If towels are not washed properly, they will lose their fluffiness, but a quick and simple laundry trick will make them feel luxurious again. 

Janelle, an expert from Maison Blonde, has shared that using too much laundry detergent and fabric softener is one of the most common reasons towels stop being soft. 

She said: “I know this sounds strange, since why wouldn’t something called a fabric ‘softener’ soften my towels! But I promise you it’s not worth it. 

“Most fabric softeners contain silicones that build up on your towels, eventually making them water-repellent. Water-repellent towels won’t be able to wash out very well, resulting in both dirt and detergent build-up!” 

Using too much detergent or fabric softener will cause soapy residues to build up in the towel’s fabric, making it unable to be fully rinsed while in the wash.

Which natural ingredients can restore towels? 

There is a very simple way to restore your towels so they feel soft and brand new again. All you need are a few simple ingredients in your kitchen cupboard. 

Janelle said: “Instead of fabric softeners, use vinegar to soften your towels while keeping them nice and absorbent. Every six weeks, wash your towels once normally and then a second time without detergent but with one cup of vinegar. 

“Vinegar will get rid of any build-up on your towels making them feel soft again. Additionally, vinegar will freshen the scent and remove any mildew odours. So no chemicals and soft, absorbent towels!”

White vinegar contains acetic acid, which can break down soapy residues, making towels less stiff and absorbent. 

Using baking soda is also incredibly effective. It helps loosen the towel fibres, allowing the vinegar to penetrate the fabric and making towels feel fluffier quickly. 

Janelle said: “Baking Soda is going to be your towel’s best friend. Baking soda will remove odour, grime, or chemicals that have built up and caused stiff, scratchy towels. 

“Using baking soda also means that you won’t need to use as much detergent in your wash load which means less soap build-up. Just add half a cup of baking soda to your usual wash load.”

How to use white vinegar and baking soda to soften towels

All you need to do is place your towels in the washing machine and wash them like you normally would. Make sure to only put towels in the wash and not overload the washing machine as it will not be able to properly wash each towel. 

Once the laundry is done, put them on a second wash and add white vinegar to where you normally put your fabric softener, then put baking soda where you would put your laundry detergent. 

Put them on a hot wash cycle and wait for the towels to be done, then dry them by hanging them up to dry if you can or place them on low heat in the dryer. 

Janelle said: “Too much heat isn’t good for your towels and causes the fibres to knit together tightly. Try to air dry or use a low heat setting as much as possible. 

“The best way to dry your towels is to air dry most of the way and tumble dry to finish drying completely and to fluff up the towels. You can also completely air dry and shake the towels out after to fluff up the fibres. “

Once your towels have dried, they should return to feeling soft, fluffy and extremely comfortable.