collection a little bit.
 
I have been advised not to use the egyptian cotton. Heard it causes scratching.



My advise is not to skimp on towels. Try Supima cotton.



Fieldcrest is no longer being made. Linens 'N' Things and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are both having clearances on them.
 
Spilchy,



Try the Martha Stewart 4 star hand towels from KMart, $4 or $5 each. They are as identical to Koala towels in weight and plushness as I can tell. The edges are tightly bound and do not scratch, and they are 100% cotton. I grab for them interchangeably with the Koalas, maybe even a little bit sooner.



I also got some from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, white Fieldcrest/Cannons 10 at a time all wrapped in a plastic cinch, for around $20. They aren't as plush, but don't scratch, and the edges are also well bound. I prefer a less plush towel for some jobs, like removing Meg's waxes; the plush towels don't bite as well.



Both of those towels pass the burn test and the CD test.



The ones you mention from Costco sound good, too, btw.



Tom
 
Egyptian cotton is a type of cotton grown in the Carolinas and some off shore islands (Sea Island Cotton.) It is also known as Pima cotton or Supima Cotton. It was imported into Egypt in the 1800's and the name Egyptian cotton began to stick.



It is generally cosidered to be one of the softest cotton varieties.



Be careful and read the labels, if the label says cotton loops or cotton strands for instance the base may be polyester. Be sure it only says 100% Cotton.
 
Thanks fellas! I appreciate the feedback. I have a 20% off coupon for BB&B and I leave near a KMart so I'll check both!



:xyxthumbs
 
As far as cotton towels go, I like Egyptian the most because they stay acceptably soft. Towels like Fieldcrest Charismas are nice, plush, and won't scratch, but I just don't like how they're not soft when washed. It's a feel thing, I guess.
 
Egyptian cotton had been considered the finest cotton available anywhere at one time. Maybe that's not the case any longer...dunno.



I bought 5 of Fieldcrest's hi-end towel a few years ago. They have held up very well but certainly are NOT as soft as they used to be. The towels, hand-size, are starting to show some snags and I may retire them soon. They leave way too much lint/fibre on the paintwork for my taste. I only use them for drying.



I am very excited about Ranney's towels and am putting together a custom order with him as we speak.
 
with the demise of Canon Fieldcrest, some Zaino distr are selling the Martex Atelier 100% Cotton Made in USA towels and from a local detailer the very expensive Ralph Lauren 100% cotton towels are recommended in lieu of the Charisma Selects.



Anyone try either one of these?
 
As with many thing, there is the genuine article which is normally expensive and there are similar items, normally cheaper. The real Egyptian cotton is expensive and is of a very high quality. Egypt will also export medium and cheap quality products.
 
Lowejackson said:
...The real Egyptian cotton is expensive and is of a very high quality. Egypt will also export medium and cheap quality products.
Click to expand...



Keep in mind though that Eqyptian cotton does not necessarily come from Egypt. Many ELS cottons (long staple) come from Peru, Georgia, islands off the shore of several southern states, and other places. I buy my cotton yarns in the US and they are still called Eqyptian, sometimes Pima, sometimes Supima depending on the supplier.



By the way, a little tidbit of info for those curious: The term Pima cotton is named after the Pima Indians of Arizona (I think Arizona) who grew experimental cottons for the US Dept. of Agriculture.
 
Well I went back and looked at the Martex towels again at Costco.



It said:



"100% Egyptian Cotton. 100% Egyptian Cotton Loops"



So, I don't know if this means if the base is made of polyester as DFTowel suggests. Or if the first 100% cotton wording means the base is made of cotton and not polyester.



Anyone?? :nixweiss
 
I was in Bed Bath & Beyond and they have a sign listing in order the quality of cotton



From lowest to highest:



100% Cotton Loop



100% Pima Cotton



100% Egyptian Cotton



100% Micro Cotton



The Micro Cotton is awesome and the most expensive.



They have a nice selection of Egyptian Cotton and Pima Cotton Made in the USA towels on sale at 40% off! The hand towels are a nice size.



I saw the FieldCrest / Canon towels in a 6 pack for $9.99 (mentioned above in another post by Mosca). They are "100% Cotton" (that's all it said) but made in India and seemed cheap feeling.



The FieldCrest Micro Cotton was unbelievable! There was another brand too, Made in England from undyed, natural color fabric. Both were the nicest, but the most expensive. I'll wait for a sale to buy a few to add to the collection. They were top of the line.



I had like 6 different towels lined up, feeling each one, reading the labels, examining the backing, etc... for like 30 minutes! The sales girl folding towels asked why I was examining each one so carefully. I said it was for detailing cars and she burst out laughing :D
 
I was in Bed Bath and Beyond a few weeks back checking out with a handfull of white towels. The lady behind me says "I guess you don't have kids in the house!" We both laughed, I didn't have the heart to tell her they were for the car! I do agree the Fieldcrest towels don't seem to stay soft after a few washes. However, I did try a few store brand towels, and they got thin and rough after a VERY few washes. You get what you pay for!
 
Spilchy said:
Well I went back and looked at the Martex towels again at Costco.



It said:



"100% Egyptian Cotton. 100% Egyptian Cotton Loops"



So, I don't know if this means if the base is made of polyester as DFTowel suggests. Or if the first 100% cotton wording means the base is made of cotton and not polyester.



Anyone?? :nixweiss
Click to expand...



I would think it means all cotton everywhere.
 
jmsc said:
...What exactly is Micro Cotton?
Click to expand...



That is probably 100% cotton microfiber. The problem with cotton microfiber alone is that it breaks down eventually under heavy use, it's fine, hell it's magnificent, in the bath, but by itself it's not very good for detailing. I know, I tried using it and the towels shed like mad eventually. When I combined the cotton microfiber with other plant based microfiber it stabilized and the problem went away.
 
Well, out of curiosity more than anything else plus it was snowin' pretty hard here in NE, I went out to B&B and bot 1 micro cotton white hand wash cloth. A very thick towel. 2X the thickness of a Miracle or Elite towel. Very plush and soft. Very expensive. The label said the following:



Micro Cotton, 100% cotton, 100% ring spun combed cotton loops, Made in India, Flammable Fails US Dept Of Commerce. Should not be used near sources of ignition.



Brought it home and should have tried the burn test but instead tried a dry CD test. It failed miserably. Micro-Scratches on the CD. Will return it on THU. Paid $7 for it.



What gives here with these micro scratches on a CD? Very few towels pass a dry CD test.
 
Well no offense intended to Indians but I would never trust any label from anything from India! I can tell you horror stories (rocks and bugs in packages, hemp labeled as silk, poly/cotton labeled as all cotton, etc.)
 
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