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[tsavorite]

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@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.

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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.

[wagirl]

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.

[151949]

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

[Imaoldhippie]

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.

[Sooner]

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. 

[Pooky1]

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.

[Tigriss]

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.

[PunkinEater]

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.

[giddy up]

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.

[Teddie]

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.