04 March 2024 , 13:46
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There’s nothing worse than stepping out of the shower into a dry, scratchy towel, but cleaning experts have warned that your washing machine routine could be to blame.
In most cases, towels become stiff due to a build up of soap and detergent which can attach to the fibres causing them to become much less absorbent. With the spring refresh just around the corner, household guru Nancy Emery has shared her top tips for long-lasting softness.
The expert, from Only Radiators, said: "I’m sure we can all relate to the struggles of buying a luxurious new towel, only to have the softness deplete with each new wash. There's also that damp smell that forms if towels aren’t hung up to dry after use or thrown into the laundry basket wet causing mildew to form. This sour smell can linger, coming back after each use even after a wash."
Nancy added: "This can all be fixed by washing them correctly. While many of us grab for the fabric softener and a hot wash to restore our towels, this process is actually going to be counterproductive." She then walked through the "most effective" technique for securing scratch-free towels every time.
How to achieve scratch-free towels
The first step requires washing them on a cool wash with just half a cup of white vinegar and nothing else. Nancy explained: "This helps to eliminate the stink. You only need the cycle to run for about 90-minutes so pick an eco-wash or equivalent on your machine."
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Then, wash them again straight away but this time use detergent and then a further half cup of vinegar for your rinse instead of fabric softener. Once the cycle has finished, pop them in the dryer immediately on a medium heat setting for a short cycle.
"You want them to be dry but don’t over dry them or use a really high setting as this will start to break down the fibres again," she said. Nancy recommends using a tennis or dryer ball as they help the warm air to circulate between the towels, which reduces drying time.
The movement of the balls against the fabrics can also prevent wrinkles and add softness. She added: "If you don’t have a dryer, you can give them an extra spin on the wash cycle and then hang them over your bannister, an airer, heated towel rail or on the back of a door."
The expert reports that the key is to keep them flat, unfolded and to dry them as quickly as possible. Using a heated airer or towel rail in between uses will also help to keep that damp smell at bay as your towels will dry quicker. Nancy then shared her seven simple steps for "fresh and soft" towels, these include:
Use white vinegar - This is a natural stain remover and deodoriser which can soften fibres and get rid of musty smells. Use this instead of fabric softener when washing towels.
Double wash to banish odours - If you’re struggling with particularly smelly towels, wash first with just white vinegar, before washing again with detergent. Nancy said: "If you don’t want to run two cycles, you could also soak them in vinegar before adding them to the usual wash."
Avoid fabric softener - Fabric softener will coat the fibres of the towel and build up over time which causes towels to feel hard, stiff and scratchy.
Don’t overfill the machine - Overfilling the machine won’t allow enough room to rinse out all the dirt and detergent. The optimum number is two or three bath towels at a time. "This is the general rule of thumb for all washing loads, including bed sheets, as the fabrics will need room to breathe," noted Nancy.
Use the correct wash cycle - The optimum temperature for washing towels is around 30 to 40 degrees for around 90-minutes. Warm water absorbs detergent better so will leave less chemical build up on your towels.
Avoid over drying - Use a lower heat setting and a shorter cycle of the tumble dryer. Line washing is the most environmentally friendly way to dry laundry, but you should shake the towels once they’ve dried to fluff them up.
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Fold and store straight away - Storing towels side by side instead of in stacks will ensure that the bottom towels aren't crushed by the ones above. To prevent this from happening, you can store towels on heated towel rails.