Thread: The Hot Towel

Lost in translation!! A 'flannel' over here is just a name for a small towel, about 8" square. It's known as 'a face flannel'. It's just a small towel, used as a face cloth. It could be used as a towel, but would be too small. It's not actually made of proper flannel.

Your research was very informative though!

Diolch!

Here's mine. 'Bar Mop Towels' inexpensive.

CHEFS Bar Mop Towels - Set of 6 : Target

I love a hot towel, as has been said though it's a luxury, and for me would require childless time, but towel I got for it was a lovely soft Egyptian cotton towel, which I dampened and microwaved. Be careful though as it can get hot as hell.

I also have one which when I'm doing hot towel I dampen and put in the freezer for an after shave pat down.

Geek

I have not used a hot towel for a while now though it does feel nice I went to wally world and bought some cheap hand towels then I would wet the towel stick it in the microwave for about 45 sec. to 1 min. Remove towel and put on my face. Biggest reason I have not done it in a while is I have been shaving right out of the shower so no need really. I still do it sometimes on a weekend if I feel like pampering myself. I have a hi power microwave so 45 to 1 min worked really well.

I'm curious about the temperatures used with the hot wet/moist towels. Any ideas of what the barber's used back in the day?

I see lots of microwave use and that sounds scary hot until perfected.

My tap water is measured and set to 140F. No children here so we go hotter than the recommended safer 120F.

150F is too hot to touch for me. At 140F I can barely hold it much less put it on my face. Usually by the time I get the towel folded in half just right the temp has dropped enough. I've gotten where I do a prop elbow and hang my face over sink and do a slightly dripping hot wet towel. Depending on my mood/time I will do this up to three times; dry face, oil/pre-shave, shave soap/cream and then lather up again and shave. I don't rinse between steps. I only shave once or twice a week so there is lots of beard to soften. Anything but a straight and it clogs.

I lay the towel on edge of sink with several folds for cushion for blade wiping.

120F water does not seem hot enough much of anything. Har!!

What works for you?

I never use the hot towel as a "preshave". I fold the towel, soak it by filling the folds with water(room temperature water, very important!) ,,,, lay the towel on the plate inside the micro,,, as I'm close to the finish of the shave, I press the 1 minute button. One minute at room temperature gives me a very hot towel to hold (if you soak in hot water first, the towel will be too hot to wring out at 1 minute), but I wring it out fast, as the heat dissipates quickly. This hot towel is wrapped around the face to provide 6 seconds of pure Heaven. Then the wet warm towel is used to clean the remaining lather from the face , providing a great base for the alum bar to be applied with cold water.

I use a hot towel about 50% of the time, I just use hot tap water (about 130), it does make a difference when I use one

Only on occasion. Say SWMBO decides she wants to go out that nite, and I've already had a shower (typically when I shave ).
Thats when I use a hot towel

When I want BBS I hot towel After my shower and for as long as can stand it, couple swizzles of the badger in Noxema then into the rum soap and you are 90% there, a well honed razor and I have gotten a perfect shave in basicly One pass, true story. Well worth it for me.

Barbers had a towel heater just for that purpose though many probably didn't use them. The hot towels were hot enough so they could hardly touch them with their hands. Don't forget your hands are way more sensitive to heat than your face.