An alarming number of hotels and spas have fallen victim to spontaneous combustion caused by towels; it’s a far more common problem than may owners realise.

What causes towel combustion? 

Self-combustion can occur when oils impregnate towels – something which is especially common in spas, where towels used in the treatment room can absorb massage and essential oils – and are not properly removed in the wash. If oil isn’t properly washed away during laundering, when the towels are put in the tumble dryer the residual oil can oxidise and produce heat. This heat can build up to a point where residues smoulder and eventually ignite. This can happen in tumble dryers, linen baskets and storage cupboards.

SmartKnit Towels

Preventing towel combustion

Spas are among the businesses most at risk of towel combustion due to the use of oils in treatments and the sheer number of towels they use each day.

“The key to keeping your stock safe from fire is to firstly always wash towels at a minimum of 40˚C, so the oil residue is more likely to be safely broken down,” explains BC SoftWear’s founder and CEO, Barbara Cooke.

"We also recommend using emulsifiers to ensure essential oil residues are completely removed. Spas should also always use the cooling cycle on the tumble dryer, ensuring the heat has been dissipated properly before stacking the laundered items to avoid a potential incident.” BC SoftWear specifically shows how to remove oils in washing instructions for all products sent to customers every time they place an order.

“It’s a problem we are also proactively trying to solve through the development of our Serenity waffle range,” adds Cooke. “The Serenity range naturally absorbs less oil due to the gaps created by the waffle pattern. Independent testing by the Laundry Technology Centre (LTC) of our SupremeSoft cotton blends towels also found our unique material absorbs up to 65% less oils than a 100% cotton terry towel.”

SmartKnit Towels

DO:

• Ensure wash temperatures are 40˚C or over
• Use suitable detergents and emulsifiers
• Allow laundry to completethe cooling cycle in the tumble dryer
• Provide employee training to highlight the issue of self-combustion
• Store used towels in a cool, dry place and avoid storing them in hot rooms with poor ventilation. 

DON'T:

• Leave towels in the tumble dryer overnight
• Place warm, damp laundry in baskets or in poorly ventilated areas
• Remove laundry from the tumble dryer before completing the cooling cycle
• Cool freshly laundered towels before stacking overnight