How to restore softness to terry clothes? How to Make Bath Towels Soft

If washing conditions are not followed, even the best quality towels will become stiff over time.

When buying a bath towel, you want to be sure that the textile will retain its original softness and tenderness for a long time. Alas, in reality everything is different - after going through a series of machine washes, the terry fabric gradually wrinkles, becomes rougher, and after a month or two the new thing is no different from a dozen of the same washed towels hidden in the chest of drawers. Why are towels hard after washing in a machine and how to wash them so that they remain soft and fluffy?

It's not just about the quality of the material - such an embarrassment can happen even with an expensive product - but about improper care of it. However, little housekeeping secrets regarding textile care will help you correct the situation and bring your favorite towels back into proper shape.

Why do towels become stiff over time?

Over time, the pile of terry fabric begins to settle, becoming denser and deformed, resulting in the product loses its original splendor. Typically this is associated with the following errors:

using regular washing powder instead of a gentle detergent;

wash in hard water without softeners;

rinsing and spinning with an overloaded drum or with a small amount of water in economy mode, as a result of which the detergent is not completely rinsed out;

ironing terry products - manufacturers of high-quality textiles warn that this can only be done with hot steam.

How to keep towels soft and fluffy: machine washing rules

To ensure that your new towels stay that way for as long as possible, learn to care for them correctly, taking into account the structure of the fabric from which they are made - terry textiles are capricious and need special care.

Use liquid detergents for delicate washing - this will preserve the lushness of the fabric.

Wash towels in standard modes with maximum water at low temperatures (up to 60°C for whites, 40°C for colored ones). Run an additional rinse cycle at the end of the main program.

Place special balls for washing down jackets in the drum - they fluff up the terry thread and prevent it from getting crushed.

Avoid conditioners and bleaches - these products are difficult to wash out and deform the villi.

Refrain from ironing or use hot steam on its own.

The water in which you wash towels should be soft. Unfortunately, the water flowing in the pipes is not of the best quality, and if you do not have a special cleaning filter installed at the inlet, you have to deal with the consequences. Sediment, scale, hard laundry after drying - this is not a complete list of what residents of different regions face.

Terry fabric will not remain fluffy in bad water. However, there is a way out - soften it using home remedies: salt, soda ash or baking soda, table vinegar. In addition to the splendor of the textiles, this will also ensure color preservation - your towels will not fade over time.

Salt

It is better to use extra - it dissolves faster, but you can also purchase special salt for automatic machines. Add 3 tbsp. fine salt in a tray, along with washing powder, or, after dissolving it in a glass of warm water, pour it directly into the tank.

Vinegar

Pour half a glass of 9% vinegar solution into the conditioner tray, and after washing the towels will be soft and fluffy. In addition, the product perfectly eliminates unpleasant odors.

Soda

If there is no calcined one in the house, then regular food grade one will do. Pour 3-4 tbsp into the drum of the machine. soda - it will soften the water during the washing process.

Soda + vinegar

You can use baking soda and vinegar at the same time:

Pour half a glass of vinegar into the conditioner tray, half a glass of soda into the washing machine tub. Add detergent and start the program. At the end of the cycle, you will receive clean and soft laundry - the product also whitens perfectly.

Make home conditioner according to a folk recipe. Pour a glass of water, a glass of soda and 6 glasses of vinegar (9%) into a deep container. Wait for the foaming to finish and add 6 glasses of water. You can add a little essential oil for aroma. Pour the mixture into an empty bottle and use as needed. One wash will require half a glass of product.

Any of these products can be used as a rinse to soften the item after washing - add it to the conditioner compartment, or to the water if you wash by hand, in the same proportion.

How to wash terry cloth by hand

If you are going to wash your towels by hand, keep in mind that the procedure must be very gentle. Rubbing the fabric is strictly prohibited, because This can deform it - you will need to pre-soak it to remove dirt. As in the case of machine washing, it is better to avoid powder altogether, replacing it with a delicate gel or liquid soap.

