The feeling of a soft, brand-new towel is amazing, but after constant use and plenty of washes, it is normal for towels to lose that nice touch and instead become stiffer. This tends to happen because of the accumulated use of detergent and fabric softeners over time. However, there is a way to restore a towel to its original snuggly state, and thankfully, it’s not that hard. The first thing is to make sure you wash your towel properly.
When it comes to washing towels, the best way to do this is to separate them from the rest of your laundry. This is because when you wash them with other items, the lint from the other fabrics can build up over time, making your towels look a bit grey. Avoid overfilling your machine as well. You want to make sure that there is plenty of water around the towels so they can soak and wash properly. Reducing the detergent to around a quarter of your regular load and increasing the water temperature will soften the towel fibres.
Another tip to get your towels clean is to add baking soda to your normal detergent. All you need to do is mix half a cup of the product with the reduced amount of detergent the next time you pop a load into the machine.
What the baking soda does is get rid of the chance of mildew and musty smells that can thrive from towels being damp for too long. The towels might come out feeling more scratchy, but here’s where the special ingredient comes into play.
You may find that vinegar is used for nearly every other cleaning hack under the sun, but the truth is the natural ingredient is a gem when it comes to household tricks and is super cheap – you can grab it for as little as 35p in Tesco.
Now that your towels are much cleaner and the unpleasant smell has gone, thanks to the first wash with baking powder, you’ll want to set them up for a second wash.
This time, you won’t need to add any detergent; instead, you’ll want to add a cup of white vinegar to the fabric softener compartment. You should never use fabric softeners for towels, as they reduce the absorbency and make them feel quite the opposite of soft.
Vinegar and baking soda are the ultimate duo for keeping towels clean and soft after every wash.
