The worst part of bathing a dog is not the bath. It is the ten minutes afterwards, when a soaked animal makes straight for the nearest carpet. Getting the bulk of the water off before the dog escapes the bathroom is what decides how the rest of the evening goes, and microfibre does that better than the old bath towel you have been using, because it pulls water in rather than spreading it about.

Microfibre works through the sheer number of fine fibres and the capillary space between them, so it takes on far more water than cotton of the same size and gives it back when you wring it out. That means one towel can do a whole dog rather than three. It comes in two sizes and four colours, carries a paw print, and goes in the machine with the rest of the washing. Wring, shake, carry on.

• Two sizes: 35 x 75cm and 50 x 100cm
• Grey, dark brown, blue and rose red
• Microfibre with a paw-print design
• Wringable and reusable within one drying session
• Machine washable
• Suitable for dogs and cats

On sizing. The 35 x 75cm is a hand-towel footprint, right for a cat, a puppy or a terrier and not enough for anything bigger. For a spaniel upwards take the 50 x 100cm, and for a retriever or a doodle expect to want two. Skip the fabric conditioner when you wash it, because it coats the fibres and kills the absorbency.

Who it's for: Anyone who bathes their own pet, or who comes home from muddy winter walks more often than they would like.