Add Distilled White Vinegar and Wash as Usual Do not add any detergent or fabric softener. Instead, add two cups of distilled white vinegar to the washer drum. The vinegar will help strip away the residue left in the towels that is causing them to feel stiff.
Fabric softeners contain silicon that will make towels water repellent, so they won't get as good a wash. Instead, soften your towels by using one cup of white vinegar about every six weeks; this will remove the soapy residue that makes towels feel rough, bringing back softness while restoring them to full absorbency.
The expert-recommended way to soften towels that have become scratchy is to use vinegar. 'Throw a cup of white vinegar in your next wash,' advises textiles expert and CEO of New Sega Home, Brian Delp. The towels have likely become stiff and scratchy because of the use of fabric softener.
Baking soda or vinegar will do the trick. BAKING SODA: Adding baking soda to your towel wash helps remove soap and chemical residue that can end up covering your towels. Add half a cup of baking soda with your washing detergent, then wash as usual.
Once the washer is filled, before the wash cycle starts, drop in a cup of vinegar. Let it dilute for a moment, then add a half of a cup of baking soda. Run the washer, and dry as normal. Your towels will be recharged and like new, or better than ever!
Soak your stinky towels in a bucket of white, distilled vinegar for 30 minutes to overnight with a tablespoon of detergent to help loosen body soils. Vinegar contains acetic acid that breaks up mineral deposits and dissolves the build-up of body soils on your towels. Rinse thoroughly.
The vinegar helps dissolve any soap buildup, remove odors, and soften the material, while baking soda helps scrub the remaining bits of gunk away and also softens the material. Once the cycle is complete, your towels will be fluffed and renewed—after a spin in the dryer, of course.
Add ½ cup of baking soda along with your regular wash load to help bring towels back to life. On top of baking soda softening properties, it also helps eliminate odors - yay! (Ok, baking soda needs some more appreciation too.)
Remember, don't use laundry detergent or fabric softener (that means no dryer sheets in the dryer, too!) – just vinegar in the first load and baking soda in the second. I wasn't expecting a miracle, but to my surprise the towels did come out feeling and smelling much more fresh than they went in!
'One cup per two big towels works well,' she says. Either pour it into the fabric softener dispenser of your machine or straight into the drum. Set your machine to the hottest wash possible and let the vinegar get to work – there's no need to rinse afterward.
This time use 2 cups of vinegar and let the towels soak in the hot water/vinegar bath for a few hours before continuing with the process.
If you let wet towels sit in the washer for too long, they will start to mildew and will become stiff. Adding softener: We don't recommend adding fabric softener to your towels. The softener can actually coat the fibers of your towels and make them less absorbent. Try wool balls instead!
'We recommend half a cup of vinegar for a full load of laundry, and one cup or so for cleaning, and to not use it too frequently to avoid corrosion to your appliance. '
To use vinegar as a fabric softener and static reducer: Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle of your washing machine. If you are washing blankets and comforters, add two cups of vinegar to the final rinse.
Rinsing is not necessary! If you're simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won't need to rinse. However, if there's also plenty of dirt and grime you're wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
Deyan said white vinegar can help to get rid of detergent build up, making the towels “as fluffy as the day you bought them”. The household essential can also help to get rid of any odours which can easily build up on towels when they do not dry fully.
I like to give sheets and towels a refresh each season. Add sheets and towels to the washing machine. Add ½ cup baking soda into the detergent dispenser and ½ cup vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser.
Wash your towels in warm water or hot water -- not scalding -- with one cup of white distilled vinegar. This will strip towels of any built-up residue and help restore absorbency. DON'T USE DETERGENT, only white vinegar. Run the load a second time using only a half-cup of baking soda.
Vinegar can be added to the fabric softener dispenser or directly to the washer drum once the washer has filled with water for the rinse cycle. When using vinegar for cleaning a washer, add it to all of the dispenser units or directly to the washer drum.