It shouldn't come as a surprise that bleach is involved in keeping hotel towels white. Hotels use oxygen or chlorine bleach, depending on the type of fabric and stains. Oxygen bleach is a form of hydrogen peroxide and releases oxygen to remove stains without damaging the fabric.
What i normally do is put them in the washer on hot, then add some baking soda to the detergent. Let it run its cycle and your towels will come out fluff free.
Always wash darks and lights separately, and wash your towels on a different cycle to your clothing or bed linen. Be sure not to use too much detergent, fabric softener or other liquids in the wash and keep it at a low temperature.
Bonus Tip - Vinegar
If your towels are very stiff and scratchy, try adding around 250ml of vinegar to a wash along with your laundry liquid. Add it to the washing machine drum just before you load and set the cycle going, don't worry, it won't make your washing smell like a bag of chips.
What is the best detergent to wash towels? Heritage Park All-Purpose Laundry Detergent is a great choice for washing towels. It is a pH-neutral, plant-based, detergent that uses a proprietary enzyme blend to remove dirt, stains and odors without damaging fabric.
Fabric softener is the main reason why towels shed so much lint in the first place.
Using Baking Soda
Sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda over the towels in the drum. Add detergent as normal, but skip the fabric softener. Run the load on either a warm or hot cycle. Once the wash cycle is complete, dry the towels on low to medium heat.
Wool dryer balls can help eliminate these concerns. They reduce static, leave towels fluffier, and don't deposit any build-up. Moreover, the reduced drying time can help your towels last longer by minimizing exposure to heat.
Choose Bleach or Vinegar for Whitening
Bleach can be effective for keeping white towels bright since there's no risk of color fading. However, vinegar is a safer, eco-friendly alternative that effectively whitens and freshens without the harsh effects of bleach.
Generally, they should be dried on low to medium heat. Use a dryer setting specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle. High heat and overdrying can cause fabric damage, so be sure to remove the towels promptly once they're dry.
Baking Soda and Vinegar
Add half a cup of baking soda to the detergent compartment of your washing machine. Pour half a cup of white vinegar into the fabric softener compartment. Wash your towels using hot water and run a complete cycle.
Despite popular belief, washing your towels with cold water is the best way to keep them clean, soft and fluffy.
Using vinegar in laundry is simple. You can add it to the fabric softener dispenser in your washing machine or pour it in during the final rinse cycle. When adding vinegar towards the end of the cycle, manually pause your machine right before the final rinse cycle and add a 1/2 cup of diluted white vinegar to the load.
Use baking soda.
This will help loosen up fibers and clean off any chemicals or grime, making your towels softer.
Add Baking Soda
Mix half a cup of baking soda along with a normal detergent dose for fluffier and cleaner towels.
Pre-Soak New Towels with Baking Soda or Salt
One of the simplest ways to minimize lint from new towels is by pre-soaking them. Fill a bathtub or a large basin with cold water and add about half a cup of baking soda or salt. Soak the towels for a few hours or overnight.
For super soft towels, add fabric conditioner to your load of laundry. Pouring a bit of liquid fabric conditioner like Lenor into your machine's dispenser drawer will prevent your towels from fading, stretching and bobbling during the wash, acting as a lubricant and helping to make them feel soft.
“When you first purchase towels, they often have excess dye and loose fibres that can cause shedding. Washing towels with white vinegar can help to 'fix' the dye in the fabric, preventing it from bleeding and reducing the amount of loose fibres,” he shares.
Can I use Pine-Sol® Cleaners in laundry? For extra cleaning and deodorizing power, add ¼ cup to your load along with regular detergent. Use only on white or colorfast fabrics. Do not use the product full strength directly on fabrics.
Incorporating natural additives such as vinegar or baking soda during the wash cycle can further enhance softness. Advanced drying methods, utilizing commercial-grade dryers with precise drying cycles, play a crucial role in preserving the towels' plush texture.