15 Simple Ways to Wash Towels Perfectly and Keep Them Soft and Fresh

Soft towels can make daily routines feel a bit more special, but washing them often or not caring for them properly can make them rough, faded, and less absorbent. The good news is that you do not need to do much to keep your towels plush and fresh. With the right washing and drying methods, you can keep them soft and cozy every time. In this guide, I have shared 15 simple but effective tips to help you wash your towels the right way.

1. Pre-Wash Towels Before You Start Using Them

Just like you would wash new bedding before using it, it’s important to wash your towels first. New towels often have extra lint and fibers that can come off and cause irritation. Washing them before use helps remove these loose fibers and keeps your towels soft and comfortable.

2. Select the Ideal Temperature

The best way to wash towels is to check the care instructions and symbols on the tag. In most cases, using colder water helps keep colors bright and protects the fabric. Hotter water is more effective at removing body oil. Choose the water temperature that fits your needs.

Experts suggest washing white towels in hot water and dark towels in cooler water. They say that hot means about 140°F, while a safe cool temperature is around 40°F.

3. Before Running A Load, Make Sure Your Washing Machine Is Set Correctly

Since most towels are cotton, the ‘normal’ or ‘cotton’ setting on your washing machine usually works well. If you want a deeper clean, you can use the ‘sanitize’ or ‘heavy-duty’ option once in a while, but avoid using it every time because it can wear out the fibers. Also, be sure to check the care instructions and wash symbols on your towels.

4. Use Only the Recommended Amount of Detergent

It might seem like using more soap will get things cleaner, but most washers are designed to rinse out only a set amount of detergent. If you use too much, it can leave stains behind. Towels, with their long fibers, also tend to trap extra soap. To avoid this, try using a bit less detergent than the instructions suggest.

5. Sort Laundry by Color Before Washing

Most people know this laundry rule: always separate your lights, colors, and darks before washing. To keep your colors bright and clean, try washing similar colors together.

For example, put all your green towels in one load. Group beige, cream, and light brown towels together in another. Keep your dark colors and blacks in a separate pile.

6. Wash towels Together

Washing your towels on their own helps prevent pulls and fabric pills, so they stay soft and look new longer. It also lets you use the right wash settings and reduces the risk of discoloration or less absorbency from certain detergents and softeners.

7. Dry Each Item Separately for Better Results

A common laundry issue is when clothes twist together in the dryer, making the outside dry but leaving the inside damp. To avoid this, try putting larger items like towels, sheets, and sweaters into the dryer one at a time. Shake each item well before drying to loosen the fibers and help air move through. Don’t overload the dryer so everything has space to move, and try using dryer balls to help separate items for more even drying.

8. Skip Overloading Your Machine

It’s tempting to fill your washing machine as much as possible, but overloading it can leave your laundry less clean than you’d like. Make sure there’s enough room for your towels to move around. The exact amount of space depends on your machine, but we recommend leaving about the space of one towel empty.

9. Use Low Heat in the Dryer Whenever You Can

If you want your towels to be completely dry, try to take them out of the dryer as soon as possible. Most dryers leave a bit of moisture to make ironing easier and reduce wrinkles. Removing your towels quickly stops that moisture from settling in. Using a low heat setting also helps protect the fabric from damage.

10. Skip Buying Brightening Laundry Detergents

When choosing a laundry detergent, try to avoid ones with brightening agents like bleach, alpha hydroxy acids, or benzoyl peroxides. These can make colors fade, cause towels to look patchy, and wear down the fabric, which means your towels may not stay soft or absorbent.

11. Use Warm To Medium-hot Water On A Normal Cycle

Washing instructions can vary based on the color or pattern of your towels. As a general rule, use a regular cycle with medium-hot water. This temperature is usually enough to kill bacteria and remove loose fibers. Always check the care label for any specific instructions.

Wash dark towels with warm water. Warm water removes dirt and bacteria but is gentle on the fibers, helping your towels keep their color and not fade.

