There comes a point in the life of every towel when it’s just not smelling quite right. No matter how much Clorox for colors I’ve used, there was still an ‘off’ smell. So, here is the method for how to refresh towels and it’s with vinegar and baking soda!
To the best of my knowledge, the original source for this how to refresh towels with vinegar and baking soda method is Wikihow. But it’s really hard to figure out where these ideas originate!
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Refreshing your towels with vinegar and baking soda is right up my alley because they’re my two favorite household cleaners.
How to refresh towels with vinegar and baking soda
How to refresh towels? You can refresh your bath towels with just 2 ingredients. This ‘how to refresh towels’ process will strip the residue that has built up and cause them to be fresh and practically new again. You will notice they absorb better as well.
I am so glad that I found this household tip on Pinterest. After a while, towels start to have a build-up of softeners & laundry soap. This causes them to no longer absorb like they did when you first purchased them.
You may even start noticing an odor that is not so pleasant after a while, too.
How to refresh towels once this happens? A simple solution with vinegar and baking soda
1Run them through a wash cycle with only hot water and 1 cup of white vinegar. Do not add soaps! 2Then run them through again. This time using hot water and 1/2 cup baking soda. Again, do not use soaps! 3Dry your towels on the hottest setting until thoroughly dry. You can also hang them outside in the sun for additional freshening.
Repeat procedure as needed. Both vinegar and baking soda strip the soap and fabric softener residue from your towels.
I’m really pleased with the results of washing my towels this way. They smell great, and as a bonus, they’re also much softer!
How to refresh towels Final note:
Do not mix the vinegar and baking soda in the same load because the two together cause a chemical reaction that foams which might cause your washing machine to overflow!
Read more: Vinegar and Rubbing Alcohol solution to Remove Earwax
Even though I’m a big fan of ‘two for one’, but in this case, there are no shortcuts.
Luckily the washing machine does all the work! I’ve personally added both to a top loader machine and not had problems with overflowing, But this how to refresh towels method does work best when you wash first with vinegar, then run a second time with the baking soda.
How to Refresh Towels: Some other methods
Here are some other methods, you might like for ‘How to Refresh Towels’.
4 Smarty-Pants Tips for Making Your Towels Feel New Again
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Mix half a cup of baking soda along with a normal detergent dose for fluffier and cleaner towels. Baking soda also naturally eliminates musty and mildew smells that come from towels remaining damp for too long.. Learn more here
Use the Vinegar and Baking Soda Method to Refresh Your Towels
Sometimes, no matter how many times you clean your towels or how much detergent you use, there’s still an “off” smell. Over time, fabric softener and laundry detergent can build up on towels and form a film over their fibers.
Towels become less absorbent with this film. If water cannot seep into your towel when you’re drying off, that means it’s not soaking into the fibers to clean them, either. Thus, your towel’s lack of absorbency can then lock that mildew smell into the material. Learn more here
How to freshen your towels and get rid of that mildew stink
Wash your load of towels on the hot cycle and add 1 cup of vinegar to the load. Do not use detergent or anything (especially bleach – that can be super dangerous!)… just hot water and the vinegar.
Let the washer do it’s job. Then, if you still smell a little bit, rewash with just hot water and 1/2 cup of baking soda. I did not need to do this step but if your towels are bad, you might want to. Again, no detergent, just baking soda and hot water. Learn more here
How to Refresh Towels: Ways to soften and reduce the chance of smelly towels
When your towels smell and lack absorbency—especially shortly after being laundered—it’s a sign that detergent and fabric softener have built up in the fabric. While it sounds counterintuitive, using too much detergent is actually bad for towels.
When soap residue builds up, the towels don’t dry as effectively, decreasing their softness and increasing their ability to be a breeding ground for bacteria. Learn more here
