Laundry Day: Towels and Rugs

Watching Martha Stewart late last week discussing drying racks (a lovely moment, by the way) reminded me that I needed to wash household linens. Some people find laundry day a chore, but it combines two of my favorite attributes: it's relaxing while it gets something done. I have a lot of linens and so I do them in shifts, often taking a day off from work just for this task. Today I did towels and bathroom rugs; this weekend I'll do tablecloths, placemats, napkins and kitchen towels.

On towel and rug day, I check everything as I fold it to be sure nothing has gotten too frayed, lost its absorbency, or lost its color. One trick for the latter is to use color-safe detergent and avoid bleach, even the oxygenated kind. To extend the life of towels, avoid using fabric softener on them; this fluid contains silicone, which coats the loops of the fabric. One additive that is essential for towels is a capful -- you don't need more than that -- of a fabric-safe disinfectant.

Towels expect to work hard and in response they deserve to be taken care of -- including that, eventually, they should be allowed to retire. I have found that, if I care for my towels, they last about five years, and so I replace them in shifts, usually by taking advantage of January white sales.

Inspired by the spicy colors of the bathroom linens -- soft sand, juicy papaya, rich russet, and sexy paprika -- I am making a Basque dinner: chicken with garlic and sweet smoked paprika, fried potato wedges with aioli, and a quick, simple arugula salad.`