Laundry soap can be used as a natural bleaching agent - it copes well with stains while maintaining the lushness of the terry fabric fibers.

Dilute the detergent in warm water, add salt (1-2 tbsp per bowl) or soda (2 tbsp) to soften, immerse the towels in the solution and leave for 30-40 minutes. After the specified time has passed, gently wash them with light whisking movements and rinse in clean water. Terry cloth absorbs soap solution intensively, so at least three rinses will be required.. Add vinegar to the “last” water - it will neutralize traces of the soap solution and make the fabric even softer.

Old hard towels: how to restore fabric

Don’t rush to get rid of old towels - they can be gradually revived and the lost softness and freshness of the shade can be restored. To do this you will need wash them several times, pre-soaking them in salted water.

Dissolve salt in a bowl of warm water at the rate of 2-3 tbsp. l. 5 liters, and soak the towels. After 30-40 minutes, wash the items as usual with the addition of a softening agent.

If the textile has faded, acquired a gray tint, or there are stubborn stains on it, but due to the fleecy nature of the fabric, synthetic bleach cannot be used, soak it for 8-10 hours in a water-salt solution with the addition of ammonia:

1 liter of water at room temperature + 1 tbsp. salt + 1 tsp. ammonia.

The secret to proper care of terry towels is simple: give preference to delicate detergents, avoid high-temperature spin cycles, use more water for rinsing and soften it with natural products so that your towels are always fresh, fluffy and soft.

Terry products require proper care. If you wash a towel once without following the recommendations on the label, you will end up with a hard and wrinkled item.

To prevent a delicate and fluffy product from turning into a hard brush after washing, you need to know how to wash it properly and how to restore the softness of terry towels if trouble could not be avoided.

Causes

This product consists of loop-shaped fibers. Thanks to them, the terry towel is soft and elastic, and also absorbs moisture well.

Why does fabric become rough and unpleasant to the touch?

The main reasons for the deterioration in the quality of terry towels:

1. Setting the washing mode incorrectly. Too high a water temperature, spinning at high speeds and an incorrect washing mode will lead to the fact that softness and fluffiness will disappear, and will be replaced by roughness and hardness.
2. Hard water. The quality of the fabric determines what the fabric will become after washing. Water with a high content of lime salts degrades the quality of terry. It needs to be softened.
3. Boiling. Terry should be treated with caution. Such material cannot be boiled. Boiling will not soften the fabric.
4. Cheap washing powders. Such products do not dissolve well in water. Their quality is low. Washing powder is poorly washed out of the fabric, causing the fibers to stick together. Immediately after washing, the towels will be soft, and after drying it will become clear that it is better not to buy a cheap detergent. It doesn't rinse well, and when it dries the product becomes rough.
5. When spinning at maximum speed, the terry is deformed and cannot restore its elasticity.
6. Products should not be dried in direct sunlight or on heating appliances. Due to the depletion of fibers, the towel loses volume and becomes stiff.
7. A quick rinse also affects the softness. It is necessary several times in the machine. If you do it manually, you need to change the water until all the soap foam comes out.
8. You cannot iron without a steamer.

To keep towels soft, you need to know how to wash them correctly and what detergents are allowed to be used.

To make the towel softer, follow several rules for washing products.

Adviсe:

1. When washing in an automatic machine, place tennis balls in the drum of the machine. For 2–4 products, the same number of balls is enough.
2. To keep them soft, always use a conditioner. Pay attention to the composition of the product. The conditioner must contain silicone. This substance keeps the fibers soft. If it's not included, don't buy it. Don't buy regular fabric softeners. For example, Lenore cannot be used, it says so on the bottle. Well Hous product is suitable, making the fabric fluffy and soft. Conditioner increases the hygroscopicity of the fabric. You can also buy softeners for baby clothes.
3. Read the instructions before choosing a wash type. Many products are not machine washable.
4. Water temperature - 30 degrees. This applies to both hand and machine washing. The temperature is indicated on the towel label and may vary depending on the manufacturer.
5. Instead of dry powder, buy liquid one. Gels rinse out better.
6. How to restore softness to towels if you used cheap powder? Run an additional rinse cycle. After it is finished, shake the product, if the pile is well straightened and not slippery, then the powder has been washed. If it is slippery and sticky, the additional rinse will have to be repeated.
7. Wash white terry towels separately from colored ones. Usually such products do not fade, but to preserve the color it is better to wash them separately.
8. Wet items should not be placed in the laundry basket. The pile will become coarse, and it will also be difficult to remove.

