Making towels soft

daisyroger

Why don't you try the turkish towels. They are really soft and comfort to get dry after a shower bath.
These towels remain soft after wash as well due to the quality of fine cotton used to make them.

Anne_Marie_2

I line dry my towels and they are always lovely and soft, I use vinegar instead of fabric conditioner, and have done for years. Never thought about it, but when I recommended vinegar to a friend, she commented on how soft her towels were now after using the vinegar, whereas before they were really rough. Certainly worth a try.

gayleygoo

I used cloth nappies on my babies, and washing advice was never to use fabric conditioner since it reduced absorbency and can be difficult to remove once it's built up in the fabric. Also, less than half the recommended amount of powder is needed and too much powder can build up too. I figure the same advice works for towels since they are the same material! I would have used a dishwasher tablet occasionally in the nappy wash to soften them up again (and get rid of smells) so this could be good for towels too.

I have no tumble dryer so my towels get rather crispy in winter, just being hung over doors and the stairs. Just rub them together when dry and it softens them a bit.

daisyroger

When you wash your towel then make sure to wash them separately from other kind of clothes. Also it is important to choose the correct detergent when washing towels.
When you need to dry the towels; it is best to do so outside in the sunshine.
Thanks!!!

AfxTwn

Hi everyone, I know I'm a little late to the thread but I wondered what to do when line drying isn't always possible? As I live in the North West sometimes the weather can curtail drying outside and so I use maidens inside for drying at room temperature. Also, I have a shared garden with another tenant who lives in the upstairs flat (I live downstairs) and unfortunately sometimes they park their motorbike in the garden and it's still there the day after, right where the washing lines are and so this also can prevent line drying.

Also, please could someone clarify the use of vinegar in the wash? I have some distilled vinegar, can I use that? And I've read that you add it to the rinse cycle of the wash, but does that mean you sit and wait for an hour and a half and watch your machine to see when it gets to the rinse cycle? And then do you have to stop/pause the machine and open the detergent drawer and add the vinegar or can you just let the wash carry on and still open the drawer? Or do you add the vinegar to the softener/fabric conditioner section of the drawer before you start the wash?

Sorry if I sound stupid but I've never done this before and my towels are starting to become hard and scratchy. I also use Ariel with Actilift as my detergent, I use about 3 scoops (approx. 60-70 ml), is this fine or too much.

Thanks for any help and sorry for the daft questions.

happy35

I use 2 scoops of Ariel and put the vinegar in the softener drawer when i load the machine

I use any vinegar am using distilled white at the moment but have used basics brown vinegar when I have had none left, mae no difference but stained the inside of the drawer for a couple of washes

anotheruser

I would use white vinegar only.

Put it in the fabric conditioner compartment instead of fabric conditioner.

I don't use calgon as a friend of mine told me a washing machine engineer told her they were bad for plastic pipes. My washing machine is over 4 years old and still going strong.

Look on the side of the pack for the dosage. I use gel so can't comment how much to use.

I dry my stuff inside on airers during the winter.

applecrumble24

Thanks for this thread, I used vinegar for the first time today and it was as soft as fabric conditioner! blomin amazing stuff white vinegar..

melanzana

I must be the only person on the planet that hates soft towels. I mean they slip off you, and don't dry you properly when you're rushing getting ready to go to work.

I'm a hardy lass, and like a bit of grip in my towels. Never use conditioner on them.

A good brisk rub of a grippy towel is a skin buffer aswell!

CH27

I've started using vinegar instead of comfort & things are drying much quicker.
I'm a convert.