How to wash my towels?

[GrannyCarol]

I don't know if this is the best place for my question, but I'm hoping that you all can give me some hints as to how best to wash my bath towels to get them nice and fluffy and soft and absorbent? I bought some nice new fluffy ones and I see my old ones are pretty awful. I know there has to be a better way to get them the way I want them!

[Ravenlost]

Liquid fabric softener will keep them fluffy, but hinders absorption. I like to line dry mine until damp and stick them in the dryer to fluff them.

[Danaus29]

I have heard vinegar in the rinse or wash water helps to break down soap residue. It does work to keep towels absorbant and helps get rid of the sour towel smell if they set too long before washing.

[Maura]

Take those old towels and wash them without any detergent or softener. Check out the rinse water. That soap left in towels is one reason they loose their softness. I wash without soap. Any shampoo or soap that gets on the towels is enough to wash them. If you add dishcloths then you have quite a bit of detergent in the wash to begin with. When I had a dryer I would also line dry then finish them in the dryer. Towels use a lot of energy to dry otherwise.

[nodak3]

Never ever ever ever use softener on towels--it kills the absorbency. Fluff them with air (no heat) after line drying--pure luxury.

[culpeper]

Reduce the amount of soap you're using. There's probably enough soap residue in them to allow a couple of no-soap washes. Give them an extra rinse, and put vinegar into the final rinse. Hang them outside on a windy day. You could also add a spoonful of borax to the water - this acts as a water softener, too.

Some of my towels are over 30 years old, and still soft and fluffy (thought a bit thinner than they were originally!). They have never been through a clothes dryer.

[MELOC]

i use white towels and use bleach and only a little soap.

[farmergirl]

A doctor told me years ago, when I sought medical advice for a nasty skin rash on my neck and shoulders, that fabric softener causes the fiber strands to stand up, making them more scratchy and causing my skin rash. I quit using the softener (Bounce) and rash went away. I have found that the lifespan of a towel is around 3 1/2 years. After that, I turn them into dog towels and cut some up for cleaning rags. I just bought fluffy new, pretty colored towels for $4.50/ piece. I figure $20 or so every 3 years for towels ain't bad.