Few things feel better than stepping out of the shower and wrapping yourself in a soft, fluffy towel. But even if you buy the best, coziest towels, they can lose their softness over time, becoming stiff and rough, which results in a not-so-luxurious post-bathing experience.
Cotton towels feel the softest and perform as they should when the fibers can breathe. The buildup of residue from fabric softeners and dryer sheets, along with age and heat damage, can cause towels to become scratchy and less absorbent than when you first bought them.
There’s a hack, however, that makes even the dullest towels feel plush and brand-new again.
How To Get Your Towels Supersoft Again
Follow these simple steps to spruce up your towels in the washing machine.
Step 1: Load your washing machine with the towels that need refreshing. It doesn’t matter if they’re clean or dirty since softening is the ultimate goal. Avoid laundering the towels with other items or overloading your washing machine; the towels should have enough room to tumble freely during the cycle.
Step 2: Add laundry detergent as you normally would. Use the recommended amount, as adding too much can cause towels to stiffen. Never use a detergent containing bleach, as its reaction to vinegar produces dangerous chlorine gas.
Step 3: Add half a cup of baking soda directly into the rinse cycle. Baking soda helps to loosen fibers and remove grime, including old soap and mineral deposits.
Step 4: Instead of fabric softener, pour in half a cup of white vinegar. Vinegar naturally softens fabrics by removing residue buildup that makes towels feel rigid.
Step 5: Run the load with warm or hot water.
Step 6: When the cycle is complete, dry the towels on low to medium heat.
Other Tricks for Softening Your Towels
• Shake out wet towels before loading them into the dryer. This helps loosen the fibers while speeding up drying time.
• Throw in dryer balls or clean tennis balls to help fluff the towels during the drying cycle.
• Regularly clean your washing machine to remove detergent and fabric softener residue that can attach to the fabric and cause mold or mildew growth.
• If you live in a region with hard water, use liquid detergent instead of powder because the minerals can prevent the powder from dissolving and lower its effectiveness.
