Abstract
This study examined 12 types of towels with differing fabric material, function, quality, printing, pile length, twist, etc. from a towel company which manufactures and distributes products domestically. After 3 months of use by consumers, a consumer satisfaction survey was administered and results analyzed. Four types of towels were assigned to each group and the towels were used every day for 3 months. Participant feelings after using the towel for the first time and after using it for three months were investigated. The questionnaire consisted of 26 questions on a 5-point Licket-type scale. The first 13 questions measured perceptions of absorption, touch, fine fiber loss, contamination, deformation, drying speed, and design. Other questions compared differences between the two towel types in terms of their material, function, quality, printing, pile length, and degree of twisting. Results showed that, with regards to weight, consumers preferred towels between 130~150g and a thickness of around 1.7~1.8mm. The bamboo towel was considered superior to the cotton towel in terms of sense of touch and did not happen linter after washing. The antibacterial towel was considered better than the cotton towel in terms of absorption but in terms of contamination, participants felt the antibacterial towel became dirty more easily than the cotton towel. We thought that it might be influence of the color of towel. Low-quality towels became stiffer and misshapen more easily than higher-quality towels. But the study showed that the consumers did not perceive significant differences in the towels' quality. Printed towels became thinner and their color changed more with washing. The consumers preferred the design of jacquard towels to printed towels. Towels with short piles was happened more linter than the towel with long pile after washing. Non-twisted towel were better than the highly-twisted towel in terms of sense of touch and absorption but the non-twisted towel happened more linter after washing and became dirty more easily.