Sure, you’ve probably seen it on some college movie; some sluggish slacker pops his towel in the microwave and boom, it’s dry, crisp, and ready to use.
This begs the question, Can you microwave towels? The short answer is, in fact, YES.
There are some considerations you should take, and not every towel will fit the bill, but it is possible to microwave a towel and have it ready to use in no time. So how does one go about doing this?
Why Microwave Towels?
Probably, a question that many people have is why they would put a towel in the microwave, what benefit is there?
There are several reasons to do this. A microwaved towel is an excellent way to open one’s pores when looking to maintain healthy facial skin.
Another reason to put your towel in the microwave is that it can be an effective pain reliever when suffering from muscle aches or to help unwind after a long, arduous day.
The How
Before putting the towel in the microwave, make sure that it does not have any metal tags, lining, or similar material. Failure to do this may result in the microwave malfunctioning and, at worst, something of an explosion in the kitchen! After ensuring that the towel has no metallic materials, follow these steps;
1. Pick your choice of Oils (Optional)
If you would like to make the towel smell nice and have a relaxing or soothing effect, you can put a few drops of essential oils on your towel.
Unravel the towel in question and add some essential oils of your choice. This is especially effective when looking to relax or relieve muscle pain.
Using scented oils such as lavender, eucalyptus or sandalwood only add to the therapeutic process.
Add a few drops to the towel surface, taking note of the part of the towel that will dab or rub the body part in question. This aromatherapy can also be used to alleviate the symptoms of colds and the flu.
In this case, one can use vapor rub, which has the additional quality of opening sinuses, over and above, relaxing one’s muscles.
2. Run Towel Under Water
When microwaving towels, a dry texture can be abrasive and uncomfortable. To prevent this, one has to dampen the towel by running it under some cool tap water.
This also helps with relaxing muscle tissue as steam from the heated towel permeates the skin and loosens taut muscles.
In doing so, it is important to make sure that the towel is thoroughly soaked and then proceed to wring it till it stops dripping, but is still damp.
3. Microwaving The Towel
After the first two steps, you are ready to nuke your towel. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl. A Pyrex dish will do the job just fine.
Place the bowl in the microwave and nuke for about 30 seconds. This time will depend on the individual microwave and how hot you want your towel. Given that placing overly hot items on the skin may result in burns and/or blisters, make sure to test the towel temperature with the back of your hand. You do not want the towel to be too hot to touch.
4. Apply and enjoy
Finally, apply the towel to a specific area, face, chin, calf, etc. If the towel cools off before achieving the desired results, you may repeat the process and have a steaming and relaxing towel in no time.
So whether it’s to win a bet with your friends or relieving body pain, the answer to the question, Can You Microwave Towels? It is a resounding YES!!
Sources
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/03/12/how-to-create-a-barbershop-hot-towel-at-home/
