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Best method for heating towels?

I usually open the towel up and release a lot of the heat and shake much of the water out, so that it doesnt soak the bed which I lay on with the towel on my face/neck.

It is a fine line, getting a hot towel that doesnt burn the face.

Regarding towel progression I havent really tried anything different. I keep meaning to try putting tin foil over the towels and see how much longer the towel will retain heat for.

The shave my friend had at Taylors in London, said that the heat in the towel was only present for 30-40 seconds
 
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<It is a fine line, getting a hot towel that doesnt burn the face.>

Yeah. I guess that was my point, better stated. Like stropping a razor. It looks easy, but it is easier to nick the strop or burn one's face than one might think.
 
I went to a shop and they tried to sell me a home towel steamer for several hundred dollars. I came up with a far less expensive answer. I have in the past (and hope to in the near future) used a slow cooker. I put water (an inch or two) and a steamer basket in the thing, covered it, and set it on low for the night. Next morning I would wet a towel with hot tap water and then ring it out, turn off the cooker and put the towel on the steamer rack and the lid back on while I showered. I had a very hot towel waiting for me to shave with. I think the slow cooker set me back about ten bucks at the local mega-mart.
 
Had a good shave tonight using the good old towel again (3 hot towels in total)

For the last 3 months I have been using a flannel which worked well, but if time allows the towel method is preferred.

The main thing I realised is how much cleaner & smoother my face felt after the first towel when I was lathering with the shaving brush to begin my 1st pass. Perhaps it was due to the longer period of heat the towel provided, not really sure.
 
I use the hot water from my hot/cold bottled water dispenser to warm the towel. Warm towels are the most relaxing part of the morning ritual!

Kevin
 
Havent bought a terrytowel for shaving yet but I did just have a great hot towel shave.

The towel I used was (approx. 14 x 31 inches) heated in hot tap water twice throughout the shave, lather was wiped off, re-lathered then a pass with the blade.

Part of the success I believe was the towel size, its length made it easy to wrap around my neck, face & forehead. The only downside is that it wasnt very thick & doubled over it retained the heat for only a short time.

What size towels do you guys use?

klstclair - You have a link to the type of model you use?
 
Didnt use a hot towel this morning, but used a new method to me which worked well on the 1st try. Face/neck steaming.

1) I boiled the kettle, put the plug in the sink and poured the boiling water into it.

2) I lathered up some La Toja shaving cream on my face & neck and then put a large bath towel over my head and I leant over the hot water in the sink.

3) The towel acted as an enclosure for the steam and after a couple of minutes I could really feel my skin sweating.

4) I then removed the towel and began to shave.

I repeated all the steps above for the second pass, then applied aftershave balm.

It worked out really well, no irritation/razor burn to report.

I would urge you to take the time out to try this method and let us all know how you got on.
 
F

fashion-robe

I have a plain cotton towel and use it for steaming it does quiet the job rather nicely.i will try your idea too
 
A

alphamag

Thanks, but we have our own database to peruse.
 
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I was thinking one of these would be great. It's only 12h x 10.5L x 10d

That is a towel heater, right? I have heard good, even great, things about them, and they are not all that expensive, if I recall. They certainly maintain the right temperature for the towels. An important thing in my experience, where too hot is not such a good thing! And, if I recall, it maintains the towels at the perfect level of moisture.

How quick do they heat up though? And they do take up counter space. But arguably my method, which is to heat water in an electric hot water kettle and pour it over rolled up towels in a small Igloo type box "cooler," has both drawbacks/concerns as well, and does not have the precision of wetness or temperature this box has!

I think having a great hot towel treatment as a part of a shave is a major pleasure, as well as a help to a great non-irritating shave, that is overlooked by many and not consistently utilized. Having a number of hot towels ready to go right at hand, that do not have to be wrung out or waved around to cool down, has to be a big labor and time saver that makes getting that towel treatment so much easier!
 
Actually its a mini microwave. Its the perfect size for a couple of hot towels.

My bad. I have heard mixed things about microwaving towels. I think so long as one makes sure not to pick up or apply to the face something that has very hot spots among cooler spots, it should not be pretty efficient and pratical. Have not tried it myself though.
 
I sometimes have the wife waterboard me with a kettle full of boiling water.:w00t: don't try this at home kids!

We want You Tube video of that!

Seriously, though, kids, be careful out there. Learn from my experience. It is easy enough to get a towel hot enough to burn ya, and it is kind of hard to explain to the general public why your face is so darn red afterwards!
 
I thought most towel warmers were too expensive. I considered a vaporizer or popcorn popper as an alternate.
Then I decided to heat some water in the microwave or on the stove, pour it into a small thermos. Take Thermos into bathroom. Place towel in any convenient container and pour hot water over towel when you are ready to use it.
Rinse out towel, careful it may be hot. Place towel on face. You can repeat the process if necessary with more
water from the thermos.
 
Wow, an old thread returns. I have always wondered why hot towels do not come up more often around here. Since my 2010 posts above, we had to replace our hot water heater. I cannot seem to get it adjusted to be consistent, but not very hot, so these days water from my facet is plenty hot enough for towels. I still like using an electric kettle ($20 at Home Depot) and a small "fabric" cooler. I use hot towels all the time.
 
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