A good towel should feel better the longer you own it. Most of the stiffness people blame on age actually comes from how towels are washed and dried. These five habits make the biggest difference.
1. Wash before first use
New towels carry finishing residue from the factory. One wash on its own, with like colours, helps the loops open up and start absorbing straight away.
2. Skip the fabric softener
It feels like a shortcut to softness, but softener coats the cotton and leaves a film that blocks water. If your towels have lost their absorbency, run one hot wash with a cup of white vinegar and no detergent to strip the build-up.
3. Use less detergent than you think
Too much detergent never fully rinses out and leaves towels stiff. A little less than the label suggests is usually enough, especially in a full load.
4. Give them room
Wash towels with other towels, and do not overfill the drum. Water and air need space to move through the loops so they rinse and dry evenly.
5. Dry low, and take them out promptly
High heat is hard on cotton fibres. Tumble dry on low, remove the towels as soon as they are dry, and fold them. Hanging them to dry between uses lets them air out fully, which keeps them fresh.
The short version
Warm wash, a little detergent, no softener, a low tumble dry. That is the whole routine, and long-staple cotton rewards it by getting softer with every wash.
