How do I make my towels soft and fluffy again I use fabric conditioner and then tumble dry them. By then they have lost their softness, can you help?
Tony from Saundersfoot, Wales
I would like to suggest that you run your towels through an extra rinse cycle after washing them. Add about 1 cup of white vinegar to that final rinse. You'll be surprised at all the additional soap that rinses out!
By Judy from Wis.
First, buy soft towels.
Buy 100% Egyptian, Turkish or Supima cotton. Buy the heaviest weight (g) you can afford. Look for bargain prices at SmartBargains, Overstock, eBay,
Google, etc.
For existing towels, try vinegar in the wash water. (06/29/2007)
By Carrie
I don't use fabric softener because my husband has very bad eczema. I use distilled white vinegar in the fabric softer holder and they come out just as soft for me. It also helps to get rid of any excess suds that have made it through the first rinse cycle. (06/29/2007)
By curlifries18
Have you tried using dryer softener sheets instead of the liquid? This means the softener is in the dryer. Works for me! You may find that using softener affects the absorbency of the towels, as does darker towels vs. light-colored ones. (Lights are better, even though the colored ones are prettier!) Cay from Florida (06/29/2007)
I haven't had problems like that since I switched back to my old twin tub washing machine - I had hard rough towels when I used a front loader automatic. I don't need to use fabric softener I just make sure the towels are rinsed very well. I only use the dryer if it is a rainy day so most of time my towels etc are line dried (06/29/2007)
By Sharyl
I would be thinking that your towels need a good "de-soaping". After many washings with soap powder, fabric can become "clogged" with soap residue.
I would suggest the following:
In your washing machine, soak your towels overnight in hot water and white vinegar. I would suggest 4 cups of vinegar to a full washer of water. Let it agitate for a minute then shut it off to do the soaking.
In the morning, turn your washer on and let the soaking towels go through a full wash cycle in the water and vinegar.
When that cycle has finished, put the towels through a regular wash cycle, using only 1/4 of recommended laundry detergent and a cup of baking soda.
When it reaches the rinse cycle, add a cup of vinegar.
Tumble dry using dryer sheet. I found liquid softener just didn't do the job.
Ive had my towels for the past 3 years, they are soft and fluffy. We have hard water so I always add baking soda to the wash cycle. (06/29/2007)
By lesley
Please don't use fabric softener on your towels, as it coats them and reduces their absorbency. I never do and my towels come out very soft every time. God bless you! (06/30/2007)
By Pat Giles
Don't use fabric softener, which just coats your towels with goop.
Instead, dry your towels with a pair or two of jeans. The rough heavy texture of the denim beats the towels enough to make them soft. I always dry towels and jeans together. (06/30/2007)
By Susabelle
The vinegar rinse is good not only for towels, but all of your laundry. It removes excess detergent, (which can cause whites to be dingy and aggravate skin sensitivities), stops the bleach action on cloths, deodorizes, and reduces wrinkles.
If you want the benefits of fabric softener without the buildup or the price, dilute liquid softener with water 25% (1 part softener to 3 parts water) in a spray bottle from the $ store. After putting clothes in dryer, spray 3-5 squirts of mixture on clothes and run as usual. A normal months supply of softener will last almost 1 yr this way. You can afford to buy the pricey boutique aromas this way. (07/02/2007)
By CAMILLA
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