Such tips are suitable for any terry products, for example, pajamas and dressing gowns, which also require such care.

Manual

How to make it soft? Repeated hand washing at home will help restore the softness and fluffiness of the product.

To make towels soft after washing, follow the following procedure:

1. Pour cold water into a basin. Soak the product in it for several hours.
2. Drain the water, pour in clean but warm water. Add liquid detergent, or add laundry soap.
3. Lather the water, place a towel in the soapy solution and leave for 30 minutes.
4. There is no need to rub the terry product much. Gently wash the item using squeezing movements. If you rub too hard, the terry will become crumpled and the fluffiness will disappear.
5. Rinse the product well. Try to remove the soap as best you can. Add 1 tbsp to the last water. l. vinegar.
6. Gently squeeze out excess moisture, but do not twist.

The terry product must be dried indoors. Fresh air has a bad effect on the quality of the material.

Machine

You can find out how to wash towels without breaking the rules by reading the tag on the product.

If there are stains, remove them before placing the item in the machine. For difficult stains, apply stain remover.

To keep your terry towels soft after washing, follow this procedure:

1. Remove items from the drum with metal elements, strong plastic parts, rhinestones, zippers and other decorative items that could cause the towel to get caught and tear.
2. Place each item in a separate fabric or mesh bag. This will prevent the fibers from rubbing against the drum.
3. To keep the towels pleasant to the touch and soft, do not fill the machine drum to capacity. In a unit with a loading capacity of 5 kg, place only 2-3 products. They should move freely during the washing process. This way the pile will be washed thoroughly and all the soap suds will be rinsed out.
4. Place silicone balls or tennis balls inside.
5. Close the door and set the washing mode.
6. Then set the water temperature and add liquid detergent.
7. If there are stains that cannot be removed immediately, add bleach.
8. Immediately pour conditioner into the conditioner compartment.
9. Terry absorbs water well, so do not use economical programs. They do not wash the towel well, and detergents will remain in it.
10. Spin. You can't push it at high speeds. It is recommended to carry out this procedure at speeds of 500–700 minutes. If there is good ventilation in the bathroom, you can turn off the spin cycle and remove the moisture yourself, manually.

After washing, you can spin it in the machine. All that remains is to hang the towel on the clothesline in the bathroom and leave to dry.

Additional funds

How to make terry towels soft, if even with the use of conditioner the fabric remains a little harsh?

The following methods will help make towels soft and fluffy:

1. After washing, pour 5 liters of water into a basin and add 3 tbsp. l. salt. Dissolve the product in warm liquid and soak the product in the solution for 30 minutes. Salt can be placed in the washing powder compartment.
2. How to make a towel soft after washing using vinegar? During the last rinse, add vinegar at the rate of 100 ml per 5 liters of water. You can’t use table cider vinegar or apple cider vinegar; it will make the product darker. Buy only white.
3. Fill the bathtub with cold water. Hang the terry product on it and leave it until the morning.

These methods will make your towels soft and fluffy. But this does not mean that such problems will no longer occur with them.These products should be used after every wash.

Now every housewife knows how to make terry towels and bathrobes soft. It is enough to follow the rules of washing, drying and ironing, and also use home methods to soften the fabric.

You've probably noticed that over time, fluffy terry towels become become hard and lose their elasticity and softness. And even the use of ordinary store-bought fabric conditioners and fabric softeners cannot help! So what should we do? Should you buy new towels or try to restore the softness and fluffiness of your favorite towels?

