How to Wash Towels So They Stay Soft, Fluffy and Absorbent

Blue towels in white laundry basket and powder laundry detergent.

There are two kinds of towels in this world: the fluffy, cloud-like ones you buy in the store, and the stiff, scratchy ones that live in your bathroom six months later. Same towels. Different laundry habits.

Here's the good news: a good-quality towel, washed and dried the right way, can last 5 to 10 years. That's long enough to arrive with a newborn and still be wrapping him up after bath time when he heads off to kindergarten.

Here's how to wash towels so they stay soft, absorbent and the right color for years.

The short version:

  • Wash new towels before you use them.
  • Wash towels separately from clothes, and darks from lights.
  • Use warm water and about half the usual detergent.
  • Skip the fabric softener.
  • Tumble dry on low, and don't overdry.

How to Wash New Towels

Don't hang that brand-new towel on the hook just yet. Many manufacturers add a finish that makes towels look sleek and feel silky in the store, but it also makes them about as absorbent as a raincoat.

Before the first use, wash new towels in cold water without detergent or fabric softener, then tumble dry on low. That rinses away the finish and fluffs up the fibers. Then, and only then, into the bathroom they go.

Wash Towels Separately

Towels and clothes don't play well together. Towels shed lint onto everything else in the load, and clothes with zippers, hooks and buttons can snag towel loops and pull threads.

So give towels their own load, and separate dark towels from light ones to keep the colors true. Wash matching sets together, too, so if they fade, they fade evenly. (Keep kitchen towels separate from bath towels, as well. Nobody wants a bath towel that smells faintly of bacon grease.)

The Best Water Temperature and Detergent for Towels

Water temperature: Check the care label first. Otherwise, warm water is the sweet spot for most towels. Hot water can fade colors and wear out the fibers faster, so save it for white towels and for anything used by a sick family member, which is also when chlorine bleach (for whites) or a laundry sanitizer is worth it.

Detergent: Here's the counterintuitive part: use less. About half the recommended amount of laundry detergent is plenty for towels. Extra soap builds up in the fibers and leaves them stiff and less absorbent. A gentle detergent protects both the fibers and the color.

Don't overstuff the washer. Towels need room to move around to get clean and rinse well.

How Often to Wash Towels

Wash bath towels after about three or four uses, or at least once a week. Hand towels and kitchen towels get grimy faster, so swap them out every couple of days. And if a towel smells musty, it's past due, no matter what the calendar says.

Skip the Fabric Softener

It sounds backward, but fabric softener is a towel's worst enemy. Many contain silicone or other ingredients that coat the fibers and repel water, which is exactly what you don't want from something you dry off with. Skip it, along with dryer sheets. For softer towels, toss a few wool dryer balls in the dryer instead.

How to Dry Towels

Woman taking blue towel from dryer.

1.     Shake each towel out before it goes in the dryer. It fluffs the loops and helps them dry evenly.

2.     Tumble dry on low or medium. High heat is hard on cotton fibers.

3.     Don't overdry. If the towels are hot, not just warm, when they come out, they've been in too long. Overdrying makes towels stiff and wears them out faster.

4.     Fold or hang them once they're fully dry. Folding a damp towel is an open invitation for mildew.

Let Towels Hang Out Between Uses

After a bath or shower, spread your towel out on a towel bar so it can dry quickly. A towel bunched on a hook or tossed on the floor (yes, I'm talking to the teenagers) stays damp, which invites mildew and that lovely sour smell.

Towels that dry fast stay fresher longer and need fewer washings. Less work for you, less wear for the towels.

How to Fix Stiff or Musty Towels

If your towels already feel crunchy or smell funky, they're probably full of detergent and softener buildup. Strip them:

1.     Wash in hot water (if the label allows) with 1 cup of white vinegar and no detergent.

2.     Run a second hot cycle with 1/2 cup of baking soda and no detergent.

3.     Dry thoroughly on low to medium heat.

Run the vinegar and baking soda in separate cycles; mixed together, they cancel each other out. And if your towels keep coming out musty, clean your washing machine, too. Front-loaders in particular can harbor mildew in the door seal.

When It's Time to Retire a Towel

Even well-loved towels eventually get thin, frayed or permanently stiff. Don't toss them: demote them to rags, or donate them to a local animal shelter, where old towels are always welcome.

Towel Washing FAQs

What temperature should I wash towels in? Warm water for most towels, hot for whites or when someone in the house is sick. Always check the care label first.

How do I make my towels soft again? Cut back on detergent, skip fabric softener and strip them with a hot vinegar wash, followed by a separate baking soda wash.

Why do my towels smell even after washing? Usually it's detergent buildup, overloading the washer, or towels sitting damp too long. Strip them, use less detergent and dry them completely.

Should you wash new towels before using them? Yes. Washing removes the factory finish that keeps new towels from absorbing water well.

Linen Closet Overflowing?

If you have towels stacked to the ceiling (including the ones from your first apartment), my book Room by Room will help you decide what to keep, what to donate and how to let go without the guilt.

Keep Going

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