Microfiber Towel / Surfing Towels: Happy Faced Hacks for Maximum Usage

Use White Vinegar Instead of Fabric Softener

Yeah. For realz.

Your parents’ suspiciously old-fashioned laundry techniques were right about this one: do not use fabric softener on a microfiber surf towel.

Fabric softeners can leave oils and residue on the fibers, reducing absorbency. That means you may eventually find yourself trying to dry off with something that feels damp, smells strange and has developed the emotional energy of a used kitchen sponge.

Use mild detergent. An occasional small amount of white vinegar in the rinse cycle can help remove buildup. Never mix vinegar with bleach, unless creating poisonous gas is part of your laundry routine.

For the full responsible-adult version, read the Happy Faced towel care guide .

Never Store It While It’s Still Wet

Ever found a stray banana or forgotten sandwich at the bottom of a backpack?

It stops looking like food and starts looking like a Dr. Seuss character with unresolved personal problems.

A wet towel left inside a surf bag or vehicle follows a similar career path. Mold, mildew and funky smells do not care how premium, lightweight or artist-designed the towel was when you bought it.

Take it out of the car, shake off the sand and hang it somewhere with airflow. The boot of your vehicle is not storage. It is a warm, carpeted petri dish.

The Perfect Surf Towel Takes Time

New blankets, pillowcases, towels and ponchos all have one thing in common: they need a minute to stop acting new.

Your Happy Faced towel may change slightly in feel after its first few uses and washes as the fabric settles in.

So do not hold a memorial service after the first session because it does not feel exactly like the towel you have been abusing for three years.

Wash it, surf with it and let the relationship develop naturally. Most lasting friendships are not built in one parking lot.

Whip It Good

Sand is great at sticking to things. Feet. Wax. Car upholstery. Children who were nowhere near the water.

One of the more useful things about Happy Faced surf towels is that the smooth microfiber surface does not give dry sand the same deep loops to hide inside as thick cotton terry.

There may still be stubborn grains clinging on for dear life after a long session. Let the towel dry, hold it by the ends and shake it firmly.

A little whipping is acceptable. Repeatedly snapping it like you are back in the school gym changing room may wear the fabric and confirm that middle school never truly leaves us.

For more questionable science, read how sand-resistant towels actually work .

Roll, Don’t Fold

The roll-versus-fold debate has divided households, travelers and people with highly specific opinions about linen closets for generations.

For surf trips, rolling wins.

A rolled microfiber towel fits more easily beside wetsuits, booties, fins, sunscreen, wax and the seventeen unrelated objects already living in your surf bag.

It is also faster to pack when heading off on a strike mission, road trip or overly ambitious flight to Bali.

Rolling only works for a dry towel. Rolling a wet one tightly and forgetting about it turns your compact travel setup into a moisture burrito.

Use It as a Portable Changing Room

A surf towel’s greatest trick may not be drying water. It may be preventing your wetsuit change from becoming local entertainment.

Make It Do More Than Dry You

Your towel came all the way to the beach. Make it earn the ride.

Air Dry Is the Way to Go

Love returning from the surf to a fresh, dry towel? Of course you do. This is not a controversial opinion.

Hang it over a beach chair, railing, branch or anything else that allows air to move around the fabric. Side mirrors work in a pinch, provided you remember the towel is there before driving away.

Sunlight is fine in reasonable amounts, but airflow does most of the work. It also helps protect the towel’s artist-designed artwork from unnecessary high-heat abuse.

Alternate Towels When the Weather Is Trash

Are you the surfer with two wetsuits, multiple boards and a highly specific pair of booties for every possible water temperature?

You may be emotionally prepared for a second towel.

Two are not essential because microfiber dries quickly. But during winter, back-to-back sessions or long stretches without sun or airflow, rotating towels means one can dry fully while the other remains ready.

This is less a sales tactic than a contingency plan for people who willingly enter cold water before breakfast.