Light-coloured towels can be washed in hot water. Hot water helps remove tough stains and makes whites and light colors look brighter.

Keep in mind that hot water can damage towel fibers over time. Try washing your towels in cold water occasionally to help them last longer.

12. Don’t Wash Towels with Pants or Heavy Clothing

If you wash towels with pants, especially jeans or clothes with zippers and buttons, you might notice more wear and tear. Metal parts can catch on towel loops, causing pulls, fraying, and making towels look old faster. Heavy fabrics like denim also create more friction in the wash, which can flatten towel fibers and make them less soft and absorbent. To keep your towels fluffy and in good shape, wash them with other soft linens or similar fabrics.

13. Store Towels in a Moisture-Free Area with Proper Airflow

How you store your towels matters if you want them to last. Make sure they are completely dry before putting them away to avoid mildew or musty smells. Keep them in a well-ventilated spot, like open shelves or a linen closet with good airflow. Try not to use tightly packed drawers or plastic bins, since these can trap moisture.

14. Avoid Leaving Towels in the Hamper or Washer

If you need to put a damp towel in the hamper, try to do your laundry soon after. Most hampers and laundry baskets are kept in dark spots, which can make it easy for bacteria to grow and cause bad smells. It’s best to let your towels dry before tossing them in the hamper. The same rule applies to towels left in the washer after a cycle—don’t let them sit for too long.

15. Avoid Using Fabric Softener or dryer sheets with towels

Fabric softener makes clothes feel soft by coating them with a layer of oil, usually made from silicone. This can reduce how well your towels absorb water. Dryer sheets can cause the same problem.

If you want a natural alternative, try adding a quarter cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle. This helps keep your towels soft without using fabric softener.

How to Wash Towels Without a Machine

If you don’t have a washing machine, you can still wash your towels by hand. It takes a bit more work because towels get heavy when wet, but the process is simple, and anyone can do it.

This guide will help you wash towels by hand, whether your washer is broken, you’re camping, or you just want to try the old-fashioned way.

You can get great results from hand washing towels in a bathtub, a large sink, or even a 5-gallon bucket.

What You’ll Need

Before you start, gather a few basic supplies:

• Clean bathtub, sink, or bucket
• Mild liquid laundry detergent
• Rubber gloves (optional)
• Clean plunger (optional for easier agitation)
• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Lemon juice (for white towels)
• Borax (optional)
• Drying rack or clothesline

After you gather your supplies, just follow these easy steps.

1. Prepare Your Washing Container

Start by making sure your tub, sink, or bucket is clean. Any leftover dirt or soap can get on your towels.

Fill your container with lukewarm or warm water. Warm water helps remove body oils, sweat, and grime from the towels. Don’t use very hot or boiling water, as it can damage the fibers over time.

If you’re washing more than one towel, add enough water so they can move around easily.

2. Add a Small Amount of Detergent

Pour in a small amount of mild liquid detergent (I recommend Persil Liquid Laundry Detergent):

• About 1 tablespoon for a bucket
• About 4 tablespoons for a bathtub

You only need a little detergent. Towels soak up soap, so using too much makes rinsing harder.

Mix the detergent into the water with your hand before you add the towels.

Tip: Don’t use fabric softener. It might make towels feel soft at first, but it coats the fibers and makes them less absorbent.

3. Soak the Towels

Place the towels in the soapy water and push them down until fully submerged.

Let them soak for 30 to 60 minutes. This gives the detergent time to loosen:

1. Dirt
2. Sweat
3. Body oils
4. Odors
5. Product buildup

If your towels smell musty or haven’t been washed in a while, let them soak longer to perform a deep clean.

4. Agitate the Towels

Next, you’ll work out the dirt trapped in the thick towel fabric.

Move the towels around vigorously in the water. You can:

• Rub sections of the towel against itself
• Press and knead the fabric with your hands
• Use a clean plunger to push water through the fibers

Keep going for about 2 minutes, or longer if the towels are especially dirty.