Here are some tips following which you will revive your towels and keep them soft and fluffy for a long time.

1. When washing, give your towels freedom!
Always wash towels separately from other items. Never fill your washing machine completely. Towels need freedom to clean well and maintain fluffiness.
If you want your towels to remain fluffy after washing, then you need to fill the washing machine only halfway or three-quarters of the drum.

2. Natural drying

Never dry towels on a radiator or near another heat source. It is also not recommended to dry terry towels in direct sunlight. The best place to dry towels is in a shaded area outdoors. If this is not possible, then simply hang them on a rope in the bathroom.
But it is very important to wait until they are completely dry! If they are left a little damp, it can cause an unpleasant odor, and if you place them in a closet, they may even become moldy.

3. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT! This may surprise you... BUT!!! When washing towels, do not use fabric softener! Because in fact, when it accumulates in the fibers, it makes the towels even tougher, and they also lose their ability to absorb moisture well.

To return the towels softness, fluffiness and freshness, there is a simple and affordable way. For this, two universal ingredients that are found in every home are used - baking soda and vinegar.

1. Take
+ 1 glass of vinegar,
+ 1/2 cup baking soda,
+ hot water.

2. Load towels into the washing machine, select the wash cycle at maximum temperature. Pour vinegar into the liquid detergent container and run the wash (NO RINSE OR SPIN).

3. When the wash cycle is finished, put soda in the powder container and start the cycle again, this time with rinsing and spinning.

Your towels will then look like new again. Enjoy!

Many people choose exclusively terry towels for the reason that they are very soft and very pleasant to the touch. It is very convenient and comfortable to use this product after taking a warm bath. But over time, all these pleasant qualities of towels disappear. What is the reason and how to return your favorite product to its former softness? All the answers are in this material.

Reasons for rigidity

Before thinking about how to make towels soft again and what product to use to make them soft after washing, let's look at the reasons why they become hard. When you know exactly what the cause of a particular problem is, it becomes easier to deal with it.

Often, the quality of the pile is adversely affected by cheap and low-quality powder. If a low-quality detergent is not completely washed out of the fabric fibers, the item will definitely become hard after washing. Hard water can also negatively affect the softness of the product.

If you washed terry cloth products in a washing machine without observing the recommended temperature conditions, then due to the water temperature being too high, the softness of the fabric may also decrease. In addition, the original quality of such a product can be spoiled due to improper drying or if the towels are ironed without steam.

We figured out the reasons. What to do with those towels that have already become hard? Is it really impossible to restore their softness and make them fluffy again? It is quite possible to cope with the task even at home. We have helpful tips to help restore the softness of your towels.

How to restore softness

You can easily and simply restore the softness of your favorite towels if you know some secrets. Let's start with the most common and simplest method. To begin, the products should be immersed in clean, almost ice-cold water. They must be left in such water for at least twelve hours. Therefore, it is best to soak them overnight.

After this, the product should be rinsed thoroughly. This should also be done in cold water. After this procedure, lightly wring out each towel, shake it and dry it at room temperature. Ideally, you need to dry them in a room with high humidity, then the fibers will definitely be soft again. You can use a regular humidifier for this.

Regular salt and ammonia often help many women in the household. It is these two components that will help restore softness and brightness to towels. For one liter of warm water you will need one large spoon of salt and a small spoon of ammonia. As soon as the salt has dissolved, immerse the product in the solution and leave it there for three hours. Afterwards, rinse thoroughly with cool water and dry. When drying, follow the same recommendations that we discussed above.

If the towel becomes stiff after washing, you can immediately soak it in a salty solution for about forty minutes. And then wash it, taking into account all the rules and recommendations. For five liters of water, use two large spoons of any salt.

If the product has become hard after improper drying, an iron with a steamer will help restore the softness of the fibers. Iron the fabric thoroughly using hot steam, and it will again become fluffy and pleasant to the touch.

How to wash properly

The main reason towels become stiff is improper washing. For this reason, it is worth studying all the intricacies of this issue in order to know exactly how to properly wash terry towels.

