Why are towels stiff after washing in the machine? Washing tips

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

After purchasing terry towels, everyone wants to enjoy their softness for a long time. Unfortunately, a situation often arises when, after a small number of washes, such products lose their tenderness. This is a consequence of improper care for them. Why are towels hard after washing in the machine? How to wash and dry them properly? Is it possible to restore the lost softness and tenderness of the product? The answers to these and other questions can be found below in the article.

Why are towels hard after washing in the machine?

Any housewife knows that high-quality washing of terry products is not an easy process. After all, you really want to keep their original softness.

If you examine such a towel using a magnifying glass, you will see that the terry product consists of loop-like villi. They give the fabric softness and elasticity and allow it to absorb moisture well. If the towels are not properly cared for, these loops no longer hold their shape. Due toThis once soft and delicate terry product becomes hard and poorly absorbs moisture.

The structure of the fabric is damaged due to the use of the wrong detergent, incorrect washing and drying. Also, terry products lose their softness due to interaction with hard water.

Now you know why towels are hard after washing in the machine. It's time to talk about the proper care of such products.

Pre-soak terry towels

How to wash a terry towel if it is heavily soiled? In this case, the pre-soaking step will help. This procedure will contribute to a better removal of various stains. And the vinegar added to the water will keep the structure of the towel soft and delicate.

The proportions for preparing the solution are as follows: 15-20 milliliters of vinegar per 1 liter of warm water. In addition, such a soaking of towels helps to remove even stubborn stains, for example, from grease.

Basic rules for washing terry towels

The basic tips for washing terrycloth products are as follows:

• It is recommended to use special linen or mesh bags so that towels do not rub against the washing machine drum.
• It is necessary to separate white items from colored items to avoid shedding. Although modern dyes are durable, it sometimes happens that light-colored towels are accidentally stained.

• It is not recommended to wash terry towels with products that are decorated with metal or plastic elements. These hard parts can damage the pile.
• Do not wash a wet towel. It needs to be dried first. Otherwise, a musty smell may occur. If such an unpleasant odor has already arisen, it is recommended to air the towel in the fresh air for several hours, and then wash it in the usual way.

Choosing the right laundry detergent

The main mistake when caring for terry clothes is using the wrong detergents. It is strictly forbidden to use inexpensive washing powder. "Tide", "Ariel" and other advertised means will also not work. After all, particles of powdered products are clogged into the fibers of the fabric and make the terry hard.

To wash these towels, you should choose liquid detergents in the form of gels. They are well washed out of thread loops, of which terry products are made, without leading to their rigidity.

If you are unable to use a liquid detergent, then rinse the towels thoroughly after washing.

Do not use bleach on terrycloth products. After all, such a tool also penetrates deep into the fabric and gives it excessive rigidity. How to wash towels that are heavily soiled? It is better to use ammonia or laundry soap, applying one of these products directly to the stain before washing. After sometime, you need to rinse the thing well in warm water. And only after that start machine washing.

Choosing the right program for washing terry towels

When choosing a washing machine program, use the following recommendations:

The optimum water temperature is 30-40 °C. Permissible maximum is 60 °C. Before washing, be sure to pay attention to the label on which the recommended washing parameters are indicated

• It is recommended to squeeze terry products at low speeds - from 500 to 700 per minute. You can even opt out of this option. This will only prolong the life of the towels. If you use an intensive spin, the fibers of the terry become stretched, cease to hold their shape and, accordingly, no longer cope with their functions.
• It is strongly not recommended to use economical washing modes, because when choosing such programs, the machine uses a limited amount of water throughout the entire working cycle. Terry products are able to absorb a large amount of moisture. If there is not enough water, the towels will become hard and may even shrink. For the same reason, you should not load the machine drum more than 2/3. It is recommended to install at least three rinses. Water during this process must be present in sufficient quantities. It is under these conditions that the remaining detergent will be removed, and terry towels will eventually remain soft and fluffy.

Use rinse aids

Another way to make towels soft after washing is to use a rinse conditioner. This agent restores the structure of the fabric and makes terry products softer to the touch.

The important point is the correct choice of rinse aid. You should choose the tool, which includes silicone. And you don't need to use a lot of conditioner. Indeed, in this case, it will cover every fiber of the towel, which will lead to a decrease in the hygroscopicity of the terry product.

You can also rinse towels after washing in vinegar solution. This will also give them softness.

How to dry terrycloth products?

The above are washing tips to keep terrycloths soft and fluffy. However, another important process is the drying of such products.

Before hanging towels to dry, it is recommended to shake each towel well. This will help the terry loops to take the correct shape.

Terry products do not like direct sunlight. After drying in such conditions, they become hard, and in this case it will be extremely difficult to restore towels.

The softest terry products will remain after drying in the fresh air. Hang them in a shady place. If it's windy, that will be an added bonus. After all, the wind will quickly rid the towels of the remaining moisture and will not worsen the properties of the fabric. With this method of drying, you need to make sure that things do not dry out.

If there is no opportunity to hangtowels in the fresh air, then in the apartment the bathroom will be the best place for this. After all, the humidity in this room is higher than in other rooms.

If a special dryer is available, be sure to use it. When using this device, towels remain soft and gentle.

Terry things do not like being ironed. Indeed, at the same time, the shape of the loops changes, they become crushed. As a result, the towel becomes hard. It is recommended to replace the iron with a steamer.

How to recover a towel that has become stiff?

There are several ways to restore terry products:

It is recommended to wash the hard towel again, following the above tips. In this case, it is recommended to soften the water using special tablets for washing machines or capsules for hand washing. After that, you need to lower the product into a solution of table s alt for at least 40 minutes. This will have a beneficial effect on the terry fibers and straighten them. After the specified time, you need to wring out the towel with your hands, shake well and dry

• Terry cloth that has lost its softness and fluffiness should be soaked in plenty of cold water overnight. In the morning, the towel should be rinsed and dried. Clean water will help remove detergent residue that has roughened the product.
• It is recommended to steam the hard towel. The flow of hot moist air will return the loops of the terry to its original state.

Conclusion

Why are towels hard after washing in the machine? This could be due to a number of factors. The softness of terry clothes is influenced by the process of washing, drying, ironing, the choice of detergent and conditioner. There are several ways that can help restore the properties of rough tissue. If you follow the recommendations in the article when caring for towels, then terry products will remain soft, delicate and fluffy throughout the entire period of use.