THE PRODUCT
What exactly is a shammy towel?
A shammy 'short for chamois' is a synthetic ultra-absorbent cloth that's been used in car washing and sports for years. It's made from PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) material, which means it holds up to 10x its own weight in water and dries almost instantly when wrung out. It's lighter and way more compact than a regular towel. Basically everything your regular towel isn't. You're welcome.
Why does it feel different from a regular towel?
Because it is different. A regular cotton towel is essentially a loop of fabric that pushes water around. A shammy actually absorbs it, pulls it in and holds it. The material feels smooth and almost rubbery when wet, which is normal. That's the PVA doing its job. It might feel unfamiliar at first but give it one use and you'll never go back to cotton.
Why does it come out hard and stiff when it dries?
This is the one question everyone asks and yes. it's completely normal. When a PVA shammy dries out fully, it goes stiff. Almost like a thin piece of cardboard. First time it happens, people think something went wrong. Nothing went wrong. That's just what PVA does when it loses all its moisture. It's actually a sign the material is working exactly as it should.
How do I make it soft again after it dries hard?
Simple. Get it wet. Run it under a tap, dip it in the sea, splash some water on it and within seconds it goes from stiff to soft and fully functional again. That's the whole point of it. Stiff when dry, soft and absorbent when wet. Think of the stiffness as it just waiting for you.
Does it actually absorb more than a regular towel?
Yes. By a lot. A PVA shammy holds up to 10x its own weight in water. A regular cotton towel holds roughly 1x its weight meaning it gets saturated quickly and then just smears water around rather than absorbing it. The shammy keeps pulling water in until you wring it out. Wring it, and it's ready to absorb again immediately. You could dry yourself multiple times in one session with the same towel. Try doing that with your old one.
How long does it last?
A long time. PVA shammy material is extremely durable, it won't fray, tear, or break down the way cotton does. With proper care, a shammy towel can last multiple summers. Shammy built this to last, not to be replaced every season.
Can I use it more than once in the same beach session?
That's literally one of the main things that makes it better than your regular towel. Rinse it when it's fully absorbed with water and its ready again within seconds. You can use it, wring it, and use it again as many times as you need throughout the day. Your friends are still fighting over the one soaked regular towel. You're on your fifth use of the same shammy.
Will it smell if I leave it wet?
If you leave any wet material sealed in a bag for days, it's going to develop an odor, that's just basic science, not a shammy problem. The key is to either wring it out fully after use and let it air dry, or rinse it with clean water before storing. If you treat it right, there's no smell issue. If you stuff it soaking wet into a sealed bag and forget about it for a week, that's on you, not Shammy.
You said: Now the next section please
THE DYE
Is the dye safe on my skin?
Yes. All dyes used on Shamz towels are skin-safe. The dyeing process is done with fabric dyes that are specifically designed to bond with the material, meaning the dye becomes part of the towel rather than sitting loose on the surface waiting to transfer onto everything it touches. You can use it directly on your skin without any concern.
Will the dye bleed onto my skin or clothes?
When the towel is brand new, there may be a very slight transfer of excess dye the first time or two "not often does that happen, but in very rare cases", this is completely normal with any hand-dyed product and is not unique to Shamz. To be safe, rinse your towel in cold water before using it for the first time. After the first wash, any excess dye will be gone and the color will be fully set. After that, no bleeding, no transfer, no surprises.
Will the colors fade over time?
Very gradually, over a long period of use and washing, yes, all dyed fabrics fade eventually. But we're talking about after extended use over multiple seasons, not after your first beach day.
CARE & MAINTENANCE
How do I wash it?
The scientific answer:
PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) chamois material has a semi-porous molecular structure that responds best to low-pH, surfactant-based cleaning agents in cold or lukewarm water (below 40°C). The material's polymer chains can degrade under prolonged exposure to alkaline detergents, bleaching agents, or high thermal conditions, all of which can compromise the hydrogen bonding responsible for the material's exceptional hydrophilic absorption properties. To preserve the dye integrity, which relies on ionic bonding between the chromophore molecules and the PVA substrate, exposure to oxidizing agents such as chlorine bleach should be avoided entirely. The optimal cleaning method involves gentle mechanical agitation in a mild non-ionic surfactant solution, followed by thorough rinsing to remove all detergent residue, which if left behind can form a hydrophobic film on the surface and reduce absorbency over time.
Shammy's answer:
Shower with it. Seriously. Take it into the shower, put some shower gel on it, wash it like it's part of your routine, rinse it out, wring it, done. Shammy does it every time. It's fine.
Can I put it in the washing machine?
Technically yes, but Shammy recommends against it as a regular habit. If you do use the washing machine, use a cold gentle cycle, put it in a mesh laundry bag to protect it, and use a mild detergent. No bleach. No fabric softener, fabric softener can coat the PVA material and actually reduce its absorbency over time. For day-to-day cleaning, a quick hand rinse is genuinely enough and it's much kinder to the towel and the dye.
How do I store it after the beach?
Wring it out as thoroughly as you can after your last use of the day. Then either hang it somewhere with airflow to dry out fully, or lay it flat. Once it's fully dry it'll go stiff, that's normal, and in that state it's actually very easy to store. It folds down flat and compact. Do not store it wet and sealed in a bag or a pouch for extended periods, that's how you get odor and potentially mildew. Let it breathe.
What do I do if it starts to smell?
Soak it in a solution of cold water and a small amount of white vinegar for about 30 minutes, this neutralizes any odor naturally without damaging the material or the dye. Rinse thoroughly afterward. If the smell is persistent, a gentle hand wash with mild soap should finish the job. Going forward, make sure you're wringing it out fully after use and letting it air dry properly. The smell is almost always a result of storing it damp, fix the storage habit and the smell stops being a problem.
Will washing it change the color?
The first wash may release a small amount of excess dye, this is normal with any hand-dyed product and is why Shammy recommends rinsing it in cold water before the first use. After that initial rinse, the color is set and washing it correctly, cold water, mild detergent, no bleach, will not change the color. Washing it aggressively with hot water and harsh chemicals will eventually affect the color. So don't do that. Treat it well and it stays looking like itself.
THE BRAND & DESIGN
Why are no two towels identical?
Because every single Shamz towel is hand tie-dyed individually. The folding, the tying, the dye concentration, the timing, the pressure, every variable shifts slightly from one towel to the next. There is no machine producing identical outputs. There is no factory line. It's hands, dye, and material, and the result is always slightly different. That's not a quality control issue, that's the whole point. You're not buying a mass-produced product. You're buying something that only exists once.
Who is Shammy?
Shammy was always the last one to get the towel. Smallest in the group, slowest out of the water, and by the time the towel reached him it was already completely soaked and useless. Every summer. Same story. One day he decided that was the towel's fault, not his. So he spent years figuring out how to build a better one, lighter, faster, more absorbent, and actually worth carrying. The result is Shamz. He shows up to the beach in an all-white outfit with paint-covered hands and a rolled towel on his wrist, and he has absolutely no interest in going back to cotton.
What does Shamz mean?
Shamz comes from the Arabic word for sun — شمس. It connects the brand to where it was born; Egypt, the North Coast, the Mediterranean sun. It also happens to sound like shammy, the towel that started everything. Two meanings, one name. Shammy didn't plan it that way. It just worked out.
What is the Golden Ticket?
10 random orders from the first drop contain a Golden Ticket, a physical card. What it's for hasn't been announced yet. What Shammy will say is that it has future significance, and the people who have one will understand why when the time comes. If you get one, keep it. One day, you'll need it.