Save Water, Keep Comfort Where it Matters Most: Gradient^™ Bath Towels

It’s 2021 and consumers are focusing on sustainable, environmentally friendly experiences more than ever before. Nearly 35% of consumers are willing to pay more (up to 5%!) for eco-conscious products and their shopping behavior proves it. Consumers are leaning toward green products and are being more mindful about the amount of water they use. Recent findings in 2020 indicate that 70% of consumers said they think it is important for a brand to be sustainable. It’s no wonder 2021 is expected to be a year of change.

Hotels’ Environmental Practices are Changing

With this overall consumer shift in mind, hotels have been implementing new initiatives to keep up with the trends while maintaining the customer experience. A great example of this is through water conservation initiatives. The amount of water used to wash sheeting and terry adds up.

In most hotels, water accounts for 10% of a utility bill. Many hotels are implementing a strategic water conservation initiative by asking guests to reuse their towels, eliminating the need to replace them every day and thereby conserving water.

Best of Both Worlds: Gradient™ Bath Towels

We wanted to help hoteliers maximize their products’ performance while also minimizing environmental impact. How did we approach this? By creating the best of both worlds. While our Gradient^® towels may look like a typical towel to the untrained eye, they are anything but traditional.

Gradient^® terry is strategically designed with the highest amount of pile in the center of the towel, which gradually thins toward each end (reminder: piles are the little loops on towels). We call this centralized area of the towel the Comfort Experience Zone^TM – which provides an exceptional guest experience.

Gradient towels offer the plushness of a heavier towel, but with less weight

Why Gradient™ Terry is a Sustainable Choice for Hotels

The Comfort Experience Zone^® was created with hotels and their guests in mind. Our expert researchers in the CORE laboratory brainstormed ways to decrease the overall weight in a towel without sacrificing its performance. Think about your own experience with towels. What area do you use the most to dry off? Most guests answer with the middle of the towel. So that is where we focused the pile.

Gradient™ is available in different weights. For reference, the 15 lb. Gradient™ towel feels like a 17 lb. towel in the center, where that comfort is needed most, and decreases gradually toward the ends. By eliminating the unnecessary weight at the ends of the towel, we were able to reduce the overall weight without forgoing absorbency and comfort.

A common concern with heavier towels is that they increase water usage and therefore, increase laundry costs. Luckily, that is not the case with Gradient™ towels. Because of our manufacturing process, the 17 lb towel feels and performs like a 20 lb towel. In addition to your property’s sustainability goals, laundry costs are also reduced.

Read more about the savings you can achieve with the Comfort Experience Zone^TM

Centium Core Technology^® Helps Towels Stay In Service Longer

It is also important to note that Gradient™ towels are made with our patented Centium Core Technology^® (CCT) . This is a special, proprietary type of weaving where 100% cotton yarn surrounds our Centium synthetic microfilament bundles. Because the cotton is on the outside and synthetic yarn is used on the inside, CCT increases durability and longevity, all while providing that soft cotton touch. Using this microfilament technology means you’ll get more life out of the product, avoiding the landfill and frequent replacement costs. Gradient™ also comes Room Ready For You^® Laundered With Tide^® – meaning the product comes pre-laundered, saving you the cost (and water) of the first wash. These two features combined allow hoteliers to have more control over sustainability at their property.

Maximum Impact with Less Weight

Changing trends don’t have to be scary and they definitely don’t have to increase your spending. With sustainability becoming a necessity, it is important for hoteliers to consider the best initiatives for their brand and budget. Standard Textile is available for any additional questions you may have about the Gradient™ towel and how the resources it can help you conserve.