Should You Use Fabric Softener on Towels? Reasons

We’re here to answer whether it’s a good idea to use fabric softeners on towels. In addition, we’ll demonstrate how to wash towels to keep them fluffy and soft.

The ultimate laundry challenge, even more, difficult than not shrinking a favorite sweater and remembering to empty every pocket before the wash, seems to be keeping towels as soft as the day you bought them.

But should you use fabric softener on towels? Regularly using fabric softeners on towels will cause them to lose some of their absorbency over time, and most towel experts would concur that this is not a good idea.

To learn the answers, continue reading.

Should You Use Fabric Softener on Towels?

When you want fluffy towels, the promise of fabric softeners seems favorable. However, it goes against common sense. Eliminate the use of fabric softeners if you want to keep your towels soft.

To condition the laundry, rinse cycles are frequently used with liquid fabric softener. Oils, fragrances, and ingredients derived from petroleum are present. These ingredients create a coating that lessens static and wrinkles. Additionally, it keeps clothes soft and imparts a lingering scent.

Further Reading: Can You Wash Towels With Clothes and Sheets?

However, the same oily film is what makes using fabric softeners on towels after each rinse a bad idea. Towels’ ability to absorb is hampered by oils and petroleum-based materials. They prevent the towel from absorbing water and make it greasy and slippery.

How to Wash Towels to Make Them Soft?

Your towels can be re-softened in a number of ways without the use of fabric softener. Here are some tips you can apply the next time you wash your towel at home:

Use Vinegar Instead of Fabric Softener

Your towels will remain soft and fluffy by using white vinegar like magic. Because of product residue left over after washing, towels can become rough and dry. By adding vinegar to your towel during the wash cycle, you can get rid of soap or fabric softener residue.

Natural laundry softeners like vinegar can be used. As a result, your towel will feel fluffy and more absorbent after being washed in vinegar.

Replace Fabric Softener With Baking Soda

Baking soda occupies a place in the laundry room as well as another pantry staple. A good substitute for liquid fabric softener is baking soda. Towels are made softer with the aid of this miracle powder. Baking soda accomplishes this by removing product buildup and loosening the towel’s fibers.

Additionally, it gets rid of the musty smell from wet towels left in the laundry basket after a shower. After washing, using baking soda will leave your towels smelling great.

Wash Towels Separately

Lint will be produced by a cotton towel. It makes no difference how good the cotton is. The reason for this is that cotton is a natural fiber, and natural fibers shed. The first few times you wash a new towel, you should wash and dry it separately. A lint-filled situation will be prevented by doing this.

Cotton towels should be washed separately from other clothing if you don’t want to pick at lint. They should never be combined with corduroy or microfiber. Lint is drawn to these materials.

Towels should be washed in separate loads to ensure that each one receives equal care. It may seem tedious to be picky about how you separate the laundry, but it’s worth it.

Reduce the Amount of Detergent During Wash

During the washing process, towels don’t require a lot of products. There may be a lot of residue in a towel if it is stiff and scratchy. Using a little less detergent when washing towels is recommended. Less product is used, so there is less likelihood of soapy residue remaining on your towel.

For the wash, you can add more water to get rid of product residue.

Don’t Overload the Washing Machine and Dryer

Tossing your entire load of laundry into one cycle is never a good idea. Your washer cannot complete its task when there is not enough room for the clothes to tumble. Your laundry won’t be completely clean after being washed with water and detergent. You’ll get dingy towels that have only been partially cleaned.

Your dryer is in the same boat. A disaster is guaranteed when the dryer is overloaded. You cannot produce soft, fluffy towels without sufficient air. You can put three towels in the washer and dryer at once, along with some washcloths or hand towels.

Use Warm Water

You should wash your towels in water that is closest to your body temperature. Unlike hot water, warm water doesn’t harm cotton fibers. Additionally, it is better able to absorb detergent. It results in less product build-up following washing.

Use a Lower Setting in the Dryer

The dryer should be set to a lower heat setting. Even the best cotton towels can suffer damage from the dryer’s high heat. Before moving the towel from the washer to the dryer, you can shake it. The towels will become fluffy as they dry.

Skip the Dryer Sheets and Opt for a Dryer Ball

Clothes smell better after using dryer sheets. Also, it makes the fabric soft. By applying a fatty molecule to the fabrics, it achieves this. Towels don’t work well with this though. The towel’s absorbency decreases due to the coating.

Materials You Shouldn’t Use Fabric Softener On

Whether you use dryer sheets or liquid fabric softener, these products soften fibers to help minimize wrinkles, reduce static cling, and add a little fragrance to your laundry. However, using them on specific materials may have a detrimental impact on fibers.

Before adding it to your rinse cycle, read the care label and give these five materials a second thought before using fabric softener.

1. Microfiber: Being able to trap dust and absorb spills is one of the best things about microfiber. But if you wash microfiber with fabric softener, you might end up eliminating its efficiency.
2. Sportswear: Wicking technology is used in many types of athletic clothing to absorb sweat from your skin and keep you cool while you exercise. If you use fabric softener on these clothes, it will leave a coating that will keep the moisture from wicking, as the name suggests.
3. Towels: Although everyone enjoys using a soft towel to dry off, dryer sheets and liquid fabric softener can lessen how absorbent terry cloth and other fluffy fabrics are. If you notice that your towels aren’t drying as quickly as they did when they were new, skip the softener every few washes.
4. Flame-resistant clothing: Kids’ sleepwear must be flame-resistant in order to lessen the likelihood that it will burn. However, using fabric softener when washing your kids’ pajamas and nightgowns has an adverse effect on the fabric’s ability to resist flames.
5. Water-repellent fabric: Similar to flame-resistant clothing, fabric softener could alter the fibers in this material too, according to Forte: “The finish’s capacity to fend off the water may be affected.” What use does the garment serve if that happens?

Why You Should Always Wash Towels When You First Use Them?

Once you have your towels at home, you should use caution when using fabric softeners. Ironically, though, they can play a significant role in the creation of towels.

To give them that extra-fluffy appearance you see in the store, almost all new towels are coated with softeners, which are frequently used during the finishing process. Washing your towels before using them is the best practice because this coating can limit their ability to absorb.

It also prevents lint buildup to wash your towels as soon as you get them home from the store.

Conclusion: Make Towels Soft

Fabric softener: Is it harmful? Not quite, but it might not be good for your towels. From silicone oil, fabric softener is made. The towel fibers become greasy, slippery, and less absorbent as a result of this oil adhering to them during the wash cycle.

Using fabric softener when washing towels is therefore not a good idea. Use the advice in this article to keep your towels soft without compromising their integrity or quality.

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