This Cupboard Staple Will Make Stiff, Scratchy Towels Soft And Fluffy Again

Fluffy white towelsTurns out you really can have too much of a good thing when it comes to detergent – the excess soap residue might turn your fabrics stiff and lifeless. That applies to your towels, too, whose once-fluffy fibres can become scratchy after too many capsules or when placed through a very hot cycle.Even hard water, which affects 60% of the UK, can have a flattening, stiffening effect.But according to Molly Freshwater, the founder of Secret Linen Store, the solution might already be in your home. “If your towels are feeling stiff and scratchy, a simple trick might be lurking inside your kitchen cupboards,” she said. Use vinegar in your washing machine’s drum Freshwater told us that adding 250ml of white vinegar to your laundry load can seriously soften stiff towels.“Just pour the vinegar directly into the drum before loading your towels, and start the cycle as usual,” she shared. Your towel’s fibres, which feel fluffy and soft when they don’t lie flat, are made up of loads of teeny-tiny cotton filaments, Dr Primrose Freestone, associate professor in clinical microbiology at the University of Leicester, told consumer advocacy publication Which?.“What happens to these interlocking cotton filament structures during washing determines if your towels stay soft and fluffy, or if they feel hard and scratchy,” she told the publication. “Detergent and fabric softener can, over time, deposit a waxy residue on the cotton fibres.” But Freshwater tells us that vinegar can prevent this by breaking down the soap or mineral build-up from either detergent or hard water in your towels’ fibres.“Don’t worry,” she added – “despite vinegar’s strong smell, it won’t linger on your towels.”How can I keep my towels fluffy after tumble-drying them?Sometimes, over-drying your towels in the tumble dryer can create a “rough, sandpaper feel,” Freshwater explained. To combat this, try drying them on a lower heat until they’re nearly (but not totally) done, then finish drying outside of the machine.Another option is to hang your towels outside on a windy day (the weather will help to buff those all-important fibres). “If you’re using a tumble dryer, try adding a tennis ball or dryer ball to speed up drying and fluff up your towels,” Freshwater ended.Related...So THAT's Why You're Meant To Wash Jeans Inside OutShould I Be Washing My Bagged Lettuce Or Not?UK Gardeners Urged To Place A Washing-Up Bowl In Their Lawn ASAP

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