How To Make Bath Towels Soft Again

Traditional fabric softeners available in the market are not only bad for your skin, but also leave your towels waxy and non-absorbent after some time. This makes the towels appear rough and coarse when used to wipe skin. Yet another common problem with towels is that the colors get dull with age. Also, they become less absorbent over time, being washed in hard water or with excessive detergent time and again. Now, the question arises - how to make bath towels soft and absorbent again. Given below are some tips that you help you do the same, for many years to come.

Making Old Bath Towels Softer & More Absorbent

While washing towels in a machine, ensure that you do not overfill it. Place two or three bath towels and two or three hand towels in the machine at a time, so that they are able to move freely. This will help remove body oil and leftover scum from the towels, making them soft.
Wash the bath towels in the hottest water recommended for the fabric. This will not only sanitize the material, but also help in keeping it soft. The hot water will dissolve the natural oil, bath oil and any impurities that clog the pores of the fabric.
While washing bath towels, it is necessary to use the extra rinse cycle in the washing machine. Most people avoid this to save water and energy. While rinsing the towels in the first cycle, add half cup of white vinegar to the water. The vinegar will soften the fabric naturally and remove any leftover detergent or oil within the fabric. Eventually, the last rinse will remove the vinegar smell.
Adding fabric softener to the rinse cycle or dryer is the biggest mistake that people make, while washing and drying bath towels. Fabric softeners are meant to soften the fabric. However, they can have opposite effect with towels, when added to the machine. They reduce the fibers of the material and decrease its absorbency and soft, cushiony feel.
Place clean tennis balls in the dryer to make the towels soft. The tennis balls will gently pound the material during the drying process, making it naturally soft and fluffy.

Other Tips

Always wash white towels separately. Do not bleach them, as it damages the fabric. Use lemon juice instead.
Old towels that have faded can be re-dyed, as long as the color is solid.
Do not place towels in an extremely humid environment for more than few days. In case the weather or the bathroom is humid, wash the towels at least once a week and dry them in the dryer every few days.

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