topic Re: How to keep towels soft? in Home

How to keep towels soft?

tsavorite — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:26:23 GMT

I have a High Efficiency front load washer....and read online that using distilled white vinegar would make your towels soft and also kill any odor. Article said to add it to the softener area in place of it. Anyone do this or have other suggestions?

I keep buying some really nice soft pretty towels but they all loose that fluffy softness quickly...appreciate any help!

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Sunshine Kate — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:33:25 GMT

I've used white vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser in my front load washer for bath towels. No matter how little vinegar I use, I can still smell the vinegar.

I've also tried putting 1/4 cup white vinegar in with the liquid detergent and although it helps clean better, the smell is still there.

I've started using Gain powdered detergent (no vinegar) and like the cleaning results better than liquid detergent.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Mom2Dogs — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:58:34 GMT

I use vinegar in almost every wash....I never noticed the vinegar smell.

I am not sure it has made my towels soft.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Mominohio — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 01:10:39 GMT

I think the answer to soft and good smelling and non static clothing depends on a number of variables.

First is one's water. If it is hard or soft, if it has odors etc from iron, build up on clothing from calcium and iron etc. If you have a softener, well water, city water, chlorine etc in the water. Water and it's contents have a big impact on laundry. And use of very hot water can affect the wear/deterioration of fabrics, in my opinion.

Second, it is one's climate. Here in the north, cold weather brings lots of static from the dry environment. In warm weather or very humid places, clothing can get smelly if left damp, not dried fully, or when the machine gets kind of stinky in the humid hot weather.

Next it is the products used in conjunction with the water. Different detergents, the amounts used, will vary the results based on the chemicals in the water in one's area.

I've used vinegar in the wash to get out body odor from my son's shirts and while it works for that, I have no luck with it working for static or softness.

Over the years, my approach to laundry has become this:

We have hard water with a lot of iron, so we use a whole house filter, and a water softener, to try to get the water as cleaned up as we can.

I use an old fashioned full fill washer, because I don't believe the HE versions get clothing clean or especially WELL RINSED, with little water used.

I use very little detergent for most regular loads (dirty work clothing is another story). I am believing that the detergent can build up in things like towels and make them rough and icky.

I do use liquid fabric softener, never sheets. And I only use a very, very small amount. A fraction of what the product label calls for. It is the only thing to tame the static that I've found, and keeps things soft. Too much will effect the absorbency of towels, and dryer sheets, in my opinon simply put a film on fabrics.

Too hot of water could be damaging fibers and making them not as soft as when new.

And drying towels on lower heat (rather than a hotter setting) might help the fibers not break down and feel stiff too.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

pattypeep — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 01:27:30 GMT

@tsavorite I wonder if there is too much soap in the wash? When I first got my HE front loader, my daughter (who worked for a company that advertised energy saving items) asked me to just put a load of clothes in the washer and no soap and watch through the window as it went through the cycle. OMG! It was full of soap suds. Now, I realize that these front loaders with an HE detergent is supposed to be the best for softness, so I just wonder if possibly you are using more soap than necessary for the towels. I use just a tiny bit because towels don't really get "dirty". Just a thought. Good luck. BTW, I was amazed how soft our laundry was after using an HE front loader. Love.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Abrowneyegirl — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 01:32:38 GMT

We had a front loader.

The only thing I have found that really keeps towels fluffy is that Nellie's detergent.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Zhills — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 01:45:36 GMT

I use white vinegar and my towels are like new. However, we do have great water!

Re: How to keep towels soft?

tsavorite — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 02:34:00 GMT

Thanks for all the ideas! I don't think we have hard water....and I never wash anything in hot water. I will cut back on the amount of detergent I am using....I should try that Nellies product. I have been wondering if that would keep my towels soft and fluffly. I never get a bad smell on my clothes or towels so no mildew issues. I also clean my front load washer often and keep the door open always so it dries. I will try some vinegar next load which will be tomorrow. But these towels are abit older and may not come back to life! could be a lost cause on them but my newer ones I am hoping for better results.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Elri — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 03:58:43 GMT

Rinsing well would help, I would think. Have you tried a baking soda rinse?

