Lovely black bath towels.......grrhhhh h!

Okay - after a quick 'Google' search I can tell you this is a common problem. Here's what worked for some people:
If you drench your towels in white wine the acidity in the wine will eat away at the lose fibres and stop them shedding.
Wash them at 60 degrees but add a half cup (125ml) of baking soda into the wash dissolved in water. This should eliminate the lint and stop them moulting.
Many towels, including and (oddly) especially super high-quality ones, need between 6 and 10 washings before they're fully de-linted.
feel absolutely free to call up the manufacturer to ask if there are any particular products or techniques that they recommend for a better result. You might find that the problem you're having is one that's common to the product, and that there's a solution or solutions they can suggest, or you might learn that you've got a lemon on your hands and that they're willing to send you a replacement

Thank you grannyactivist, will start trying your suggestions-white wine will need to be when DH out or he'll think I've lost the plot, and will look in back of cupboard for baking soda..... And they were expensive ones too!

Very strange loopylou after all the washing you have done,I have black towels from M&S plain black I use them with lime green towels and they had lost any fluff after about the 2/3rd wash I just don't know what to suggest as you seem to have covered most things.

loopylou I'd suggest white wine vinegar as it's going to be much cheaper and you won't be tempted to suck it off!

Wish I'd gone to M&S now, rather than JL......

If all else fails, go back to JL, as the retailer has the responsibility to ensure that products are 'fit for purpose', which these towels are not - at least at this moment they aren't.

Sorry I have no advice but wanted to say I love the thought of lime green and black together. You obviously live up to your name glamma

loopylou I agree with anno they are very good when it comes to CS,they would probably swap for another brand of same quality,i would tend to leave until after xmas if you can though as the shops are so busy and you need quite a few minutes to explain the problem don't you. Best of luck.

Thank you for all your advice, fingers crossed for success one way or another!

I agree with anno. Take them back and explain you have followed the correct procedure to de-fluff new towels (something you have known to do for years I'm sure), however, with these particular towels nothing is rectifying the problem. Get your refund. And go to M & S. Good luck.

There are some fabulous quality black towels in Dunelm, with matching bathrobes - much cheaper and they wash really well. Gave my son a set a few months ago and they've presented no problems. I checked out Harrods, John Lewis and Debenham's and these were just as nice.

We have red towels in our downstairs(DBH's) bathroom. (black grey and pale cream with red touches in case you are wondering!) They are years old and still shed, not that you would know when you use them as they are lovely and thick and fluffy. We have another set that is fine. But after this particular set, when DBH has had a shower the bathroom is covered in a fine haze of red.

It's so frustrating, the bathroom's literally covered in a layer of fluff that infuriatingly drifts when you try to mop or vacuum it up, it gets everywhere . Any wet body ends up with a fluffy coating...........

Our bathroom always looks rusty!

I bought a set of white with a bit of black trim for me and black with white trim for DH and he complained so much about the fluff that I got rid of his black towels. (They were a good make.)

We have some good wine red ones and they still shed after a year or two of use -still lovely and thick though.

We've had this problem, too, and it drives me potty. I don't think I'll be trying the 'drench them in white wine' tip as it sounds a bit wasteful

The baking soda idea is more practical, I think!

I have put our shedding towels to one side for emergencies only, but I'll give them one more chance now.

Even offered them to golden retriever's mum next door for doggy towel but politely declined when told her why!

I have given up trying to get stains out of anything. I reckon my chances of success are about 1 in 8. Life is too short.

Wilko Universal Stain Remover has revitalised my older towels,they had some marks on thanks to DS5 he used them to wipe his football boots but a good spray and they has come back to life again,I am going to use them for when Poppy comes in after her walks through the puddles that gather outside our front gate.
I also cut up some hand towels and trimmed them with matching lace to make little personal hand towels if people stayed over,but they are not used much now.