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Have you ever grabbed a towel from the closet and found that it just wasn’t near as fluffy as it used to be, and maybe even had some lingering smells? Well before you throw them out or add them to the rag pile, try this trick to make your old towels like new.
Over time the detergent and fabric softener you use to keep your towels clean and fresh will actually cause buildup that will leave them not as nice as they could be. You can make your towels look like new (or almost like new), be more absorbent and better smelling with these few simple steps.
What you Need:
Old Towels
Vinegar
Baking Soda
HOT WaterWhat to Do:
Using the hottest water cycle on your washing machine, wash your towels with a cup of vinegar.
When cycle is complete, leave the towels in the washing machine and run through another hot water cycle, this time adding a 1/2 cup of baking soda.
Once this cycle is complete you can stick the towels in the dryer and dry as normal.
One tip to keeping towels fresh is to always make sure they are totally dry before removing them from the dryer. The smallest amount of moisture can leave them smelling sour after you put them away.
This is definitely not an every time you wash your towels kind of thing. Just whenever they seem to be a little less absorbent or getting a little. This is perfect to do with that extra set of towels that has been sitting in the close right before you have guests come to stay.
I love getting new towels and the feeling of grabbing one of those big fluffy towels after a shower, but I can’t buy new towels every couple months. So this little trick makes me feel like I have new towels every time I do it. And it’s so easy, you can easily do it once a month. Enjoy!
I tried the vinegar wash followed by baking soda wash. Incredible.
Was so excited to try this. It didn’t work! If anything towels are stiffer. They were all dry and clean when I started. As I have a front loader I’m wondering if adding baking soda through the front and not the dispenser was the problem. Yet I see people with top loaders ad it directly. Will try once more as I just found fabric softener post re towels.
ENTER Do you add the vinegar and baking soda in the bottom of the washer or in the dispenser?YOUR COMMENT HERE
Just add it in place of your detergent, so wherever your detergent normally goes. I have a top loader with the agitator in the middle, so I just put the vinegar and baking soda right in the main drum in the bottom of the washer then add my towels.
What would be your directions be for an HE low water use machines?
I have a question ,just vinegar and hot water no detergent right ???
You run them through first with just vinegar, then a second time with just the baking soda. You will not use your regular detergent. You can use your regular detergent for a wash the next time you wash towels as you wouldn’t need to do this vinegar and baking soda wash very often.
Do I put washing powder in with the vinegar?
No you don’t add any detergent
ENTER YOUR COMMENT HAnnieEREdo you add the vinigar and bi card with your usual detergent and conditioner, or on its own
You run them through first with just vinegar, then a second time with just the baking soda. You will not use your regular detergent. You can use your regular detergent for a wash the next time you wash towels as you wouldn’t need to do this vinegar and baking soda wash very often.
Another way to perk up old towels is to dye them! I dyed a set that were still in good condition but had faded and made them look worse than they were. When my sis saw them she wondered when I got new towels!
I would definitely try this washing trick first to prepare them to absorb the dye.
This sounds like a good tip. But you shouldn’t use fabric softener on towels at all! Fabric softener has an ingredient that actually makes water roll off of fabrics, as a means to protect them. If you use it on your towels, you’re taking away a towels ONE claim to fame, the ability to absorb liquid!
I would definitely try your vinegar and baking soda trick on towels that have had fabric softener used on them, however, because it sounds like it would be good at cutting through the fabric softener build up.
Thank you for a great tip, this I will try out :) But Does it need to drumble dry,? (I havent got any drumbler for this moment. ) Love from Norway
You can air dry them. The main steps are the washing with vinegar and baking soda to get rid of the smell. Just make sure the towels are completely dry however you dry them before folding them and storing.
can I handwash my towels like this..??
Yes you sure can!
If you wash you towels in ammonia only instead of detergent, they will smell great and be fluffy. It really works great on smelly towels. I learned this trick from Heloise!
Tried this twice on two different sets of towels. Didn’t work at all.
I was hoping it would work.
I really appreciate this post. I have been looking everywhere for this! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again!
Will this work in my front load washer? Should I run the vinegar through the system or just add with the towels before I start?