Chuck in a tennis ball Katarzyna's final tip is a surprising one, but when we tested it out at the GHI, people were able to identify which was the fluffier towel afterwards. “Add a tennis ball or two into your tumble dryer,” she recommends. “As they bounce around, it's another great way to fluff up your towels.”
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.
Over stuffing can lead to detergent build up. Sweetie, swap fabric softener with vinegar. Add about half a cup to the fabric softener dispenser. Remove soapy residue that makes towels feel rough. Instead of dryer sheets, use dryer balls instead. This will keep your towels nice and fluffy. Yeah!
Place your towels inside the machine dryer while making sure there's enough space for the items to move around freely inside the drum. 2. Add a dryer sheet. Place a Lenor Dryer Sheet on top of your towels to preserve their just-washed-freshness, provide them with extra softness, and reduce creasing and static cling.
Drying Techniques: Hotels may use specialized drying techniques to ensure towels remain fluffy and soft. Tumble drying on low heat or using a lower heat setting prevents overheating and excessive shrinkage. Some hotels also use dryer balls or tennis balls to fluff up towels during the drying process.
If you are looking for extra, extra fluffiness and buoyancy, try washing with baking soda and detergent first, followed by washing with white vinegar.
Hotels typically use towels made from 100% cotton, which is highly absorbent and quick-drying. Additionally, they follow strict laundering practices, such as using the right amount of detergent and avoiding fabric softeners that can leave a residue, ensuring the towels remain absorbent.
Fiber Damage from Heat and Chemicals
Frequent washing and drying on high heat, along with the use of harsh detergents, can damage towel fibers. This leads to broken fibers and a rougher texture that feels hard to the touch.
Choosing the right drying cycle
The cotton cycle uses high heat and is perfect for towels, bedding, and sturdy cotton items. For polyester and mixed fabrics, use the synthetics cycle, which operates at medium heat. Delicate items benefit from the low heat of the delicates cycle.
Use baking soda.
This will help loosen up fibers and clean off any chemicals or grime, making your towels softer.
The cause: A dirty washing machine. Yes, the very appliance you count on to clean can be making towels worse by leaving build-up including dirt, detergent, and hard-water residue on them. The fix: Clean your machine every few months with a simple procedure like this one or use a washing machine cleaner.
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.
High-quality Turkish and Egyptian cotton produce the best, softest, and most absorbent towels. Whether you need them for yourself or your guest bathroom, cotton bath towels are multitaskers and ideal for everyday use.
Drying your towels correctly will help you achieve soft, fluffy towels. Try this method for optimal results: Take the towels out of the wash and shake them thoroughly. Put them in the tumble dryer with some clean tennis balls and dry for around 20 minutes on a high heat.
A set of wool dryer balls can speed up drying time, get towels and clothes softer, and avoid the messy build-up of fabric softener and dryer sheet chemicals on your laundered items.
Air-drying can extend the life of your towels, so this is our preferred option. To finish, give your towels a good shake to help fluff up the fibres and make sure they are completely dry before putting them away.
Chuck in a tennis ball
“Add a tennis ball or two into your tumble dryer,” she recommends. “As they bounce around, it's another great way to fluff up your towels.”
It's best to dry your towels on a medium heat setting, with no more than two towels per dryer load. This will help prevent them from shrinking or melting together.
Vinegar will both soften your linens and provide odor-eliminating benefits. If you're dealing with hard water deposits or any other residue, a wash with vinegar should help remedy your stiff-towel issues.
One of the most common reasons a dryer takes too long to dry clothes is that it's overloaded. When you overload a dryer, it can't circulate enough air around the clothes to dry them properly. As a result, they'll take longer to dry and may not be completely dry when they come out.
Select a gentle cycle if possible. Use a mild detergent. Do not use fabric softener so that your garment will stay fluffy! Wash your garment at a very low temperature.
Without a tumble dryer, hotels might use drying racks in well-ventilated areas. They sometimes add vinegar to the final rinse cycle as a natural fabric softener. Gentle manual fluffing of the towels once they are dry is also common to preserve their fluffiness.
If you are putting soaked clothes in the dryer, tossing in a towel with your load may help absorb moisture and can possibly help speed up drying times. Be mindful to remove the towel after about five minutes for smaller loads, rather than keeping it in the dryer for the entire cycle.
A good drying towel should have high absorbency to soak up water quickly and efficiently. Microfibre and PVA towels are generally more absorbent than other types. Look for towels that can hold a lot of water to make the drying process faster and more effective.