Swap fabric softener for 2 natural kitchen items to keep towels soft

Swap fabric softener for 2 natural kitchen items to keep towels soft If your towels are feeling scratchy and musty, you might want to swap out the fabric softener for two natural staples from your kitchen Nothing beats wrapping yourself in a fresh, fluffy towel after a shower, but if they aren't laundered properly, they can turn rough and develop an unpleasant smell. This tends to happen when the wrong cleaning product is used, allowing bacteria, body oils and sweat to accumulate over time. Social media star Chef Fatty has even pointed out that washing dirty, smelly towels with fabric softener can actually make matters worse. Cleaning enthusiast and TikTok creator Lily recently revealed the two-ingredient natural alternative she swears by to breathe new life into her towels, leaving them noticeably softer. The solution is likely already sitting in your kitchen. How to keep towels soft Thankfully, Lily's trick doesn't call for any specialist products. In fact, all you need is white vinegar and baking soda from your kitchen cupboard to get the job done, reports the Express. Simply replace fabric softener with white vinegar in the machine's drawer. You can then add baking soda to the very same compartment. Place your towels and clothes into the washing machine drum and run a standard cycle. The white vinegar and water will work in conjunction with each other to soften the towels. White vinegar serves as an effective substitute for fabric softener, as it helps to break down detergent residue, mineral deposits and organic matter from the body, including sweat, body oils and dead skin cells that cling to towels. It is precisely these things that leave fabrics feeling stiff and scratchy. Make sure our latest cleaning stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by setting us as a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings. This is thanks to its acetic acid content. Pouring vinegar into the washing machine dispenser can effectively break down all the substances that leave towel fabric feeling rough and uncomfortable. There are numerous other advantages to incorporating vinegar into your regular laundry routine, beyond just towels. Vinegar can also brighten and whiten pale and white garments. It can additionally eliminate unwanted mildew odours, along with persistent sweat or pungent smells. It can even stop pet hair and lint from sticking to clothing. Baking soda can similarly help eliminate any musty odours coming from your towels, as it serves as an excellent natural deodoriser. The baking soda functions as a neutralising agent, working to absorb any oils which are causing the unpleasant smells. Simply sprinkle a generous quantity of baking soda onto the towels in the washing machine before running them through a normal cycle. Baking soda works to banish unwanted odours by neutralising the acidic compounds within the towels that produce the smells. The odour particles are dismantled by the baking soda, either reducing their potency or removing them completely. Over time, detergent and fabric softeners coat fibres, creating a breeding ground for bacteria that produces the unpleasant smell. Baking soda dismantles this bacteria. Baking soda also functions as a natural water softener, enabling detergents to perform more effectively while leaving towels noticeably fluffier. This method of adding baking soda to your laundry is particularly effective at tackling unpleasant smells from the likes of smoke, sweat, and even vomit. That said, if you're considering replacing fabric softener with white vinegar, you ought to proceed with care, ensuring it is used correctly and not too frequently. Overuse of vinegar in washing machines can potentially damage fabrics or cause corrosion within the machine itself. Using vinegar too regularly can cause the rubber components and seals inside your washing machine to deteriorate over time. Alessandro Gazzo, from Emily's Maids, told Homes & Gardens that it may be preferable to wash towels on the hottest setting available, which would eliminate the need to rinse them afterwards. He said: "I've found vinegar goes really well with hot water if you're washing towels. Hot water helps you with towels or sheets because it dissolves our natural oils and sweat from our body, and kills the types of bacteria that vinegar won't, which is why they're items you should always wash in hot water."