Four reasons why towels are stiff after washing in a machine

Why do terry towels become stiff after washing in a machine? To prevent this from happening, use delicate washing and spinning modes, turn on the extra rinse function, and use liquid detergents. It is best to dry towels in the fresh air. It is not advisable to iron them and hang them on radiators.

Reasons why towels become hard

The fabric can become rough and unpleasant to the touch both when washed by machine and when washed by hand. True, it is much easier to ruin a towel when washing in a machine - after all, manual processing cleans the material more carefully, and your hands will not allow you to use too hot water and low-quality powders.

The quality of terry items deteriorates for several reasons.

• Hard water. Unfortunately, in most regions of our country, the water contains a significant amount of lime salts. Settled in the fibers of the fabric, they deteriorate the quality of any material. Hard water needs to be softened. We'll tell you how to do this below.
• The quality of the detergent. In this regard, terry is a rather capricious material that does not like powders. Therefore, it is best to resort to liquid laundry detergents.
• Incorrect washing mode - too hot water, poor rinsing, spin at high speeds.
• Mishandling. Some housewives manage to boil terry towels or iron them without a steamer.This is strictly not recommended.

So how do you wash terry clothes without deteriorating their original properties?

Fabric softener and liquid laundry detergent will prevent towels from deteriorating

How to wash towels to keep them soft?

To keep your towels soft and fluffy after washing, treat them with care. Here are a few secrets for handling terry products. Put them into practice and your towels and bathrobes will never become hard and rough.

• Use high-quality, expensive laundry detergents. Terry products do not tolerate washing with powders, so opt for liquid detergents. It is better if they are marked “environmentally friendly”, that is, without phosphates and chlorine.
• If you do wash with powder, then use the additional rinse function. You need to rinse terry products after using the powder three to four times. This will help flush out any chemicals that have settled there from the fibers of the fabric.
• Use bleach only on light-colored items and only when necessary. It is better to bleach soiled items separately before or after washing.
• Now about water quality. If the water in your region is hard, then ordinary table vinegar will help soften it. Add 100-200 ml per 10 liters of water with each wash. When machine washing, half a glass of vinegar can be poured into the conditioner compartment - this will soften the water during the final rinse.
• The machine wash mode should be gentle. Wash terry items at a temperature not exceeding 40 °C. Set the minimum washing time - after all, towels are not as dirty as outerwear, so it’s enough to spin them on a fast cycle.

Attention!

Terry towels should not be boiled.To remove stubborn stains, soak them overnight in double the amount of detergent and wash them in the morning.

• Do not use water saving modes.
• Load the machine drum to a maximum of 2/3 capacity.
• Do not use regular conditioner on terry products. Use silicone-based fabric softeners or fabric softeners. If you purchased a silicone rinse aid, do not overdo it with the amount - it reduces the moisture absorption of the towel.

To ensure optimal washing conditions, buy special plastic balls in the store. They are loaded into the machine drum along with the laundry, and during the washing process they mechanically break down the terry fibers, making the towel soft and gentle to the touch again.

Spin mode

When using the delicate wash cycle, do not forget about the spin cycle. It is not recommended to spin terry products at high drum speeds. The maximum you can set is 500 rpm. If you have no problems with drying and you are sure that the towels will not dry out due to slow drying, then use the 300-350 rpm mode.

You don't have to wring out the towel at all. Use non-spin or wool programs. After finishing the washing process, remove the items from the machine, lightly wring them out and hang them to drain. Fabric washed this way will be softer and fluffier.

Proper drying

Another important point is proper drying of terry products.

• You can dry towels in a vertical or horizontal position. Before hanging the towel on the dryer, shake it thoroughly to get all the lint out as much as possible.

• Terry products love fresh air.If possible, dry them outside - this will not only keep them soft, but also give them a wonderful smell.
• Terry can also be dried in an electric dryer. Such drying will not make them hard, but, on the contrary, will give the product softness.
• Do not over-dry towels - this also makes terry items rough to the touch.

As mentioned above, ironing towels with an iron is not recommended. But if such a need arises, use the steaming mode at a temperature not exceeding 150 °C. It is also good to use the vertical steam function.

How to make a towel soft again?

What to do with old items or towels that suddenly become hard and rough? The following recipes will help restore the terry cloth to its former softness.

• If the towel has become stiff from the laundry detergent, soak it in cold water overnight, then rinse and hang to dry. Water will wash away the remaining powder from the fibers and make the product softer.
• After washing, old towels can be soaked in a solution of table salt for 20-30 minutes. You can also add salt when washing to the powder compartment at the rate of 1-2 tablespoons per 4-5 kg ​​of laundry.

And finally, a few more tips on caring for terry towels.

• Do not throw used towels into the general bin. They will absorb unpleasant odors from dirty clothes.
• Wash wet towels immediately or hang them to dry before putting them in the laundry bin.
• Do not wash clothes with metal fasteners, zippers or hooks with towels. It is good to use a bag for washing clothes - this way you will protect the product from tightening. If puffs do appear, then it doesn’t matter. Trim them carefully with scissors.Don’t be afraid that the fabric will unravel - terry is made using a woven method and, unlike knitted items, does not give creases.

So, terry towels are quite unpretentious products, but they require compliance with certain washing and drying rules. Do not wash them at high temperatures, use a delicate cycle, use mild detergents. Do not dry on radiators or iron. If you follow these simple recommendations, your towels will always remain soft and delicate.