There are several potential causes for towels losing their softness and feeling stiff and scratchy, and these include detergent residue, mineral buildup, and friction during the washing process. Towels are absorbent, which means they’re especially prone to collecting soap and fabric softener residue that doesn’t properly rinse out in the wash. This can accumulate over time, leading to reduced absorbency and a rough, scratchy texture.
To prevent this, it’s important to understand the right techniques for washing and maintaining your towels. While white vinegar is a popular product to use in laundry for stripping towels of any buildup, a cleaning enthusiast on the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook group shared how she had previously tried an alternative natural option recommended on the page and found it to work “fantastically”.
Not only does the product make the towels “soft and fluffy”, but it also “removes odours” that are lingering. The item in question is soda crystals.
Janice Fletcher wrote: “Thank you to the lady on here who posted about using soda crystals to do your washing! Today, I washed my hard towels with soda crystals (a quarter of a bag directly in the drum).
“Out came my towels. Oh my, it removed the odours and they came out soft and fluffy. They are out blowing on the line, too, which helps to make them smell amazing too. Fantastic tip, so thank you so much.”
Taking to the comments section, fellow group members shared their love of soda crystals. Vicky Pier said, “I use soda crystals every time I wash my work towels. I’m a massage therapist, so they get covered in oil. Soda crystals get rid of all the oil.”
Michelle Morris commented: “I use soda crystals every wash straight in the drum with my powder. My machine no longer smells, my clothes always pick up the softener smell rather than a musty smell, and the machine is sparkling – love soda crystals, especially in a really hard water area.”
Kitty Farrell wrote: “I swear by soda crystals for washing and to keep the machine clean at the same time.”
Naomi Hannigan said, “I have recently started using soda crystals along with my wash, and it’s incredible.”
Wash the towels at 60 degrees using soda crystals, and ensure they are shaken well before hanging them up to dry. This process helps loosen the fibres and restore their fluffiness.
After your towels have dried, they will return to their original softness, allowing you to enjoy comfortable towels that feel neither hard nor rough when used.
As an alternative, households can soak their stiff towels in a medium-strength solution of soda crystals and warm water. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly, then wash them as you normally would.
Express.co.uk previously put soda crystals to the test on stiff towels and found the towels felt softer instantly, even before drying.