How do you keep your towels soft?

[Sophia]

Hello hosts 👋🏽

We know that providing soft and fluffy towels is essential for a great guest experience. Maintaining their softness can be a challenge, especially with frequent use and washings 😞

I have read in the community that some hosts prefer to use natural products to keep towels soft, such as vinegar, which in addition to providing a delicate texture, does not leave any odour 🤔

How do you keep your towels soft and luxurious for your guests? Do you have any special tricks or techniques that you swear by? Share your wisdom and tips below 👇🏽

[Ruth413]

@Sophia   My towels in winter are semi dried on the Aga and then the last bit in the tumble dryer which softens them.

I am afraid in the Summer they are dried on the line in the sunshine and that doesn't help the softness but it helps with the electricity bill and also helps with the environment.

Saying that I have had guests mention in my reviews how nice it is to get sun dried towels, maybe the scent from the flowers in the garden and the fresh air helps ?

I have now found a make of towel that is thick and luxurious and stays soft even while sun dried, so I will be ordering more of those !

[Ghada18]

I usually find ironing the towels soften them a lot 

[Sophia]

@Ghada18 do you iron on a pretty low heating setting? (I know it's a silly question, I'm very curious 😅)

[Sophia]

Thank you for sharing @Ruth413 😊 it's really interesting to read that your guests enjoy the sun-dried towels ☀️ there must be a difference in the scent and feel of them! 

Glad to hear that you've found a great brand of towels that remain soft after being naturally dried, definitely a win! 🏆 

[Ondrej0]

Yes, definitely using tumble dryer will make them fluffy and soft. If you haven't got one invest in one and you'll see the difference it makes in the opposition to just letting them hang out to dry naturally. Until I got myself a washer and dryer combo which I use for washing and then drying my towels with I wouldn't believe it myself what a difference  a tumble dryer makes for the utmost fluffiness and softness. 

[Debra300]

@Sophia,

Most of the time, we dry towels on the rack and we are able to keep them soft by not using too much laundry detergent, and if I am around the washer when the rinse cycle begins I will add vinegar, then put the towels in the spin dryer to remove excess water and detergent remnants before hanging them outside.  There are times when we have to launder a lot of towels at the same time, and they all won't fit on the drying racks, so we put them in the heat dryer for about 20 minutes.  Usually, all of the smaller towels and some of the larger towels get dried and finish drying any damp towels and bath mats on the rack for a few minutes in the Caribbean outdoors.

[IBUsamah0]

tq for sharing .. i will find out more info about this ...

[Sophia]

@IBUsamah0, do let us know if you implement any of the tips from fellow hosts 😊

[Sophia]

I love how you have a specific routine @Debra300 😎 it's key to maintaining soft towels. Do you add the vinegar straight to the drum? or in the little compartment?

[Debra300]

@Sophia,

We have two types of washing machines.  We add the vinegar in the dispenser tray on the front-load washers, and directly into the drum during the rinse cycle in the top-load washers.  However, the primary method of keeping soft laundry is to use the appropriate amount of detergent or laundry soda for the load size and soil level.  People often just put in a full scoop or cap full of their laundry cleaner and disregard the directions regarding the usage amounts.  Also, leaving laundry on the line for extended periods affects the material due to sun and environmental exposure.

[Debra705]

Baking powder is the wash. No funky chemical smell.

[Sophia]

Hey @Debra705, do you mix the baking powder with your washing powder? or do you put it straight in the drum with the laundry? 🤔

[Debra705]

Input it directly on thr clothes. 

[IBUsamah0]

Tq for tips