If towels aren’t cleaned correctly, they can end up feeling crispy, wrinkled, and scratchy. However, there’s a simple trick to making them fluffy again.
Cleaning enthusiast and The DIY Mommy, Christina Dennis, has revealed that using white vinegar in the wash is an effective natural method for reviving those plush fibres.
“If you’re finding your towels getting stiff, I find that adding distilled white vinegar alongside your detergent every so often helps strip the towels and get them feeling fluffier than ever,” she explained.
The acidity of vinegar works wonders by dissolving alkaline build-ups, allowing for a more thorough rinse during the wash cycle and doubling as a natural fabric softener.
To give your towels that new, fluffy feel, just add white vinegar to the detergent compartment in your washing machine, load with your usual laundry detergent but omit the fabric softener, reports the Express.
Christina added: “Interestingly enough, I find that overusing fabric softener makes my towels stiff over time. Too much softener creates build-up in the towels over time.”
Set off a standard hot water cycle on your washing machine and let the vinegar do its job on any residue during the wash. For revitalising towel fluffiness, give the towels a swift shake after they come out of the washing machine to ruffle up the fibres, then put them in the tumble dryer on a mild heat.
According to Christina, “A little shake of your towel after the wash cycle and before placing it in your clothes dryer should help fluff up the fibres.”
Christina further advises adding dryer balls alongside your towels in the dryer, to aid in stirring and dividing any clumped towel fibres, thus making the towels softer and more plush.
If a white vinegar rinse isn’t to your preference, Christina proposes using other alternatives like Oxiclean White Revive or baking soda, in place of oxygen bleach, to use during your laundry.
She added: “Hot water will help get any dirt and yellow tones out of the towels as it works alongside your detergent and oxygen bleach.
“If you don’t want to use oxygen bleach, try baking soda instead. Baking soda is a powerhouse that can clean just about anything!”