Towels going 'hard'

[anniewoo]

How do you keep your towels soft? Mine don't stay soft for very long. I wash them at 60 or 40 degrees.

Could well be detergent build up. Strip washing them would help - machine wash with about 1/2 an egg cup of washing up liquid (yes, fairy or the like) and keep rinsing until all the bubble have gone. It takes several cycles, how many depends largely on how much detergent they are holding. I know it sounds scary but it's common practice with cloth nappies and wont damage the towels or machine at all.

Obviously tumble drying helps, even if you just start or finish them of in the dryer.

White vinegar in the softer draw will soften them (and they wont come out smelling of vinegar).

Tumble drier helps.

Also, as you are giving the towels a hottish wash, it will tend to dissolve the old soap sludge that builds up in machines with mostly cool washes. Give the machine a HOT HOT HOT maintenance wash with (preferably white) cotton towels and no powder and see if it foams up. If it does, that's old soap residue dissolving. Do it again until it stops. You can add a bit of washing soda if you like, but the water must be HOT to dissolve soap sludge. Check the instrs on your soap packet, and use a measure to see if you are using more soap than recommended. It is very common. Give the powder drawer, and its slot, a hot wash to remove any soap residue (or put it in the dishwasher)

otherwise, save up for a water softener. I really does make a big difference.

Thanks for all the advice. Don't think water hardness is a problem as i am in ireland

How much detergant are you using? I only use half for towels as they lather up well in the wash and dont really get dirty anyway as your only drying clean bodies on them.