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Baking soda and vinegar are all you need for soft, absorbent towels
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Have you just bought a new batch of towels, or do you just feel like your current towels aren’t getting the job done? Don’t worry—it’s easy to refresh your towels with a hot-water laundry cycle, along with some household ingredients like vinegar and baking soda (though not at the same time!). We’ll walk you through everything you need to know, including how to keep your towels fresh and absorbent, so you can enjoy fluffy towels for plenty of showers or baths to come.
How to Make Towels More Absorbent: Quick Tips
Wash your towels on a hot or warm cycle with 1 cup (240 mL) of vinegar. Then, add 1 cup (272 g) of baking soda and run another warm or hot cycle. After that cycle, dry your towels, and they should be much softer and more absorbent.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
Baking Soda & Vinegar Trick for More Absorbent Towels
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Run a full wash cycle with 1 c (240 mL) of vinegar. Instead of adding any laundry detergent, use just white vinegar for this load, pouring it into the slot where your detergent would usually go. [1] X Research source If you’re washing lighter towels, stick with a warm-water cycle; if you’re washing darker towels; opt for a hot-water cycle. Your towels will probably smell of vinegar once the cycle’s done, but that's okay! [2] X Research source
- Make sure that your washer is no more than 75% full, as you don’t want to overload the machine.
- Don't wash anything else with the new towels, or else the colors may bleed.
- Alternative: Wait until you’ve started a warm- or -hot-water cycle and pause the load once the washer fills completely. Then, pour in the vinegar.
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Add 1 cup (272 grams) of baking soda to the damp towels. Do not take your towels out of the washing machine to dry them yet. Instead, sprinkle baking soda over the towels. (Don’t worry—the vinegar has washed out, so you don’t need to worry about creating a mess.) Leave them in the washer and let it fill up with hot water again. Use the same settings that you used the first time.Advertisement
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Begin a second wash cycle. Using the same wash settings that you did before, wash the towels with the baking soda. Let the cycle completely finish.
- Warning: Do not mix the vinegar and baking soda in the same wash cycle! This will cause a large chemical reaction that will probably lead to a big, foamy mess and could cause damage to your laundry machine.
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Take the towels out of the washing machine and dry them. You can dry your towels as you normally would. You can use any method that you like—your dryer, a drying rack, or air drying in the sun. Just be sure to read the care label and follow those recommendations!
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat can I use to replace fabric softener?Community AnswerPut two rubber dryer balls (old tennis balls work, too––just make sure they're clean!) in the machine with the towels when drying them. This will help to fluff up the towels and they will then be more absorbent.
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QuestionHow do we recondition a slippery bathing towel into the scratchy towel it was before?Community AnswerTry line-drying it in the sunshine and fresh air rather than in a tumble dryer. The slipperiness is probably a result of too much fabric softener, so once it's been washed a few times without this it should regain its absorbent qualities.
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QuestionDo I use soap when I wash the towels?Community AnswerYes, as you want your towels to still smell fresh without that sandy smell.
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Things You'll Need
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- Wool dryer balls (optional)
Tips
- If you have a variety of light and dark towels, create separate loads. If possible, laundry professionals advise dividing your towels into 4 groups: whites, pastels/medium colors, brights, and darks. [11] X Research sourceThanks
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Warnings
- Do not use vinegar and baking soda in the same rinse. The chemical reaction will create lots of frothing, which can cause damage to your washing machine or make a big mess.Thanks
- Don’t use vinegar in the wash super frequently, as it can harm the internal components of your machine over time. [12] X Trustworthy Source Consumer Reports Nonprofit organization dedicated to consumer advocacy and product testing Go to sourceThanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/laundry-trick-fluffy-towels-37237521
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/this-one-washing-trick-will-make-your-old-towels-feel-like-new/
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/this-one-washing-trick-will-make-your-old-towels-feel-like-new/
- ↑ https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/cleaning-tips/clothes/laundry-basics
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/laundry/why-fabric-softener-is-bad-for-your-laundry-a5931009251/
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/cleaning/smarter-youre-probably-using-way-too-much-detergent-a6214726490/
- ↑ https://nationaleczema.org/blog/laundry-change/
- ↑ https://www.bhg.com/homekeeping/laundry-linens/linens/washing-and-caring-for-towels/
- ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/laundry/why-fabric-softener-is-bad-for-your-laundry-a5931009251/
About This Article
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Reader Success Stories
- "I just purchased some extra large body towels and although they weren't cheap, they are not of the best quality. So, I decided to Google ways to possibly improve the quality of my towels. My machine is running now to test and I'm hoping this works. The recommendations are great. The results...we'll see." ..." more
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"I just purchased some extra large body towels and although they weren't cheap, they are not of the best quality. So, I decided to Google ways to possibly improve the quality of my towels. My machine is running now to test and I'm hoping this works. The recommendations are great. The results...we'll see."
..."
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"My towels were as hard as sandpaper, delighted that I found out the problem was the damn fabric softener. I now use vinegar (which is a lot cheaper as well) as a rinsing agent, and all my clothes are a lot softer."
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"I do this for towels only, but always forget the method! It makes your towels absorb so much better, rather than putting them in with the regular laundry and using fabric softeners. Thanks for posting."
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"After I bought myself some new towels, I wanted to rejuvenate my old towels, as they looked and felt really awful. This article has told me how, in a very simple way."
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"This is great advice! I have been a slave to fabric softener, and wondered why my towels aren't soft. I will be giving these tips a try. Thanks for sharing."
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