Commercial Laundry
Struggling with sticky, sour-smelling clinic towels? Learn how to effectively strip massage oil from your linen to keep it fresh and avoid dryer fire hazards.
Struggling with sticky, sour-smelling clinic towels? Learn how to effectively strip massage oil from your linen to keep it fresh and avoid dryer fire hazards.
# How to Get Massage Oil Out of Clinic Towels
If you run a massage clinic, physio practice or beauty salon, you already know that massage oils and heavy lotions are the enemy of fresh, fluffy towels. Over time, poorly washed towels become sticky, lose their absorbency, and develop a sour, rancid smell that no amount of fabric softener can mask.
The short answer: To get massage oil out of clinic towels, wash them in hot water (at least 60°C) using a heavy-duty commercial detergent and a degreasing booster. Do not overload the washing machine, as the water needs plenty of room to circulate and strip the oils from the fibres. Most importantly, never put towels in the tumble dryer if they still smell like oil, as the heat will bake the residue into the fabric and create a serious fire hazard.
Here is how to properly manage your clinic towels to keep them clean, safe, and pleasant for your clients.
Massage oils—especially heavy carrier oils like sweet almond, jojoba, or coconut oil—are hydrophobic, meaning they naturally repel water. Standard cold-water washes and mild residential detergents simply aren't strong enough to break down the lipid bonds in these oils.
When towels are washed in cool water or with weak detergent, a thin layer of oil is left behind. Over multiple uses and washes, this oil builds up. It traps dead skin cells and bacteria, which is what causes that stale, rancid smell when the towel is pulled out of the cupboard.
To completely strip the oil from your clinic linen, you need the right combination of heat, chemistry, and mechanical action.
Don't leave oil-soaked towels sitting in a laundry basket for days. The longer the oil sits, the deeper it sets into the cotton fibres. Aim to wash your clinic towels at the end of every day.
Cold water won't cut through grease. Check your towel's care label, but generally, heavily soiled clinic towels need a hot wash (60°C or higher) to melt the oils so the detergent can wash them away.
Standard supermarket detergents often struggle with commercial-level oil buildup. You need a high-quality, heavy-duty detergent. Adding a dedicated laundry degreaser or a booster (like washing soda) can help break down the heavy carrier oils.
Your washing machine cleans by agitating the fabric. If you cram the drum full of heavy, wet towels, there isn't enough friction or water flow to properly flush the oils out of the material. Fill the drum to about 70% capacity at most.
This is a critical safety issue for any clinic handling oily linen: towels that still contain oil residue can spontaneously combust in the tumble dryer.
If a towel hasn't been washed properly and goes into a hot dryer, the heat bakes the oil into the fabric. Even worse, if those warm, oil-laced towels are pulled out and folded into a pile while still hot, the heat is trapped. The oil can oxidise, generate its own heat, and catch fire—sometimes hours after the dryer has finished.
Always ensure towels smell completely clean and fresh before drying them. If they still have a stale oil scent after washing, they need to be washed again.
Washing clinic towels in-house can be incredibly time-consuming, and standard domestic washing machines often aren't up to the task of regular oil removal. If your staff are spending their downtime managing the laundry, or if your towels are starting to smell rancid despite your best efforts, it might be time to look at a professional wash, dry, fold service.
At Soak Laundry in Dee Why, we handle clinic and salon laundry across Sydney's Northern Beaches and the Lower North Shore. We have the commercial equipment, temperatures, and detergents required to properly strip oils and return your towels clean, soft, and ready for your next client.
Need help keeping on top of your clinic's linen? We offer a reliable pickup and delivery service for local businesses.
To get massage oil out of towels, wash them in hot water (at least 60°C) with a heavy-duty detergent and a degreasing booster. Avoid overloading the machine to allow adequate agitation, and never put towels in the dryer if they still smell like oil.
Yes, towels that still contain oil residue can spontaneously combust in the tumble dryer or when folded in a hot pile afterwards. The heat oxidises the oil, generating its own heat which can start a fire. Always ensure towels are completely oil-free before drying.
Advice from SOAK Laundry, Dee Why NSW. Book a laundry pickup or call 0460 120 120.