Label towels for swim school, camps, and accommodations
The easiest way to label towels is to attach a self-adhesive name label to the care label sewn into the towel's edge, not to the terry fabric itself. The label withstands washing at 60 °C and tumble drying, which is the towel's usual wash cycle. If the towel has no care label, or is washed at 90 °C, an iron-on label or embroidery is a safer choice.
Here we explain where the label stays attached, what works at swimming lessons, camp, care homes, and at home, and when a name label is not the right solution.
Why towels go missing
Towels are difficult to keep separate. They are often white, gray, or blue, bought in multipacks, and look identical. That is why they end up in the wrong place precisely where many towels come together:
- At swimming lessons: ten children change on the same bench, and all the towels lie in a pile when the lesson ends.
- At camp and day camp: the whole group's towels hang on the same drying rack or line after swimming.
- At the care home: laundry goes through shared machines and must be sorted back to the correct room.
- At work and at home: someone borrows "your" towel because it was hanging closest.
There is also a hygiene reason to keep towels personal. The Public Health Agency of Sweden writes that pathogens causing impetigo and eye infections can survive in damp towels (Guidance on the supervision of hygiene and object-borne infection). A name on the towel makes it easy to use your own.
How to label towels so the name withstands washing
Nearly all store-bought towels have a sewn-in care label along the edge or by the hanging loop. That is where the name label should go. The terry loops are uneven, and the label's adhesive has no flat surface to adhere to, so never apply it directly to the fabric. Read more about where on the care label the name label is best placed.
- Start with a dry towel. Do not label a towel that is damp or has just come out of the washing machine. The care label must be clean and dry.
- Peel off the label and place it on the care label. Lay it flat, without letting it extend over the edge.
- Press firmly for approximately 10 seconds. Apply extra pressure to the corners; that is where a label starts to come loose.
- Wait one day before the first wash. The adhesive needs approximately 24 hours to cure. Therefore, label the towels the day before swimming lessons or packing, not the same morning.
After that, the label withstands washing machines up to 60 °C and tumble dryers. That is sufficient for most towels, since the Public Health Agency of Sweden states that towels should preferably be washed at a minimum of 60 °C. More about what the name labels can withstand.
Which type of labeling is suitable where?
There are several ways to label a towel. Choose based on how it is washed and whether it has a care label.
| Situation | What works | Things to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Swim school, swimming pool, gymnastics | Self-adhesive name label on the care label, large name label on the swim bag | Label the day before so the adhesive has time to cure |
| Camps and day camps | Self-adhesive name label on every towel and bath towel | Last name or phone number helps the supervisors |
| Residential care facility with washing at 60 °C | Self-adhesive name label with first and last name | Ask the facility which temperature applies |
| Residential care facility or workplace with industrial washing at 90 to 95 °C | Iron-on label or sewn-in label | Self-adhesive labels are designed for up to 60 °C |
| Towel without a care label | Iron-on label, sewn-in label, or embroidery | The label's adhesive needs the smooth surface of the care label |
| At home in the bathroom | Name sign or hook per person, different colors | The sign follows the hook, not the towel in the laundry |
A textile pen on a corner also works, but the writing fades after many washes and becomes difficult to read.
If you want to compare the methods in more detail, see this overview of iron-on and self-adhesive name labels. Lappu only sells self-adhesive labels.
Swim school: the towel and swim bag
At swim school, it is usually the towel and swim bag that get left behind in the changing room. Put a name label on the towel's care label and a large name label on the swim bag, so the name is visible even when the bag is standing in a row with others. Fold the towel so that the care label is on the outside; then the child and parent can immediately see whose it is.
Camps and day camps: all towels on the same line
At a camp, many towels are washed and dried together, and after a week it is difficult to know which belonged to whom. Label every towel and bath towel before packing. If siblings have the same type of towels, the family name or family initials work on the label, and a phone number fits on a second line. All labels in a set have the same text.
Residential care facilities: shared laundry
In many residential facilities, residents' towels and bed linen are washed together. Use first and last names and clear text that staff can read quickly, and attach the label to the care label just as you would on clothing. Mark bed linen in the same way. First ask whether the facility washes at 60 °C or in an industrial machine at 90 to 95 °C, as this determines which type of label will last. More about labeling in residential care facilities.
At home: hook, color, or name
At home, one hook per person or one color per family member is often enough. A sign on the hook helps only as long as the towel hangs there. When the towels go into the wash and are folded together with the rest, it is the name on the care label that shows whose they are, especially if everyone has identical towels.
Calculation example: how many labels are needed
A calculation example, not an average: a family of four has two towels and one bath sheet each. That makes 12 towels and 12 labels. A child going to camp for a week packs two towels and one bath sheet, so 3 more labels.
A set of regular name labels contains 124 labels and costs from SEK 139, about SEK 1.12 per label. The 15 labels in the example therefore cost around SEK 17, and the rest of the set is enough for clothes, shoes, and bottles. See also price per name label.
When the label is not the right choice
- Washing at 90 to 95 °C. If you boil white towels to make them white again, or the facility washes them in an industrial machine, the label cannot withstand it. Choose an iron-on or sewn-in label for those towels.
- No care label. Some towels and beach towels have no label, or someone may have cut it off. Do not apply the label to the terry fabric. Choose an iron-on label, sewn-in label, or embroidery.
- Washed too soon. If the towel is washed before the adhesive has cured for about 24 hours, the label may come off. Wait one day.
- Damp or dirty care label. Label a clean, dry towel and press firmly on the corners.
Rule of thumb: if the towel has a care label and is washed at no more than 60 °C, apply a self-adhesive name label to the care label. If the label is missing or the towel is washed at temperatures above 60 °C, an iron-on label is the safer choice.
Frequently asked questions
Do towels have to be washed at 60 degrees?
The Public Health Agency of Sweden states that towels should preferably be washed at a minimum of 60 °C to reduce the risk of spreading infection. A self-adhesive name label on the care label withstands washing at up to 60 °C and tumble drying.
How often should you change towels?
We have not found a set number of days from the Swedish authorities. The Public Health Agency of Sweden writes that infectious agents can survive in damp towels, so let the towel dry between uses, use your own, and change it more often if someone in the family is ill.
Where can I print my own towels?
Printing companies and embroidery shops can print or embroider names on towels, which works well as a gift. If you only want to label towels you already have, it is quicker and cheaper to use a name label on the care label.
Which bath sheets are easiest to label?
We have not tested bath sheets. For the label, the most important thing is that the bath sheet has a sewn-in care label and can be washed at 60 °C; the name label can then be applied to the care label.
Does the name label stay on in the dryer?
Yes, the label is dryer-safe. Wait about 24 hours after applying it before washing and drying the towel for the first time.