'Crispy' bath towels

[misspollysdolly]

Not quite sure what's happened but I've managed to end up with lots of crispy towels at the moment - haven't changed the washing arrangements but I think it's down to drying them in the hot sun - they have literally baked - Grrr!! Some of the older ones especially are really scratchy feeling and will not be nice to use anywhere 'sensitive'

Is there anyway that they can be salvaged and less scratchy?? Or is it time to get new towels and put these baked ones into the clothing recycling?!

I aim to get them crispy you can't get dry on fluffy towels I like them to take a layer of skin off. I think you should take them off the line when just a tiny bit damp and finish them in the tumble.

If you put some white vinegar in the fabric softener bit of the machine, they'll come out all soft again :)

White vinegar makes a great fabric softener, and doesn't reduce the absorbency like fabric softener does.

Also, tumble drying them will help, but seems a bit daft in this weather!

I also aim to get my towels crispy. Fluffy towels are useless at getting you dry.
We use thin towels and as sparse a pile as possible. I use large muslins too. Wash them often in 60 or 90 as they also exfoliate like Turkish bath towels.

Cant stand the useless fluffy ones: marketing for comfort fabric softener gone mad, I say!

You could just put them back in the wash and see if they are softer afterwards when they haven't been dried in hot sun. Or try ironing them.

I like crispy towels too

So happy to see all these endorsements for crispy towels!! Me too, dammit!

Another vote for crispy

I'm having this problem currently too, v. Crispy towels, will try the vinegar see if that helps. They need to be soft as I have skin probs and it's to painful for crispy :(. Failing that I'll try my mums tumble dryer.

Oooh, how much white vinegar?

I aim to them crispy and DHs socks too, he hates it! Ha ha

Now I do draw the line at a sock that can hold its own shape.

Thought I was the only crispy lover around - good to know some others like their towel to actually dry them

I like crispy towels too!!!

It could be a detergants build up, wash on a hot wash with no detergants and then tumble dry without softener because it makes towels less absorbent.

Crispy, practically threadbare towels are the best.

Mmm crispy towels, a good layer or two of skin off - lovely!

Tumble dryer the buggers that'll soften them up.

I like a nice crispy towel too. Those new soft one's just move the wet around. But as others have said put them through the wash again and then tumble dry.

I use about a small fabric softener kids worth (though I just slosh it in, don't think it matters how much).

Make sure it is white (clear) vinegar, not malt, or you'll smell like a chippy :)

Love crispy towels

I like crispy towels but I also like soft towels so do half in the tumble dryer half on the rope.

I like crispy too . It's how I know it's clean

Throw the dry towels in the tumble dryer with a wet face flannel for a few minutes. Lacking a tumble dryer I find after the first use they are softer and smaller items such as briefs soften if rubbed between the hands. I use vinegar in the rinse but so far haven't found it softens clothes. Maybe it takes time.

I love crispy towels too.

I'm trying to stock up on old-fashioned huckaback (linen) towels, which dry skin on touching and dry themselves equally fast, the kind of thing people used before fluffy towels, so only available in charity shops as far as I know. (Ask your Gran).