Hard towels, how come?
Over time, towels can harden from a combination of detergents, soap residue and hard water. Residues from shampoo or shower gel left on your skin rub off with a towel after which those residues remain on the towel. Even after washing the towels, the residue may accumulate. Water hardness can also contribute to hard towels, as that water contains many minerals such as lime.
Making towels soft again is how you do it
You can follow a few tips to make your towels soft again.
- Use less detergent
You surely want to avoid detergent build-up on your towels. Therefore, use only the recommended amount or less. Don’t worry, even with less detergent, your towels will get clean just fine.
- Let the towels air dry
This way, the dryer cannot damage the fibers of the towels and make them stiff. In dry and sunny weather, you can also let your towels dry outside in the sun.
- Use vinegar or baking soda
Adding a brisk splash of vinegar or a handful of baking soda powder to the rinse water helps remove soap scum and neutralize odors. If they are already too hard, you can also soak them in warm water and vinegar or baking soda.
It is helpful that you wash your towels regularly to avoid accumulation of dirt such as soap scum etc.
What is best to avoid?
- Fabric Softener
Fabric softener seems to be the way to make towels soft, but nothing could be further from the truth. Fabric softener after a while creates a layer on the fibers of the towel, which becomes hard and less absorbent.
- Dryer wipes
Also, dryer sheets can coat the fibers of towels, making them less soft.
- High temperatures in dryer and washing machine
Want to use a dryer anyway? Dry at a lower temperature to make your towels soft again. And also wash them at a lower temperature to damage the fibers less.
Need help from an L&S polishing assistant?
Satisfied with our tips for making your towels soft again? That’s nice! Could you use some extra help in your home? Our L&S cleaning helpers are here for you with a smile. Contact us here for more information.