First of all, you need to choose the right detergent. Avoid traditional powders and opt for liquid laundry detergents. Such products should not contain phosphates or chlorine. It is these components that have a detrimental effect on the original softness of the towel. As an addition, you can use a special fabric softener that contains silicone. This product perfectly helps to maintain the softness of products.

If you add a little ordinary table vinegar during washing, this will prevent the product from becoming hard. Nine percent vinegar - only 100 milliliters - should be poured into the compartment intended for conditioner or rinse aid. And if you add a spoonful of sea salt along with the powder, this will help soften the water, which will have a positive effect on the quality of the washed towels. If there is no sea salt, then you can add a small spoonful of ordinary baking soda.

Be sure to wash your towels using a special program. The temperature should not exceed 40 degrees. Spin should not exceed more than four hundred revolutions. Also, never fill the drum completely. The laundry should move freely in the drum.

When washing in a machine, it is recommended to use special “spiky” balls, which help fluff up the towels and keep them soft. Such special balls can be found in any store; they are often used for washing down jackets or woolen products.

If you wash your clothes by hand, you need to follow other recommendations. Before the main washing process, be sure to soak the item in cold water for an hour or two. For hand washing, it is also better to use gel or any other liquid detergent. When washing, do not rub the terry towel too much. It should be washed with smooth and light movements.

After this, you can soak the product for half an hour in water with salt, and then start rinsing it. During rinsing, you should change the water at least three times to ensure that no detergent particles remain. During the last rinse, add a little table vinegar to the water - this will help soften the fibers. When wringing out the towel, do not twist the product too much.

We have a few more tips that will come in handy if you have new towels that have not yet lost their softness. Our recommendations will help you maintain their softness for a long time.

1. Never put a used towel in the laundry basket if it is slightly damp. If crumpled, damp fabric will definitely lose its fluffiness. Be sure to dry the towel after each use, straightening it thoroughly.
2. When putting towels into the washing machine drum, make sure there are no items with zippers, metal buttons or rivets. Such metal products will ruin terry fabric.
3. Before you start drying these types of towels, be sure to shake them several times and only then hang them up.
4. Do not dry such products in the hot sun or hot radiator. High temperatures cause the fabric to lose its fluffiness and become stiff.
5. Do not fold towels more than four times for storage in the closet. It is best to store terry products on closed shelves or in wicker baskets.

How to make a towel soft after washing is a rhetorical question for most housewives. Very often, terry fabrics become hard after washing, especially if the powder and washing mode are incorrectly selected. How to avoid this and keep them soft and fluffy, as in their original form - we’ll talk about this in our article.

The main reasons why towels lose softness

Before talking about the softness of terry products, let's first find out the main reasons why they can lose it, and there can be many of them. Any one of them in itself can make them tough, and even more so in combination.

1. Low quality powder, especially phosphate based ones.
2. Severely hard water, with a high content of salts and calcium, and refusal of special water softeners.
3. Spin and rinse in economy mode, with a small amount of water. In such cases, the powder or other product is poorly rinsed and remains in the tissues.
4. Ironing without using steam.
5. Low air humidity during drying.
6. Incorrectly selected washing temperature mode.

What to do to keep towels soft

Terry towels, even though they are not an item of clothing, also require careful treatment and compliance with the rules of use, no matter how strange it may sound, because, it would seem, it’s just some kind of towel. Follow the recommendations that you are about to read, and everything will be fine with them for a long time, and they will be soft, tender and fluffy.