This step works like a washing machine’s agitation and helps remove grime from the towels.

5. Rinse Thoroughly

Drain the dirty, soapy water and refill the container with clean, cool water.

Swish and squeeze the towels to rinse out the detergent. Then drain and repeat if needed.

Keep rinsing until:

• The water runs clear.
• No soap bubbles remain.
• Towels no longer feel slippery.

This step is crucial because remaining detergent can cause towels to become stiff or develop a sour smell.

6. Wring Out Excess Water

After rinsing, squeeze out as much water from the towels as you can.

You can:

• Twist and wring each towel.
• Press them against the tub or sink.
• Roll them in a dry towel to absorb extra moisture.

Towels hold a lot of water, so take your time here. The more water you get out now, the faster they will dry.

7. Air Dry the Towels

Hang your towels on a clothesline or drying rack where there’s good airflow.

A sunny, breezy spot is best because sunlight can:

• Freshen towels naturally
• Reduce bacteria
• Prevent musty smells

Spread the towels out fully instead of folding them over, so they dry evenly.

Let the towels dry completely before using or storing them.

Natural Ways to Make Towels Cleaner and Fresher

If you want your hand-washed towels to feel fresher, softer, and cleaner, a few natural laundry boosters can help. These simple ingredients can tackle odors, detergent buildup, dullness, and even hard water problems without harsh chemicals.

Vinegar and Baking Soda for Deep Cleaning

If your towels feel stiff, smell musty, or don’t soak up water like before, leftover detergent might be stuck in the fabric. Soaking them in vinegar and baking soda can help remove that buildup.

Start by soaking your towels in warm water with 1 cup of white vinegar for about 30 minutes. The vinegar breaks down leftover soap, removes odors, and can make rough towels softer.

After that, drain the water and soak the towels again in clean water mixed with ½ cup of baking soda. Baking soda helps remove any remaining odors and leaves the towels feeling even fresher.

Once you’re done, rinse the towels well. They should feel much softer and fluffier afterward.

Lemon Juice for Brighter White Towels

If your white towels look dull or a bit yellow, lemon juice can be an easy, natural way to brighten them.

Just add some lemon juice to the soaking water before you wash. The natural acid helps remove stains, brighten dull spots, and freshen up the fabric with a clean scent.

This works especially well for making white bath towels look fresh again, and you don’t need to use bleach.

Borax for Hard Water Problems

If your water is hard, minerals in it can make towels feel rough and stop detergent from working well.

Try adding 1 tablespoon of borax for every gallon of water. This softens the water, helps detergent work better, loosens dirt, and can make your towels feel cleaner and less stiff.

This tip is especially helpful if your towels still feel scratchy after washing.

How to Remove Any Lingering Smells from Your Towels

It’s normal for towels to get musty and hold onto smells after regular use. To get rid of these odors, add about 64 grams or half a cup of bicarbonate of soda to your detergent tray and wash as usual. Here are a few more ways to freshen up your towels:

Tea tree oil: Add a few drops to your washing machine. Its antibacterial properties help get rid of the bacteria that cause bad smells.

Air dry your towels: When the weather is nice, hang your towels outside in the sun. Sunlight and fresh air help kill bacteria and get rid of musty odors.

Lavender: To keep towels smelling fresh, place a sachet of lavender or other fragrant herbs in your linen closet or drawers.

Read also: 15 Genius Hacks to Remove Bad Smells from Clothes

How to Remove buildup and re-fluff your towels

Over time, regular use and washing can make towels lose their softness and become stiff. This usually happens because of a buildup of chemicals, even from your tap water. To fix this, add 250 ml or 1 cup of white vinegar to your wash. Don’t worry, your towels won’t smell like vinegar afterward.

That’s all about washing and cleaning your towels. If this guide is useful to you, feel free to share it on your Pinterest.