How Can I Make My Old Towels Soft and Fluffy Again?

Updated: May 16, 2024

There are several ways to revive old towels with common household ingredients. Adding ammonia or vinegar to the wash can reduce detergent buildup, while drying them on low and using dryer balls can make them fluffier. Over time, towels do have a tendency to get hard and to lose absorbency often because factors like hard water or drying them on too high a heat. Addressing these underlying causes can help eliminate some of the hardness and lack of absorbency. Some very old or very stiff towels may be too far gone; in that case it's better to recycle them and get new ones.

Add Ammonia or Vinegar to the Wash

It's often possible to soften old towels just by adding 1 cup (0.23 liters) of ammonia or vinegar to your wash. Ammonia can strip off buildup from laundry detergent and fabric softeners, while distilled white vinegar can cut through mineral buildup from hard water. Vinegar also softens the fibers of the towel when added during the final rinse. If the towels are smelly, try adding 0.5 cup (110.5 grams) of baking soda in a separate wash. You shouldn't add the baking soda in with the vinegar or ammonia; it won't work as well.

Wash with Water Softening Tablets or Borax

You can also try washing a load of old towels with water softening tablets designed to clean limescale out of laundry machines. This is particularly effective for towels made stiff by hard water. Another option is to mix 0.5 cup (about 110 grams) of borax with 1 cup (about 280 grams) of sodium carbonate — called soda ash or washing powder — in a little very hot water until they dissolve. Once the powder is dissolved and the mixture has cooled down, pour it into a 2 liter bottle, and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Then add 1 or 2 cups (about 236 to 473 ml) of this solution to a load of old towels.

Other Washing Tips

Many laundry experts recommend washing towels separately from other clothing because buttons, hooks, and other clothing closures can catch on the towels and cause them to wear out more quickly. When you wash them, don't overfill the washer — it's important for the towels to be able to move around freely to get clean, and the friction of items rubbing together can cause them to wear out more quickly. Use the hottest water temperature recommended, and always rinse with cold water.

Using Dryer Balls

A non-chemical way to soften old towels is to always dry the towels on low heat with a dryer ball or tennis ball in the dryer. These keep laundry from clumping together while drying and help the air circulate among pieces, which makes them dry more quickly. Generally speaking, it's best to use dryer balls in place of fabric softeners when drying any towels, whether they're old or new because the chemicals in the fabric softener can coat the towel fibers and make them less absorbent.

Causes of Hard or Non-Absorbent Towels

Towels naturally become rough and non-absorbent because the fibers break down over time. They can also get stiff because of environmental factors, like hard water that causes a buildup of minerals on them. After washing towels that have a very heavy buildup of minerals with water softening tablets or a solution of borax and washing soda, you may see small crystals in the bottom of the washing machine; those are the minerals that were washed out of the towels.

Caring for towels incorrectly can also age them and make them scratchy or non-absorbent. One of the most common reasons towels become less absorbent is because of the ingredients in fabric softeners; the silicon or other lubricants that make the clothes soft can also leave a coating on towels and prevent them from absorbing water as well. Bleaching towels repeatedly can also cause their fibers to break down, making them scratchy. Though it's OK to bleach towels periodically, you shouldn't do it too often.

Too much heat can also damage towels, so it's important to make sure to only dry your towels on low or medium heat settings. It's also best not to iron towels, but if you really want to, then do it on a low heat setting. Towels can get stiff if they're dried on a clothesline instead of in a drier; you can help reduce this by shaking them out before and after you hang them up, or you can dry them only part way, then put them in the dryer with a dryer ball for a few minutes.

How To Wash Towels To Keep Them Soft and Fluffy

Taking care with your washing practices can help preserve the fluffiness. Try these tips next laundry day.

Wash After Two or Three Uses

Much of the wear and tear on towels comes from washing. Fortunately, you don't need to wash them after every use. To reuse towels between washes, hang them up immediately so they can dry quickly. As long as they dry between uses, you can reuse towels two or three times before they need to be washed.

Wash Small Loads

Towels need room to move around in the wash, so avoid overloading your machine. If the load is too large, the fibers can become compressed, resulting in a flattened, rough fabric. Smaller loads will not only give you fluffier towels but will also rinse cleaner and dry faster.

Cut Detergent in Half

Detergent buildup can make your towels stiff, so try using half your usual amount. The same goes for fabric softener; liquid softener can leave a waxy residue that, ironically, reduces softness as well as absorbency. Use it every few washes instead of every wash, or skip it altogether.

Rinse in Cold Water

Because towels can harbor bacteria, it's best to wash them in hot water. However, heat will break down the fibers more quickly and shorten the life of your towels. Washing in hot water and rinsing in cold water reduces heat damage.

Use Bleach Sparingly

Bleach may seem like a great way to keep your white towels looking brand new, but too much will wear them out faster. This chemical is harsh on cloth fibers, reducing softness and absorbency. To extend the life of your towels, only use bleach occasionally.

How To Get Fluffy Towels Without a Tumble Dryer

Drying towels with dryer balls or tennis balls is a popular method to keep them soft and fluffy, but if you don't have a tumble dryer, you will need to rely on other methods.

Soften in the Wash

There are simple ways to soften towels in the wash, such as adding vinegar or ammonia. These are beneficial even with a tumble dryer, but taking extra care during washing is particularly important if you want to achieve maximum fluff without a dryer.

Avoid Direct Heat

You may be tempted to hang your towels directly in front of a radiator or other heat source to dry. While this will dry them quickly, it will leave you with stiff towels. Drying away from direct heat takes longer but yields better results.

Fluff by Hand

Before hanging towels to dry, give them a good shake to fluff the fibers and wring out excess moisture. This can reduce drying time and help them stay soft and absorbent after drying.

Wait for a Windy Day

Getting fluffy towels on a clothesline can be difficult, but it's not impossible. For softer towels, wait for a slightly windy day to hang them out to dry. The gentle agitation will fluff as they dry and keep them from becoming stiff.

Brush Your Towels

You may be able to revive scratchy towels by brushing them with a hairbrush. Lay the towel flat and brush in one direction to soften and separate the fibers. This trick can be useful for dealing with stiffness from line drying.

Does Vinegar Make Towels Fluffy?

Adding vinegar to a load of towels is easy, natural and cheap, but does it help? Vinegar works by breaking down residue that makes cloth fibers rough and less absorbent. The acidity dissolves hard water buildup, detergent residue and fabric softener residue, leaving towels softer and fluffier. When using vinegar, don't use baking soda in the same load; the two chemicals will neutralize each other and you won't get the benefit of either.

How To Know When It's Time To Replace Towels

No matter how diligently you care for your towels, you will eventually need to replace them. Here are some signs that it's time to treat yourself to a new set: