How to Make Your Towels Soft and Fluffy Again (Step-by-step)

Nothing feels as awesome as a soft fluffy towel wrapping around you as you hop out of a shower.

Sadly, this warm towel hug doesn’t last long, even with new towels.

Over time, towels soak in body soil, hard-water minerals, and detergent residue.

Eventually, they become rough and lose absorbency. If you are having trouble with your towels, worry not.

We are here to help. Read on to learn how to restore the fluffiness in your towel, tips on how to prevent it from happening, and more!

How to Make Towels Soft Again

Several methods can fix rough towels.

The internet is awash with options, many of which don’t actually work.

Below are the tried-and-tested methods that restore fluffiness fast.

Softening With Vinegar

Vinegar is one of the cleaning agents that can help in towel softening and restoring fluffiness. 

To soften with vinegar:

• Add ½ a cup of white vinegar during the first rinse cycle, and run as usual. 
• Note this dosage is for normal washes. 
• Increase the dosage with the increase in the load size. 

In the rinse solution, vinegar strips off detergent and chemical residues that cause roughness, leaving the towel softer and fluffier.

Use white vinegar specifically, not other varieties.

Stick to white vinegar to reduce the risk of staining.

Using Baking Soda

Baking soda is a fantastic alternative to white vinegar for softening towels.

It also breaks down residues in the fabric.

And it removes odors at the same time.

The only downside of baking soda is making clothes dull.

Also, avoid mixing it with some other cleaning agents such as vinegar, as mixing neutralizes both making them ineffective.

To start, add half a cup of baking soda to the wash in the first rinse, and let it work its magic of dislodging the residues.

Softening With Borax

Borax is a powerful cleaning agent that softens hard water.

Hard water is one of the main reasons towels become dingy.

Softening the water dissolves the minerals lodged inside the towel fibers.

Sodium borate, commonly known as borax, is one of the water-softening substances that work this way. By breaking down the mineral ions, namely Calcium and magnesium, they boost the cleaning ability of the detergent. 

That way, they can easily dislodge the residues, restoring fluffiness. Adding a ½ cup of borax to your normal load is sufficient for this purpose.

I recommend that you check out this article I wrote on mixing borax with detergent before you start using it, as it can be dangerous if you don’t handle it safely.

Wash With Hot Water

Most washing machines have washing and rinsing temperature settings. When it comes to washing towels, a hotter setting is the most effective in stripping the towel fibers off all residues.

Once done, rinse with cold water before drying normally. Cold rinsing makes the folded towel fibers fluff. 

Like all fabrics, read the wash instruction label first.

Some towels are not compatible with hot water.

Be especially careful with colored towels, since some can bleed dye in a hot wash.

Using Dryer Balls

Dryer balls are known for quickening drying.

But did you know you can use dryer balls to make towels fluffier too?

Toss a few in after the towels and run the usual dryer settings.

As the towel tumbles in the dryer, the balls roll over the towel surface, fluffing and softening the towel bristles.

For better effect, you can place the balls in between two towels instead of just throwing them in the drum.

This means the balls go to work immediately, as the balls are already in between towel surfaces to be fluffed.

Brushing

Another trick is to brush the towel to revive the collapsed or stiffened towel bristles. To do this, lay the towel flat on a bed and gently brush the bristles using a hairbrush.

If satisfied with the results, turn it to the other side and repeat the process. You can then fold carefully as explained above for storing.

How to Prevent Towels From Losing Their Fluffiness

Restoring fluff is good. Preventing the loss of fluff is better.

Consider the tips below.

Avoid Using Fabric Softeners and Dryer Sheets

This sounds counterintuitive because softeners exist to make clothes softer and kinder to the skin.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to towels.

Fabric softeners may appear to work in the short term and even make a new towel feel softer.

But over time, they make towels harder.

The waxes and chemicals in fabric softeners and dryer sheets clog the towel bristles, creating an impervious coat.

This reduces both absorbency and softness.

Go Easy on Detergents

Detergent overuse is one of the main reasons towels become stiff.

The detergent you use to remove soil ends up soiling the towel instead.

Over time, detergents build up in the fibers and accumulate absorbency-blocking residues.

Also, detergent overuse creates suds problems reducing the effects of rinsing, which eventually dries on the towels. One of the common ways people overload washers is by using the dosage recommended by the detergent makers. 

Often the recommended dosage is twice the amount you need for a normal laundry load.

How else are detergent makers going to sell more if you don’t deplete your supply quickly?

One simple hack: use half the amount recommended on the label.

Do Not Overload the Washer

A stuffed washer denies the towel space to turn around, get scrubbed, and also rinse properly.

Improperly rinsed detergent on the clothes makes them feel hard when they dry on the towel.

