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5 Natural Methods to Soften Laundry

5 Natural Methods to Soften Laundry

 

Looking to go green with your laundry but still end up with nice soft towels, blankets and clothes?  Here are 5 natural methods to soften your laundry.

1. Vinegar

The first way we can make our old towels like new is by looking at our old friend plain white distilled vinegar. Just toss your towels into the wash with a single cup of vinegar and let it run. If the vinegar scent is too much for you, just put the towels through another wash without the vinegar.

2. Wind Drying

The second way you can have softer towels is a rather old-fashioned method of drying your clothes. Just wait around for a nice, windy day and hang your clothes out on a clothesline outside. Try mixing this drying method with the vinegar washing method; it just might make your towels even softer!

3. Brushing

This next method is a little unorthodox, and it doesn’t involve washing or drying. Go and grab a big brush, maybe you can clean off Fido’s expensive pet-brush or you can grab the giant styling brush you got for your birthday, and lay your towel flat on a bed. Using long strokes in one direction, brush the entire side of your towel, flip it over, and brush it again. If you did it right, your towels should be as soft as the day you bought them home.

4. Baking Soda

Ahh, our ancient companion, baking soda; you’re always there when we need you, especially when our towels have become stiffer than plywood. You can soften your towels with baking soda by mixing roughly half a cup of the stuff in with your detergent before running the washing machine. As an added bonus, considering baking soda’s reputation for making anything smell good, those sweaty, smelly gym towels will smell bearable once again.

5.  Dryer Balls

Dryer balls are a safe and eco-friendly way to achieve super soft towels.  The slight bouncing of the balls will knock out lumps, fluff your towels up nicely and even decrease drying time.  A pack of 6 will last you a good year of laundry which makes them a worthwhile investment.  Do not cheap out and get tennis balls, while they will do the same thing, they could end up releasing toxins into your laundry.  If you are looking for a more frugal option, you can definitely make felted wool dryer balls yourself at home.

Bonus Tips

First, I’m not going to go on the record here and say DON’T use fabric softeners, you can still use them, just don’t use fabric softeners in excess; too much starts to dull the effect over time.

Second; try to put less towels into your machine at a time; it’s better on the machine and it increases the effectiveness of the methods mentioned.

 

Lynda Cook

Wednesday 3rd of February 2016

Great tips, I love using my dryer balls and yes they do work!!

Cheryl

Tuesday 2nd of February 2016

Thanks for the tips. I find the dryer balls work great :)