Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Change your washing habits
• Method 2 of 2: Using unusual solutions
• Tips

It's a big disappointment for anyone who spends money on a set of beautiful towels: after repeated use, they end up being just as rough and stiff as the rest of the towels in the bathroom. While it can be tricky to get towels back to their original softness, several tricks make it easy to soften even the most worn-out towels. Best of all, these tricks are simple - all you need is your regular laundry supplies (plus a few common household ingredients if you want to try some unusual solutions).

To step

Method 1 of 2: Change your washing habits

1. Use less detergent. There are several reasons why a soft towel can become stiff. However, one of the best known reasons is using too much detergent. Over time, the chemicals in detergents can build up in the fibers of the towel, making them stiffer and less absorbent. To prevent this, use a little less detergent than recommended for each wash. This makes it easier for your washing machine to wash away the soap residue with each rinse cycle.
   • Don't be afraid to cut back on your laundry detergent. Chances are, you won't be left with dirty clothes - studies have shown that most people use more detergent than is necessary to get their clothes clean. An additional advantage of using less detergent is that you also save money!
2. Give your towels the "room to breathe" in the washing machine. If you want fluffy towels, don't give in to the temptation to wash all your laundry at once.To get the best results, you should leave enough space in the washing machine so that they can be rinsed and shaken well. This means:
   • Place medium and manageable quantities in the washing machine. Your machine should be about half way loosely filled with clothes. This applies to both your dryer and your washing machine.
   • Wash your towels alone (no other clothes in the drum). In addition to the washing machine being full, clothes with things like zippers and buttons can wear down the fabric of the towels.
3. Wash with warm water and rinse with cold. If you can set different wash and rinse temperatures on your washing machine, use a warm wash followed by a cold rinse cycle. Many resources online recommend this. Hot water loosens the towel's fibers and helps remove dirt and soap residue that can cause stiffness. Cold rinse water causes the towel's fibers to contract, making them less likely to "clump" together.
   • Before washing, check the care label for colored towels. Most white towels can be washed safely on a hot wash cycle, but colored fabrics can fade from hot water.
4. Reduce the time in the tumble dryer. Tumble dryers have both advantages and disadvantages. While they make towels softer in the short term, repeated tumble drying can wear down the fabric, making towels less soft in the long run. Fortunately, there are several ways to avoid this problem:
   • Use a gentler setting in your dryer - lower temperatures and slower speeds.
   • Alternate between line drying and tumble drying.
   • Line dry the towels and then "freshen up" with a short cycle in the tumble dryer.
5. Put the towels in the washing machine after the detergent has dissolved. Some resources online emphasize the importance of knowing when you have to wash the towels and not alone how you should wash them. If you have a top loading washing machine, put a small amount of detergent in it, let the drum fill with water and do only then your towels. By not letting the detergent and towels come into direct contact with each other, the amount of soapy build-up is reduced and the towels remain soft.
6. Fold and hang the towels for maximum softness. Remember, the washing process doesn't stop when the towels come out of the dryer. The way you fold and store the towels can also affect their texture. Try the tricks below to keep your towels soft.
   • Fold the towels loosely to avoid stiff creases in the fabric. Or roll up the towels loosely. A good way of folding is as follows:

     Hold the towel lengthwise (so that the short side is facing the floor). Fold the towel in half to make a long and thin strip.

     Fold the towel loosely in thirds. Fold one edge to the center, then fold the other edge over the top and align the edges to form a neat bundle.

     Fold the bundle in half one more time and store the towel.

   • Store the folded towels side by side (like books) instead of in piles. This will prevent the bottom towels from being squashed by the top one.
   • When hanging the towels on a rack, don't hang multiple towels on top of each other - this can also make the bottom towel stiffer.

Method 2 of 2: Using unusual solutions

1. Use balls in the dryer. If you have towels that are already a bit stiff, you can soften them by throwing one or two dryer-safe balls in the dryer with them. Repeatedly bouncing up and down the ball passing the towels will gradually "work out" any stiff spots, resulting in softer towels. Dryer balls can be found online or at many major department stores and for a reasonable price - usually no more than about $ 5 a ball.
   • You can save money by throwing a few tennis balls in the dryer with your towels. These generally work just as well.
2. Add vinegar to the washing program. Plain white vinegar can help you get softer towels. If you want to do this, add about 100ml during the first rinse cycle (use more for full loads and less for small loads). This will help pull the soapy chemical build-up and hard water deposits from the fibers of the towel. After just a few washes, your towels should be softer.
   • Only use white vinegar for this task. Other types of vinegar, such as apple cider vinegar and especially balsamic vinegar, can stain your laundry.
3. Baking soda. Another great additive for making your towels soft and fluffy is baking soda. Like vinegar, it pulls dirt and chemicals from the towel's fibers. In addition, baking soda also helps remove the odor from older towels. However, keep in mind that baking soda can fade bright colors.
   • Many sources online do not recommend using baking soda and vinegar at the same time. These chemicals react with each other and neutralize each other (just like in the famous "papier-mâché volcano" science fair project).
4. Use borax powder or water softening tablets. "Hard water" is water that contains a large amount of dissolved minerals. When hard water is used for laundry, these minerals can build up and lead to stiffer fibers in the fabric of your towel. However, some "water softening" products can reverse this effect. Borax powder (sodium borate), for example, is a safe and inexpensive detergent additive that reduces the mineral content in hard water and gives you softer towels.
   • You can get borax powder cheaply online and in the "laundry department" of most major department stores - rarely more than $ 5 for a small box.
5. Physically remove hard water from towels before drying. Don't have borax powder on hand? Try to remove the hard water from your towels yourself. Gently squeeze the water from your towels over the sink or go outside and wave the towels to shake out any excess. The less hard water there is in the towels when they go in the dryer, the less mineral build-up you will experience.
6. Reduce your reliance on fabric softeners and dryer sheets. While using fabric softening products makes sense, many sources actually recommend using them not for towels. You'll get a soft and fluffy result in the short term, but the chemicals in these products can build up over time in the tightly woven fabrics of most towels (like many detergents). This makes the towels stiffer and less soft over time. This problem is exacerbated by overloading in the washing machine and using too much detergent.

Tips

• Keep in mind that all of the suggestions above generally work best with quality towels. Cheap towels can get stiff over time no matter what grooming techniques you use.
• Materials such as Egyptian cotton and bamboo are among the softest and fluffiest fabrics.