Importance Score: 20 / 100 🔵
Revitalize Your Towels with White Vinegar: A Laundry Essential
White vinegar, a common kitchen staple, emerges as a surprising yet effective solution for your laundry routine, especially when it comes to achieving soft and fresh towels. It proves particularly beneficial in rejuvenating older towels that retain musty or mildew-like odours even after washing. This natural cleaning agent effectively tackles ingrained dirt and eliminates persistent smells, restoring freshness to your textiles.
The Advantages of Vinegar in Laundry
Utilizing white vinegar in your washing machine enhances your laundry detergent’s cleaning power. Unlike some fabric softeners, it achieves this without leaving behind water-repellent residue. This natural alternative also combats the build-up from laundry detergents or fabric conditioners that can contribute to towels feeling coarse.
Expert Advice on Using White Vinegar for Towels
Optimal Quantity for Soft Towels
According to Sam Whigham from Wilton London, speaking to Secret Linen Store, white vinegar is excellent for bringing back the plushness to stiff, scratchy towels. He recommends a simple solution, stating, “If your towels are very stiff and scratchy, try adding around 250ml of vinegar to a wash along with your laundry liquid.”
No Vinegar Smell
Whigham reassures that incorporating the correct quantity of vinegar directly into the washing machine drum before starting the cycle “won’t leave your laundry smelling like a bag of chips.” This ensures you get the benefits of vinegar without any lingering pungent scent.
Regular Use for Lasting Softness
Incorporating white vinegar into your regular wash cycle can be a consistent practice for preserving the soft and luxurious feel of your towels over time.
Minimizing Fabric Conditioner for Towels
Whigham advises households to use fabric conditioner sparingly when laundering towels. He cautions against overuse: “It’s tempting to pour a load in the wash to soften super-stiff towels, but this will only exacerbate the problem. Excessive fabric softener can clog the fibres, causing them to dry even more stiffly.”
Recommended Fabric Conditioner Usage
Instead, he suggests employing a modest amount of fabric conditioner, roughly half a capful for typical loads, noting “this is ample.” Consistent use of a small amount will gradually soften the fabric.
Tumble Drying Tips for Towel Softness
The Role of Tumble Dryers
Regarding tumble dryers, Whigham acknowledges their softening capabilities for towels but warns against excessive drying.
Avoiding Over-Drying
He clarifies, “The tumbling action of a dryer is excellent for softening towels, however, over-drying is a significant cause of the sandpaper effect.”
Alternative Drying Methods for Plushness
To maximize softness, Whigham proposes two alternative methods:
- Partial Tumble Drying: Tumble dry towels immediately following washing but on a setting that leaves them slightly damp. Removing all moisture “makes them rough.”
- Hang Dry and Finish with a Short Tumble: Alternatively, hang towels to air dry and then place them in the tumble dryer for approximately 20 minutes on a cool setting. This process agitates the fibres, preventing them from sticking together and contributing to softer towels.