If you’ve noticed that your towels are feeling a bit stiff and scratchy, there’s a simple solution to get them soft again – and it’s a kitchen cupboard staple.
Ever pulled your towels out of the tumble dryer only to find they’ve lost their softness and feel stiff and scratchy? There are several potential culprits, including detergent residue, limescale buildup, friction during the washing process and how you dry your towels.
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 build up over time, leading to reduced absorbency and a rough, scratchy texture.
To prevent this, it’s crucial to know how to strip them to keep them feeling soft and cosy for years to come. To do so, five cleaning experts have all claimed that one kitchen ingredient is a must: white vinegar.
CEO of Cleaning Express, Michael Bogoyavlenskiy, said that a “natural and effective way to get a towel soft again” is to use white vinegar. When washing your towels, put about 100ml of white vinegar in the fabric softener compartment of the washing machine (you can also use the rinse cycle compartment if your machine has one), reports the Express.
He explained that the vinegar helps to dissolve oil, detergent, and mineral build-ups, which can “contribute to crusty towels”.
If your towels are “really bad”, try a vinegar soak before washing. Fill up your bath with enough water to submerge your towels, and then add 150 to 200ml of white vinegar.
Leave them to soak for a few hours, drain the water, rinse quickly in the bath, and then wash on a normal cycle. Michael noted, “It’s worth noting with both of these options that your towels won’t smell like vinegar by the time they’re clean and dry.”
Danny Leung, a natural home routine advocate and founder of Detoorp, stated that white vinegar is “your most natural and simple solution”.
He suggested pouring half a cup of vinegar into the machine without any detergent so that the acidic liquid can effectively “cut through all that built-up residue and mineral deposits that are making your towels feel like sandpaper”.
After the vinegar wash, Danny advised running them through again on a hot cycle with half a cup of baking soda. This neutralises any leftover vinegar and helps restore the towels’ natural pH balance.
Scott Schrader, cleaning expert at Cottage Care, revealed that this two-step vinegar and baking soda wash is his “favourite natural method”.
He clarified that it’s the vinegar that “dissolves detergent residue and breaks down minerals” in the fibres during the first wash, and the second wash involving baking soda “deodorises, while also refreshing the fibres”.
Jared Sarbit, CEO at Picture Perfect Cleaning, asserted that white vinegar is “extremely effective” as it “resets the towels without leaving behind buildup”.
Jessica Gonzalez, cleaning expert and chief operating officer at Sparkly Maid San Antonio, expressed that vinegar is her “go-to natural way to bring back hard towels and de-stiffen them”.
She highlighted that towels should be washed with one cup of vinegar on a hot cycle – “the highest cycle you have on your machine”.
Although not necessary, baking soda can be used on a subsequent cycle to deodorise and further soften towels. It’s the vinegar that is the most crucial step to achieve soft and fluffy towels.
