What makes washcloths hard

Be respectful, keep it civil and stay on topic. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Make crusty towels feel new again with this simple trick If towels are feeling less than fluffy and absorbent, try this trick. Alina Bradford. We all love to have a soft, absorbent towel to wrap around us after a shower or bath.

The softness protects and soothes our skin, and the absorbency captures the moisture so we can get dressed more quickly. Unfortunately, even after buying the softest and most plush towels we can find and afford , they can end up feeling stiff and scratchy after a few months. It all has to do with how they're washed and dried.

Every towel will eventually become stiff and scratchy if body soil, body oils, detergents, chemicals, and minerals from hard water are left in the fibers after washing. Most of the time, the softness can be brought back to the towel simply by stripping away the gunk and then following some easy steps to help prevent the problem in the first place.

Gather similarly colored towels and washcloths, and load them into the washer. Do not overload the washer because the towels need room to move in the washer drum. To remove body soil, detergent, and fabric softener build-up that is causing the problem, select the warm or hot water option.

Set the cycle to normal wash. If you have pre-loaded automatic detergent and fabric softener dispensers, disengage them for this load.

Do not add any detergent or fabric softener. Instead, add two cups of distilled white vinegar to the washer drum. The vinegar will help strip away the residue left in the towels that is causing them to feel stiff. If you live in an area that has hard water and don't use a water-softening system, it will take more than vinegar to cut through the mineral deposits built-up in the fibers of your towels.

This will allow the existing detergent to be washed away. If another washing is not enough to restore the cloths, there may be long-term soap build up on the fabrics that is similar to soap scum in the shower and it needs to be dissolved. Another possibility is that hard water is contributing to a build-up of mineral deposits on the clothes that also need to be dissolved. Strange as it may seem but the world of towel making may also be conspiring against you.

I recently went in search of good towels and discovered the really great ones, made in america by fieldcrest the real royal velvet went belly up. What I did notice is that when the residue was off my existing towels as well as the new ones, they get fluffier and perhaps more like a real terry cloth feel rather than that slick velvety feel.

Towels are not like the used to be and sadly it seems to be trial and error as to what makes a soft, washable absorbent towel over time. Same issue. For years I've noticed that my dark green washcloths in particular eventually get "hard", while equally old ones of other colors stay nice and soft. Towels don't seem to be affected by this.

I read once it was too much fabric softener which seems counterintuitive, although I can see how dye buildup maybe? But the cloths are all washed and dried together and it's only the dark green and occasionally very dark blue ones that do this. One of life's little mysteries I guess. That or some kind of really weird chemistry :. Indem Sie weiterhin auf der Website surfen bzw.

Mehr erfahren. Sign In. Join as a Pro. Houzz TV. Houzz Research. Shop Featured Holiday Categories. Home Decor. Holiday Decor. Christmas Trees. Holiday Lighting. Gift Cards. Laundry Room. Washcloths are stiff and hard Email Save Comment Featured Answer. Yes it is frustrating!! Good Luck. Like 1 Save. Sort by: Oldest. Newest Oldest. Like Save. Do you have a frontload washer?