To avoid this problem, load half your usual load during washing, rinsing, or drying cycles.

Ideally, towels should be washed on their own.

Avoid washing towels with other clothes that have zippers, buttons, or other protruding hardware.

Doing so can strip the towel’s loops and make it feel tougher.

Avoid Undiluted Detergent on the Towel

This is especially the case with powder detergents.

Most don’t dissolve well, so they stick to the towel fibers no matter how hard you rinse.

If you must use powder, add the water to the drum first, followed by the detergent.

Next, agitate the mix properly to ensure the detergent not only dissolves but uniformly as well. This prevents soap or detergent build-up on the towel fibers.

Though we emphasize this more for powder detergents, the same applies to all detergent types. All undiluted detergents deposit residues on the towels and are hard to rinse and make towels less fluffy.

Be Careful With Drying

Ensure your clothes are completely dry every time you wash, or you use them. Storing them without adequate drying will attract mildew and cause the bristles to clamp together. 

Dumping wet used towels is even worse as it creates the right environment for the growth of odor bacteria. If you use a towel, hang it in an airy place to ensure it is sufficiently dry before storing or using it next time.

When it comes to tumble-drying, even more care is required over the damage to the towel fibers. If subjected to frequent heating, they weaken and peel off sooner, making the towel feel rough. 

To avoid this, use gentle heat settings or line dry your towel under shade. This makes the drying process a gradual process, rather than the instant shock drying that is responsible for the fiber hardening.

Properly Store Your Towel

How you store your towel goes a long way in maintaining its fluffiness.

The common practice is to fold it two or four times before storing.

That creates a sharp edge that feels scratchy when you use the towel.

If you must fold this way, avoid pressing them down with your hands to prevent sharpening the edges. Also, you might want to stack fewer towels in the closet. 

But the most recommended method is to roll the towel instead of folding it, as it prevents the problem of the sharp edges. To roll the towel this way, first, hold both corners of the short side of the towel with one hand on each corner in front of you. 

Fold towels the right way

5 Beautiful Folds for Towels (What Spas and Hotels Do)

In this position, the long side flows downward toward your feet.

Next, fold it in half by joining the two corners of the short ends.

The towel will look like a narrow strip.

Then roll the towel toward you, forming a cylindrical roll.

All towels folded this way can sit side by side for easy retrieval.

Stored this way, rough edges disappear and the fluffiness stays intact.

3 Clever Ways to Fold Towels (Fast and Space-Saving)

More on folding towels here.

Avoid Frequent Washing

Washing towels after every single use is not desirable. After all, other than getting wet, the towel will still be clean.

Frequent washing can only wear them out sooner and make them rough. To avoid this, ensure you reuse towels up to four times before washing. 

But this also depends on how you handle it after using it. If you just dump it into the laundry hamper, you will be creating a recipe for the growth of mold. 

To avoid mold or musty smell, air-dry the towel thoroughly before storing.

Use Less Bleach

Bleach is great for whitening clothes, but not for keeping towels fluffy.

Beyond removing stains, bleach wears out fabrics.

As the towel’s loops wear down, both fluffiness and absorbency drop.

Signs Your Towel Needs Replacement

Maintenance only goes so far.

With time, towels undergo natural wear and you will need to retire them.

So how do you know when your towels are beyond their useful life?

As a rule of thumb, towel replacement is recommended every two years.

However, if you are looking for dead giveaway signs, here are a few below.

• Reduced absorbency
• Torn or appearance of holes
• Rough or stiff appearance
• Towels become lighter due to fraying off of bristles.
• Continuous odor even with regular washing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Soften Towels by Line Drying?

Drying towels on a clothesline is sometimes preferable to tumble drying when it comes to maintaining their fluffiness. Tumble dryers harden the towel bristles over time.

To ensure towels are soft when line drying, wring out the excess water and then gently shake them to fluff the fabric bristles. Even better, hang them on a windy day as the agitation by the wind will help in softening.

Which Towel Do Fabrics Stay Fluffy for Long?

The fluffiest towels are made of cotton or rayon.

Pima or Egyptian cotton is generally the best cotton choice.

This kind of cotton is highly absorbent and stays soft and fluffy longer than other materials.

Compared to cotton, rayon is even fluffier.

Regardless, all towels lose fluffiness with time.

The good news with these materials is that maintaining their softness takes less effort.

How Can You Tell a Good Quality Towel?

One way to gauge towel quality is its weight.

This is denoted in Grams Per Meter (GSM).

At the lower end, GSM 300-400 is a light, less fluffy, less absorbent towel.

The GSM 450-600 range covers thicker and more absorbent towels.

The heavier the towel, the fluffier and more absorbent it is.

That also means they need less maintenance to stay fluffy.