I use my kitchen towels all the time, they are good for a spill, cleaning off the counter, wiping down the microwave or stove. However, I am not as good to them as I should be. On laundry day I do one load that is just towels, with regular detergent and dry them on high. I was talking to my friend awhile back about how I needed to buy more towels because mine were so worn out and weren't really absorbing anything any more. She told me about an old trick she used every month on all her towels to keep them fresh and absorbent, I tried it, and it worked! (Thank god for friends!)
I found out that using detergent and dryer sheets builds up in the towels themselves and makes them less effective (who knew?!). It does make sense, and now that i know I use this trick on my towels once a month. You don't need to do this every single time you clean your towels, its build up and this just removes the build up.This also works if you have mildew on your towels!
I found out that using detergent and dryer sheets builds up in the towels themselves and makes them less effective (who knew?!). It does make sense, and now that i know I use this trick on my towels once a month. You don't need to do this every single time you clean your towels, its build up and this just removes the build up.This also works if you have mildew on your towels!
For this you will need one cup of apple cider vinegar (white vinegar will also work) and a half cup of baking soda. I like to pre-measure so I don't make a mess in the laundry room!
Once you are in the laundry room, start the wash with hot water. You want to make sure its on hot or it wont work as well. Dump the baking soda and put in your towels. Some people add the vinegar at the last rinse cycle but I felt like when I did that it wasn't as effective, however it could have been my fault. Either way, I stick to this and its less fuss. Once the load is done, make sure you check to see if the moisture is out of the towels, give them a few wrings to make sure.
Now toss the towels back in the wash, and repeat but this time use your cup of vinegar. Make sure your wash is set to hot and when you are done, wring them out again.
Put your towels in the dryer, and set it to high. Heat is a big part of getting your towels back into shape. Some people will toss in a dryer sheet, I don't because all of these towels are going to be used in the kitchen, so I don't really want them to smell like a "mountain breeze." but you if you do, go for it! I also use this on my regular towels once a month, and the dryer sheets help the towels smell nice and fresh. Don't worry, you wont be smelling the vinegar when you go to clean off after the shower if you decide not to use a fabric sheet!
If you do this and your towels are still in a rough state, you should do a vinegar soak. All you have to do is add two cups of vinegar to your laundry (still using the hot setting), for my washer I just have to leave the laundry door open for it to automatically stop, make sure you check that your machine will stop with the door open! Then, let it sit for an hour. If you want to let them soak for longer ( I have done this for towels that got mildewed in the summer) just add one pot of boiling water per hour you want to let them soak. I have saved so many towels from the garbage bin with vinegar soaks. Just make sure you wring them out really well before you put them in the dryer.
This will also work on clothes that have gotten a funky smell, I just used this on a pair of leggings I can finally squeeze back into that got a little funky sitting in the attic for years. I have also used it on sheets and bedspreads in our guest room that doesn't get a ton of traffic and can smell a little musty after awhile. Remember than sometimes these cleaning methods can cause a little color lightening, but I have yet to see that happen with my stuff.
Do you have any tips or tricks to get your towels in tip top shape? Share them in the commends section! Thanks for reading and happy cleaning!
If you do this and your towels are still in a rough state, you should do a vinegar soak. All you have to do is add two cups of vinegar to your laundry (still using the hot setting), for my washer I just have to leave the laundry door open for it to automatically stop, make sure you check that your machine will stop with the door open! Then, let it sit for an hour. If you want to let them soak for longer ( I have done this for towels that got mildewed in the summer) just add one pot of boiling water per hour you want to let them soak. I have saved so many towels from the garbage bin with vinegar soaks. Just make sure you wring them out really well before you put them in the dryer.
This will also work on clothes that have gotten a funky smell, I just used this on a pair of leggings I can finally squeeze back into that got a little funky sitting in the attic for years. I have also used it on sheets and bedspreads in our guest room that doesn't get a ton of traffic and can smell a little musty after awhile. Remember than sometimes these cleaning methods can cause a little color lightening, but I have yet to see that happen with my stuff.
Do you have any tips or tricks to get your towels in tip top shape? Share them in the commends section! Thanks for reading and happy cleaning!