Set your machine to the hottest wash possible and let the vinegar get to work – there's no need to rinse afterward. A second step is to do the exact same process but with baking soda, before putting the towels in the dryer or leaving to air dry to save some money on energy bills and give your dryer a break.
All you'll need is one cup of white vinegar and one cup of baking soda. You'll be using these two ingredients separately, as using them together will only cancel out the effectiveness of each one, during two washes on the same load of towels.
Use Vinegar
Use about half the recommended amount of detergent while washing and add ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar to the water during the rinse cycle. The vinegar helps set the colors and removes excess detergent residue.
For most purposes, Harris recommends combining one part baking soda with two parts white vinegar. That combo can cut through grease and lift stains, sometimes better than store-bought cleaners, she says. Important: Never combine vinegar with bleach.
Use hot water each time you wash towels. Use a heavy-duty detergent (Tide and Persil are leading brands with enough enzymes to effectively remove body soil) that cleans well. Keep your washer clean. Be sure the towels are thoroughly dry before folding and storing.
1. Wash your towels with hot water and 1 cup of white vinegar, (don't use any detergents or fabric softeners). 2. Run the towels through a second wash with 1/2 cup baking soda and hot water, (again, no detergent or fabric softener).
High-end hotels prefer to use Egyptian cotton, which is softer, fluffier, and cozier than regular cotton. Such that, even Mizu Towels use this fabric to make their luxury towels. Although it is lighter than Egyptian cotton, some hotels also use Turkish cotton in their towels.
Put your towels into your washer machine. Mine is a high efficiency (HE) front loader washer machine but you can also do this with a standard washer machine too. Add 1/2 cup baking soda right over the towels. Don't worry about using the dispenser, just pour it right over the towels.
Wash towels frequently.
Now that you know why towels should be washed every three to four uses, stick to a regular bathroom linen washing schedule. If your towels start to feel stiff or less absorbent, add borax to your machine (or vinegar) every few washes to refresh them and remove detergent residue.
Pop it straight into the drum of your washing machine or into your drawer, again depending on your washing machine model. While this can use a lot of energy, it's the best way to get the most from your baking soda.
Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle. A sanitizing cycle can also be used, but may not be recommended for every wash, depending on the towel fabric.
Wash towels in hot water and one cup vinegar. Don't add any detergent. Wash the towels a second time (without drying them) in hot water and one cup baking soda. Dry your towels but avoid fabric softener, which builds up on towels and reduces softness.
Skip the fabric softener every other wash to avoid waxy build-up on towels that can lead to a reduction in absorbency and softness. Do not iron towels! This heat will only damage and flatten the fabric fibers causing them to be less plush than you would like.
Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic. The mixing reaction causes the baking soda to foam up and produce carbon dioxide gas.
Tired of stinky, retail cleaners? Try this: Vinegar Cleaner: 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp Dawn dish soap 1 tbsp white vinegar Directions: Fill spray bottle with water. Add Dawn. Add baking soda.