1. Try to choose liquid detergents as an alternative to dry powders. They have a gentler effect on the fabric, and also wash out faster and better.
2. If you still washed with regular powder, then set the machine to an additional rinse mode in order to wash it out of the fabric as much as possible.
3. Try not to use bleaches and conditioners - they are difficult to wash out and spoil the terry. If you still don’t want to give up the conditioner, then use one that contains silicone - it will soften the villi.
4. There are special balls for fluffing up fluff and lint during washing. Add a couple of these to the drum of the machine, or tennis balls, and they will significantly soften the fabric.
5. Do not use temperatures above 40⁰С.
6. Fill the drum no more than a third so that water can circulate freely and thoroughly wash out the fabric fibers when rinsing.
7. Do not set the spin mode too hard. 400 -500 rpm is quite enough.
8. It is recommended to add a teaspoon of soda or a tablespoon of salt, preferably sea salt, to the detergent.
9. You can add 150 ml of 9% vinegar to the conditioner compartment.
10. Do not use detergents containing phosphates or chlorine.
11. Use water softeners.
12. Do not wash with items that have metal components, such as zippers or metal buttons. It’s better to wash them separately from other things.

Handwash

Nowadays, few people remember that you can also wash things by hand in a basin, without using any bourgeois automatic machines. Nowadays, rarely anyone will go to such an extreme, but if you still decide to shake off the old days, then here are some tips for you:

1. In this case, it is better to abandon powders altogether and use liquid, or even better, ordinary laundry soap as a detergent. It will retain its pomp and wash it off with a bang.
2. Pre-soak your textile item in cold water.
3. Dilute the soap in warm water and add a couple of tablespoons of soda or table salt. Immerse the towels in this solution and leave them there for half an hour.
4. Wash carefully, without sudden movements. Do not rub the fabric too hard with your hands - this will deform the terry and deprive it of fluffiness. Only light and smooth movements.
5. Rinse in at least three waters, adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the last one.

To make your towels soft, here are a few additional tips and life hacks.

• Read the information on the tag and do not ignore it.
• Shake well before hanging to dry.
• Do not dry near open sources of high temperatures and do not dry them outside in extreme heat.
• Iron using steam only.
• If you have a water filter at home, it would be a good idea to pass the water intended for washing through it.

Is it possible to bring old hard towels back to life?

Yes, you can, so don’t rush to throw them away, unless, of course, the shashel has completely finished them off. For resuscitation, do the following:

• For 5 liters of warm water, add 3 tablespoons of salt and dissolve it.
• Soak the textiles in this solution for half an hour.
• Take it out and wash it in the machine as usual, not forgetting to add a softener. Don't add any more powders or other nasty stuff.

If the fabric has become very dull over the years or has old stains, a mixture of salt, ammonia (ammonia) and water will help. For 1 liter of warm water, add a teaspoon of ammonia and a tablespoon of salt. Soak for 10-12 hours and wash as in the previous method.

How to determine the water hardness in your tap water

At first glance, it may seem that the question is supposedly off-topic. But, if you consider that this property of water directly affects the quality of washing, then it no longer seems so inappropriate. If anyone didn’t know, the water that flows through the pipes is by no means the same for everyone, and its quality in different regions, and even districts or villages, differs significantly.

If you are wondering how suitable your tap water is for washing your terry products, and whether you should use softening agents, then you will simply need to find out the hardness of your tap water. Let’s try to do this at home, without resorting to official data, which, as a rule, is distorted and untrue.

Using soap

1. Finely crumble the soap into the water. If it is almost all dissolved, then it is soft. If there are a lot of floating particles left, then, alas, its quality leaves much to be desired.
2. Wet your hands under the tap and lather. If your hands wash quickly and easily, then everything is fine. If it’s difficult, then you have a very hard liquid flowing in your pipes.

With tea

Brew black tea, preferably loose leaf, and after a few minutes notice its color. If it is light and bright, then everything is fine, if it is dark and cloudy, then this indicates hard water.

Please note: when using liquid detergents, you should not blindly believe what is written on the packaging, especially if it concerns the amount that you are recommended to use once. Any manufacturer of household chemicals is interested in you using up as much of their product as possible, so that you run out of it faster and come back tomorrow to buy a new one. Always use slightly less than the recommended amount, by at least a quarter. Believe me, nothing bad will happen.

We hope that you learned a lot from this article and that it was useful to you. Wishing you soft terry products and home comfort!

Video: How to restore the softness of terry towels - grandma’s recipes