How to Keep Towels Soft and Fluffy

Even the best  bath towels  need a little TLC now and then to keep them tip-top. After all, no one likes wrapping themselves up in stiff bath towels after a nice, relaxing soak. With a few little steps, you can make your towels feel less like sandpaper and more like a fluffy cloud.

There’s no use worrying about how to keep towels soft and fluffy if they were never soft in the first place. For the fluffiest towels, always choose 100% cotton, with natural raised fibres that make it oh-so fab-feeling. Plus, cotton is wonderful at staying soft over time.

Our  towel buying guide  can help you narrow down your hunt for the best bath towel even further. 

No one likes dirty towels, but you might worry that frequent washing might cause your towels to lose some of their precious softness. Luckily, with our towel washing tips, you can have towels that are both clean as a whistle and soft as a cloud. 

So, what is the best way to wash towels for ultimate fluffiness? 

High-quality bath towels should be thick and hold on to everything you throw at them, but the same can be said when they're in the wash. Many of us are guilty of using too much laundry detergent in our washes. With towels, it's really important you follow the guidelines on the laundry liquid bottle. If you use too much, it will simply be harder to remove during the rinse cycle. This will then accumulate over time and add to the stiffness of your lovely towels.

It's not just the amount of laundry detergent you use; the type can help too. Most towels are made from natural fibres like cotton, and harsh detergents can permanently damage these fibres. Try using a gentler detergent like  Wilton London eco-friendly laundry liquids .

Similar to harsh detergents, high temperatures strip the natural fibres of their natural softness. We suggest washing your bath towels on a cooler temperature, between 30 and 40 degrees. For more handy hints, read our guide on  How to Use Your Washing Machine .

It's tempting to stuff all the family's bath towels in the wash at once, but this won't help with softness or cleanliness. If there are too many towels in the wash, laundry detergents and fabric conditioners will not rinse out properly, leaving a build up over time which dries and goes hard.

A fabric conditioner works similar to conditioner for your hair – essentially moisturising the fibres. The common mistake is to overdose it; you really don't need much. 

In our opinion, our pals at Wilton London make the best  fabric softeners . They suggest about half a cap of their super softener for most loads, and this is plenty. If you use a small amount regularly, it will soften the fabric over time. It's tempting to pour a load in the wash to soften super-stiff towels, but this will only add to the problem. By using too much, it will effectively clog the fibres, causing them to dry even stiffer.

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 as the scent dissipates during the washing process. 

There’s no use in soggy towels - they’re meant to dry you after all. But over-drying can flatten those fluffy fibres, so it’s important to find the best balance.

 To Tumble Or Not To Tumble? 

A tumble dryer can be a big help in the pursuit of soft towels, but overuse them at your peril. The rough and tumble of a dryer is excellent for softening towels, yet over-drying is a big cause of the sandpaper effect. 

We recommend two things. Either use a tumble dryer to dry your towels straight from the washer, but on a setting that doesn't completely dry out your towels, as stripping towels of all moisture makes them rough. Another method (and the more  eco-friendly laundry option ) is to hang your towels out to dry and then bung them in for a 20 min tumble (preferably on a cool setting). This will help agitate the fibres, stopping them from sticking together, which will result in softer towels.

 A Ball Game 

Another great tip is to use dryer balls. You don't need to buy specific dryer balls; a tennis ball will do. Throw one or two in the dryer with your towels. It will help them dry quicker and agitate the fibres, further helping soften up your towels.

 Shake It Shake It 

Giving your towel a good shake before and after drying can raise those fluffy fibres. And don’t we all love to shake it sometimes? 

 Hang Out 

As mentioned above, a tumble dryer isn't always necessary. However, I do suggest you avoid popping them on top of a radiator as this only leads to over-drying and crusty towels. Use a clothes horse next to a heater or even better, dry them outside on a windy day. The wind will help keep them moving and agitate the fibres, just like a tumble in a dryer would.

Want more advice on keeping your towels in tip-top condition? Our  towel care guide  will teach you how to keep towels fresh, smelling sweet and looking lovely. 

So you’ve washed your towels, you’ve gotten them lovely and dry, and now it’s time to store them safely so they’re ready for your next soak. 

So that they don’t lose any fluff factor between now and then, pop them somewhere roomy and well-ventilated so the fibres won’t be flattened. Keep them away from direct sunlight and moisture, too, to avoid mildew and overdryness. 

The moral of the story? Pamper your towels, and they’ll pamper you even better. But before you rush off to try our tips, we have even more advice on living your comfiest life over on  The Bed Spread , including more towel tips and ways of keeping your other household fabrics soft.