How do people LIVE with fabric softened towels?

[Haroldwilson]

Staying in a holiday house. Towels soft and fluffy but so fabric softened that they don't absorb anything. I might as well scrape water off me with a spatula for all the good they do at drying.

Do people do this all the time? I can't cope with this savagery

I used white vinegar on a stained top, went through the wash and smelt hihh of vinegar.
How to stop the smell?

They don't live with them for very long. It's a leading cause of death actually.

I've never known a towel not dry you?! I use fabric conditioner and never had a problem with it absorbing water. I did try it without once after advice on here and my towels, clothes, everything was like cardboard! I even tried the vinegar thing but it just smelt like vinegar. No tumble dryer so that's not an option.

I use softener on them or they feel like sandpaper. They still work as towels should, haven’t noticed any issues with drying.

Team crunchy here

My perfect towel is quite thin now but it's 18 years old from dunelm!
Treated myself to some new waffle ones which I love as they're not too soft (if I use the none waffle side to dry with) but I still prefer my old one. The new soft ones are for guests
My flat sheet I use in summer is from my dads old hotel, and it's 41 years old still perfect

I have some tea towels that don't dry my hands. Useless. Not sure why, they're quite soft but they just seem to smear liquid rather than absorbing it. Like it's one job

What are you talking about??? I've been using it since it first came on the market, as did my late DM. Okay, yes, she is no longer alive - but she got to 88 which I think is pretty good. I am very healthy, thank you!

All these people going on about the smell. I don't buy floral scented stuff, and agree that it is a bit unpleasant. Mine hardly smells at all, and certainly isn't noticeable on the towels or clothing.

Another crunchy towel lover here.

Only thing that tops them is the first night under freshly washed and scratchy linen sheets. Bonus points if they’ve dried on an outside line on a hot sunny day.

We call them Weetabix towels.
My Mum breeds them and they're usually the size of a tea towel 😆

I've read every comment on this thread. It's got everything I could ever wish a thread on towels should have:

Soft v Crunchy

Use of Vinegar: does it smell or is there no smell?

Line Dry v Tumble Dry

Gold. 👌🏻

😮😮😮

I hang mine overnight and then when they’re all stiff and crinkly and quickly tumble them with any wet underwear that’s hanging about. It takes under tens mins and everything stays soft.

Crispy sandpapery towels are the best. They actually do their job!

Just regular Waitrose fabric conditioner.

I'm confused by this thread.

I wash my towels with everything else, with a small amount of fabric softener, then hang them up to dry (don't have a tumble dryer).

I've never noticed an issue with them not drying properly. They have a good balance of not being overly soft/fluffy but not being cardboard.

I know. I’ve never known a towel become the equivalent of a pvc tablecloth but that seems to be what is happening here.

Me too. Drying outside helps as the breeze seems to soften things which might be otherwise very crunchy. I iron a very few items to soften them too, but better that than clogged pipes and non-functioning towels.

Totally agree OP

And I only use Turkish towels here, very thin cotton, not terry towelling so when we go to stay places and they use these enormous heavy, fabric softened towels its quite disgusting, all slippery and slidey and heavy. They dont dry during the day so you pick it up the next morning and its still damp. Urgh

Slightly better in winter when there is radiators you can put them on and towel rails that might be heated but we've just got back from somewhere, where obviously the heating isnt on in this weather so damp towels all round.

There are some really shit towels around though. No matter how you wash them or if you fabric softener or not, they are not going to dry you well.

They look lovely. All fluffy and such. But they don't do their job.

Everything is lined dried here (hot country), and those shit towels have now been relegated to pool towels. Even when dried on the line, they are still fluffy but just spread the water around your body, they do not absorb.

Not all towels are equal.

(fabric softener cannot be blamed for every ail. I feel like its the opposite of baking soda 😃 )

#teamcrunchy

I stopped using fabric conditioner years ago (and never used it for towels) and haven't needed to clean slimy mould out of the washing machine drawer since. If it's doing that to the machine, what's it doing to the clothes?!

Grim.

This, only used it because my mum did and I assumed you had to. No difference. I tumble towels, bedding, socks, and everyday underwear anyway.

I've never used fabric softener on anything. Don't see the need. Hyped-up product.

Just because this was bothering me a bit (sad, sad I know), I checked the label on my shit towels. Aha, why did I never do that before?

Cotton Rich. I.e. cotton and polyester.

Sigh.

(note to self to check towel labels and not just the pretty print or colour next time)

In the name of science I have done an experiment.
I have taken two towels. One washed with conditioner and one washed without. The one with conditioner was tumble dried and the one without was line dried.

I took one tablespoon of tap water and dropped it onto both. I took pictures as the water landed on the towels. I then used a teaspoon for a smaller amount of water.

I present my findings.

Everything is chemicals. Including you.