There is nothing fun about drying yourself in a hard, rough cloth. It is normal for elements such as oils, dirt and some chemicals to harden fabrics, making them stiff and difficult to handle. The cause of all this can be attributable to the detergent, the washing habits or even simply to the water supplied by the public operator. However, there are remedies to solve this problem. Read on to learn how to soften rougher towels.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Wash and Soak
Step 1. Wash the towels with hot or boiling water
The hot one dissolves the detergent better, which means that less soap residue remains in the fibers. In addition, boiling water helps dissolve any oils that may be left over from hygiene products and skin sebum.
Keep in mind that brightly colored towels can fade when you wash them repeatedly in very hot water. If you don't care about this, you can proceed with washing at high temperatures. If you want to preserve the colors instead, you should wash the towels in cold water and try other methods of softening the fabric
Step 2. Soak the towels in fabric softener
Mix 250 ml of fabric softener with the same amount of boiling water to submerge the towels. Leave them to soak for at least an hour, so that the product has time to thoroughly penetrate all the fibers of the fabric.
Step 3. Replace the detergent and fabric softener with vinegar
Most laundry softeners contain silicone, which coats the surface of the towels, limiting their absorbent properties. Do an extra rinse cycle when washing the towels in the washing machine and use 120ml of white vinegar instead of detergent during the first cycle. The vinegar eliminates oil and detergent residues that make the fabrics more rigid; in this way, they become softer and better absorb moisture. Use a mild detergent (or just water) during the second rinse cycle to get rid of the vinegar smell, but still allow the towels to remain soft after washing.
Step 4. Use baking soda
Mix 100 g of baking soda in your regular laundry detergent; this helps get rid of any traces of oil, dirt or other chemicals that can make the towels rough or stiff. It is also great for eliminating the musty smell - that stench that usually develops when the towel is left damp for some time.
Part 2 of 3: Drying Techniques
Step 1. Try drying the towels in the open air
Ideally, leave them outside on a cool day with a light breeze. Once dry, move them briskly as if you were kneading a dough or massaging a piece of meat. This remedy helps loosen the stiffness of the fibers.
Step 2. Place the clothes in the dryer on a low setting
The intense heat certainly makes the sponges more swollen, but it also damages the integrity of the fibers. You can alternate drying in the open air with drying at high temperatures in the appliance. Spread the sheets to dry partially on the clothesline and then finish the procedure in the appliance, to make them warm and soft.
Afterward, put the clothes back in the dryer for a second cycle, but this time select a "crease" program, if available; in this way, the tissues swell and become softer
Step 3. Shake the towels
Shake them vigorously when you take them out of the washer and dryer to make the fibers more voluminous.
Step 4. Add tennis balls or specific balls to the dryer load
When you decide to dry your clothes in the machine, add a couple of tennis balls or similar items before closing the door. Thanks to the rotation of the basket, the balls bounce inside and inflate the towels; this trick should soften the stiffened fibers.
Part 3 of 3: Preventing Towel Stiffness
Step 1. Use smaller amounts of detergent
The laundry soap is very concentrated and it takes very little; if you overdo it, the residues can thicken on the fabric making the fibers stiff and rough. Try to use less soap than usual.
Excessive residue can also promote the development of mold and bacteria, especially if the clothes remain wet for a while
Step 2. Do not load the washing machine too much
If the drum is too crowded, the towels may not rinse well, resulting in them being stiff and rough due to residue of limescale, dirt and detergent.
The same goes for the dryer! Be patient and load several loads to avoid overfilling the appliance
Step 3. Check if the house water is hard
If the water in your area is rich in limestone and therefore "hard", it means that the water that flows from the tap or that feeds the washing machine could leave mineral deposits in the fibers of the fabrics. Consider buying a filter to soften the water or washing clothes only with water that does not come from the mains.