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Pooky1 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:24:00 GMT

i tried using white vinagar in the rinse water and i didnt see that it made towels any softer and when my wife folded them she noticed vinagar smell right away.i notice some not al of our hand towels we use around the kitchen no matter how i wash them they dont have a clean smell they actually stink.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

tsavorite — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:03:30 GMT

@Pooky1wrote:
i tried using white vinagar in the rinse water and i didnt see that it made towels any softer and when my wife folded them she noticed vinagar smell right away.i notice some not al of our hand towels we use around the kitchen no matter how i wash them they dont have a clean smell they actually stink.

Hi @Pooky1 I use a product from Home Depot for anything stinky...Odo Ban...this stuff works great and you get a huge jug for under $10! I just put some in with the detergent I use and works wonders.

I read the online reviews for Nellies....that product doesn't sound like it would make towels soft.....not sure about baking soad...concerned about spots/fading of colors with that.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

wagirl — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 15:27:35 GMT

I agree about the number of variables regarding towels, the water, what degergent, but mainly what the quality of the towels is too. I think the more cotton rich and thick and thirsty will determne how soft they are. And using fabric softener is a huge no-no. I can't afford to spend $50 for one towel so my towels are not great, but I do use Nellies washing soda and I put the wooly balls in to dry them. They are white and clean and don't smell, but are not very soft. I use to be able to buy very nice towels in the olden days when cotton was not as pricey--not a fan of the microfibers in things now days.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

151949 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 17:40:38 GMT

Just puitting towels in the dryer gets them soft enough for us.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Imaoldhippie — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 18:01:08 GMT

Vinegar will not soften towels but it definitely will get any soap scum out and any musty smell. My towels get soft just in the dryer, and never use fabric softener on anything you want to absorb liquids.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Sooner — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 18:06:24 GMT

It may be your towels. My mom bought really cheap towels and they were never soft no matter what. I buy nicer ones, wash them with no softener, put them in the dryer and have not had a problem with them not being soft.

Maybe try out a few brands of single towels and see if that helps. Just an idea.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Pooky1 — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 21:25:57 GMT

sounds good tsavorite but my wife breaks out from somethings. i can only use free n clear all. dryer sheets and fabric softer shes fine with.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Tigriss — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:52:30 GMT

I too use white vinegar instead of fabric softener. I never notice the smell and use detergent free of dyes and fragrance. I guess it is a personal nose sensitivity. I use vinegar for cleaning all kinds of things, so I'm used to it like my sister's MIL is used to using ammonia to clean everything...YUCK! Ammonia and bleach are too aromatic for me to use except in hard cleaning like mold, then I use bleach in a small amount as very little works very well. I've had a gallon of bleach many months before running low.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

PunkinEater — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 01:07:40 GMT

I use wool dryer balls and love them. They're organic and don't clog your fabrics up with gooey fabric softeners. The ones I bought from Amazon came in a set of 6 and I always just throw all of them in the dryer no matter what size load I'm drying. I especially like using them when I dry bedsheets because they keep the sheets from wadding up into a big roll, and they come out of the dryer smooth and fluffy. The first set I bought were the white ones, and I like them so much I went back and ordered a set of the black ones for my dark clothes. Another thing I like about them is that I really like the scent of the laundry detergent I use, and now my clothes and linens smell faintly of that, and not that overpowering fabric softener smell you get from the dryer sheets.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

giddy up — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 01:24:03 GMT

I use fabric softenor in the washer and a bounce sheet in the dryer and my towels seem pretty soft to me even after sitting in the closet for a few weeks after.

Re: How to keep towels soft?

Teddie — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 00:42:30 GMT

I really don’t see how the temperature of the water would make a difference in how things feel. I HAVE to wash towels in the hottest water possible and dry on high heat. Some people say their towels don’t smell good. I believe they need to be disinfected and rinsed well. I put a little natural germicidal in the wash. My towels always smell clean and fresh.

I have gone to people’s homes and their towels stunk. I would never say anything.