We All Want Them but How Do You Get Them?
Have you ever thought about it? The life of a towel is a hard life. Getting wet, friction, drying out then doing it all over again. Moreover, the water may be hard and washing your towels in hard water is more likely to leave a residue.
The result will be that a towel that lives a life as hard as
that is sure to not be as soft and fluffy as it once was. How can we maintain
that wonderful soft and fluffy feeling that we all desire in a towel?
Here are some tips!
Cut Back on Detergent
Towels can become stiff and lose their softness because they
start to build up soapy residue. Use less detergent and your machine’s rinse
cycle will have an easier time rinsing out the soap. This may be all that you
need to do to restore that soft and fluffy feel to your towels.
Wash in Warm Water
Warmer water – 90 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (32 to 44
Celsius) works best for cleaning towels and will result in less detergent buildup
on your towels. Also, for better results let the detergent dissolve in the
washer before adding towels – just start the wash cycle, add soap, and wait a
minute or two before adding your towels.
Do Not Use Fabric Softeners
Replace fabric softeners with vinegar. Fabric softeners
contain silicon that will make towels water repellent. The fabric softeners are
designed to cling to the fabrics and over time build up a residue. Therefore,
over time towels will not be washed as well.
Soften your towels by using one cup of white vinegar. The
vinegar will remove the residue that makes towels feel rough. This method will
also bring back the softness and restore them to full absorbency.
If you use bleach, be careful. Mixing vinegar and bleach will create fumes that you will not want to breathe.
Simply run the towels through a regular washing cycle, then
redo them using vinegar instead of soap. Use 1 cup per load.
Use Baking Soda
This will help loosen up fibers and clean off any chemicals
or soap residue. This will make your towels softer. Just mix half a cup of
baking soda with your normal amount of detergent.
There is another nice bonus. Baking soda naturally
eliminates musty odors that may have built up. If your towels were put in the
hamper a bit damp or left on the bathroom floor for a while then baking soda
will give them a nice, clean, and fresh smell.
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the laundry when you add your
regular liquid detergent. Baking soda helps whiten whites, brighten brights,
and ensure odor-free clothing.
If your towels are significantly coated with residue then you
may need to repeat the vinegar and baking soda steps one more time. To keep
your towels fresh, give your towels this treatment whenever they start to feel
crunchy.
Lighten Your Wash Load
Don’t put too many towels in your washer at once. Too big a
load will it strain the machine mechanically. Moreover, a large load makes it
harder to rinse out all the cleaning agents. To have soft, fluffy, and clean-smelling
towels it is vital that they be rinsed well.
The same goes for your dryer; if you overload it, there
won’t be enough air in the dryer to properly fluff the fabric. So, you’ll get
stiff, matted towels, instead of soft, fluffy ones. For most standard machines,
try two or three bath towels at a time, along with hand towels and washcloths.
Use A Dryer Ball (or three!)
The towels, when damp, will stick together in the dryer.
This slows down the drying process. When you add dryer balls into your clothes
dryer the balls will get in-between the towels. The balls help to separate the
towels and allow more air to circulate between the towels. This improves dryer
efficiency and helps to fluff up the towels.
You can also consider tumbling the towels for a few extra
minutes on a low heat setting once the towels are fully dry.
We hope that you will now be able to enjoy soft and fluffy
towels. We believe that these tips will help you to keep your towels plush and
fluffy for their entire lives. Towels have a tough life and we can help them to
be at their best with a little bit of extra care.
Give us a call at 802-295-6065 if you live in the Upper
Valley and need extra support with your home cleaning. We have been providing
homeowners of the Upper Valley with top-notch home cleaning services since
1993.