Mrs Hinch, fans of the cleaning atmosphere, has shared a method for softening hard towels.
Towels can become hard and scratched for many reasons – hard water, too much detergent and overfilling the washing machine when cleaning them.
Minerals from hard water, friction during the washing process, and detergent build-up can all turn your once soft and fluffy towels into rough ones.
One person who struggled with washing ‘rough’ towels was Facebook user Gemma Driscoll.
Fed up with her scratchy towels, Gemma asked the Facebook group ‘Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips’ for help. She wrote: “I use fabric softener/conditioner when I wash clothes, but especially my towels are quite rough and not soft when I dry them outside on the clothesline. How can I prevent this from happening? I don’t have a dryer right now.”
Gemma’s post was flooded with replies from other Mrs Hinch fans who suggested avoiding the fabric softener.
Karen Hilton said: “I never use fabric softener with towels because it makes them hard, I just use a washing tablet.”
Bonnie Brown replied, “Exactly. Fabric softener puts a film on your towels that keeps them from being soft. It also keeps odors at bay. When you stop using it, after a few washes, it returns your towels to their original state.”
Jennie Green comments: “I never use softer fabric in towels. Blocks the fibers.” Diane Thompson suggested, “I use white vinegar without fabric softener, they come out soft, no smell either.”
Despite its name, fabric softener or conditioner can reduce absorbency by coating the fibers of the towel. This can cause the towel to harden and scratch.
Other suggestions from Mrs Hinch fans included using white vinegar and baking soda to soften rough towels.
Sonia Wright wrote: “I mean you’d think the clue would be in the name of the product but fabric softener does that to clothes. Towels are the worst.
“You might be able to improve it by using less of it. The white vinegar works as a fabric softener though. Maybe try it in the wash and dry the same way to see if there’s a difference.”
Kathryn Hopkins comments, “The white vinegar in your wash will also kill any bacteria.”
Anna Barr Todd wrote: “Vinegar and baking soda.”
Karin Lane shared her method for washing towels. She said, “Set the washer temperature to 30 degrees. Don’t overfill the washer drum. Add half a cup of baking soda right into the wash. Add half a cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle. Add an essential oil to make your towels smell good.”
White vinegar is often recommended for towels because it can penetrate the coating of the towel and act as a natural fabric softener.
Natural household goods can remove residues left by fabric softeners, reducing the unpleasant, scratchy feeling.
