File:An African Towel.jpg|A hand-made African towel File:Towel blue decorativepattern closeup.jpg|Close-up photo of a bath towel, made of
terrycloth, showing the absorbing fibres, along with a decorative pattern File:Toballola de platja.jpg|A beach towel File:Towel3.jpg|Fibres in a tea towel File:Fouta bohemeria.JPG|Tunisian fouta towel File:Gamucha.jpeg|
Gamcha a type of towel from India • A
bath towel is used for drying the body when it is wet, such as after bathing or showering. It is typically rectangular, with a typical size around , and is made of
terrycloth. • A
beach towel is usually somewhat larger than a bath towel, and often has a colorful pattern. Although often used for drying off after being in the water, its main purpose is to provide a surface on which to lay down. They are also worn for privacy while changing clothes in a public area, and for wiping sand from the body or objects. • A
bath sheet (or
sheet towel) is larger than a bath towel. The classic bath sheet size is 80×160 cm. A large bath sheet that can wrap the entire body is 100×150 cm or 90×160 cm. They are used after
bathing, in
saunas, on
beaches, and for
massage. • A
foot towel is a small, rectangular towel that, in the absence of a rug,
carpet or bathroom mat, is placed on the bathroom floor to stand on after finishing a
shower or bath. • A
hand towel is significantly smaller than a bath towel (perhaps ), and is used for drying the hands after washing them. • An
oven towel or ''confectioner's mitten'' is a multipurpose household towel used for a kitchen or shop applications. • A
paper towel is a piece of paper that can be used once as a towel and then be disposed of. A perforated roll of paper towels is usually mounted on a rod slightly longer than the width of the roll, or in an alternative type of hanger that has protrusions on ears, the protrusions fitting into the ends of the paper towel roll. Paper towels might also be packaged as
facial tissues are (as individual folded sheets). • A
disposable towel (or non-woven towel) is a towel intended for a single user, but not necessarily for a single use, as it can be reused but not washed. It is often made of non-woven fibres and often is used in hospitals, hotels, geriatric and salon or beauty settings, for their hygienic properties. • A
show towel is a bath or hand towel with a trim (such as satin, lace or linen) stitched onto it, or embroidery done on it—mostly for visual appeal. These types of towels are used to add a decorative touch, most commonly in the United States. They are generally not to be used for drying, as regular washing ruins the added trim, and the towels usually shrink differently than the trim. • A
sports towel is a synthetic or semi-synthetic towel originally developed for swimmers and divers, favoured for its super-absorbent qualities. Sports towels can be wrung out when saturated, leaving the towel able to absorb water again, though not dry. These qualities, along with their compact nature, have further popularized sports towels among general outdoor and athletic enthusiasts. The absorbent material in sports towels may be composed of
viscose,
PVA or
microfiber, with
polyester woven in for durability. Some manufacturers incorporate a
silver ion or compound treatment into their towels to better inhibit microbial growth and associated odors. • The term
kitchen towel refers to a
dish towel in American English (called a
tea towel in UK and Canadian English), and to a
paper towel in
British English. • A
tea towel or
tea cloth (UK and Canadian English), called
dishtowel or
dish towel in America, is an absorbent towel made from soft, lint-free linen. They are used in the kitchen to dry dishes,
cutlery, etc. after they are washed. The towels are also used during
tea time. They can be wrapped around the tea pot to keep the tea warm, prevent drips, and keep one's hand from being burned by the hot tea pot handle when serving the tea. They are commonly made of cotton rather than linen. They are also used for drying
glassware, but sometimes a special glass cloth is used for that purpose. Tea towels originated in 18th-century England. • A
tenugui is a variety of hand towel that originates from
Japan. It is most often used in the same way as a tea towel or
flannel (washcloth), but can also be used for decoration, as a
headband, or for wrapping bottles and other items to be given as gifts. • A
cloth towel dispenser or
continuous cloth towel is a towel manipulated by a series of rollers, used as an alternative to paper towels and
hand dryers in public
washrooms. These may have a lower environmental impact than paper towels, though concerns over hygiene mean they are not used by some organisations and have greatly declined in popularity. • A
bar towel is an absorbent, usually small, towel used in
bars and often given away free as
promotional items. • A
fingertip towel or
finger towel is a small towel that is folded and placed next to the sink or in the guest bedroom. Hosts often pin a note to these towels indicating that they are for guest use. • A
golf towel is a small towel which usually comes with a loop or clip to attach to a golf bag for drying hands, golfballs, and clubs. • A
baby towel is a smaller towel with an extra sewn-on hood at one corner to cover a baby's head. • A
peshtemal (or pestemal) is a unique multipurpose towel from
Anatolia. • A
poncho towel is a wearable towel made for drying off and changing, often used poolside, at the beach or after swimming. • A
fouta towel is a Tunisian hammam and beach towel, which is also used as a
pareo. ==In fiction==