How do you stop towels turning into sandpaper?

[story]

Is it the difference in water ?
Like soft and hard? Or the amount of chems that are added in one or another water district?

 

[andysays]

Crunchy towels dry you better.

Crunchie towels on the other hand...

 

[Epona]

Is it the difference in water ?
Like soft and hard? Or the amount of chems that are added in one or another water district?

You might have a point, I am now wondering whether crunchy towels are due to baked in limescale over the years

 

[BristolEcho]

Fabric conditioner is evil - if you buy a shirt, never use fabric conditioner, and dry it on a hanger, it won't crease as much and there will be less (or even no) ironing involved in its lifetime.

If you want to spend the rest of your life ironing cotton/polycotton shirts then sure bung some fabric conditioner in the wash.

I use fabric conditoner and haven't pulled out our iron in year. I don't wear formal shirts though.

 

[Saunders]

I’ve been pondering this as I have paying guests who it isn’t appropriate to leave rough towels for. I don’t think it can be to do with hard water as I just had some that I’d dried on an airer in the conservatory which is really hot at the mo obvs, and they were quite stiff. I don’t use a lot of detergent and live in very soft water area. Tumble dryer def makes them softer, as does putting them on the line, in a breeze. They dry rougher on a hot day unless it’s also very windy.

 

[Epona]

I use fabric conditoner and haven't pulled out our iron in year. I don't wear formal shirts though.

OH worked in hospitality for a bit, obviously there are some young trendy places where it's all t-shirts with the brand logo and baseball caps, but some hotels (mostly, but sometimes restaurants and even bars/clubs) still insist on formal wear for their staff - which naturally they don't provide or offer a laundry service for. My tip to not use fabric conditioner was very welcome under such circumstances

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I don’t think it can be to do with hard water

Doubt it too - I live in a soft water area and towels still go nice and crunchy. Never use fabric softener because it stinks.

 

[Edie]

I’ve never used fabric conditioner in my life. I don’t even know why people use it? I assume it’s for people with driers cos I’ve never had one. Washing goes on the line or the radiator depending.

Also never used air fresheners (just open a window?), shake and vac (those chemicals can’t be healthy), or half the other smelly shit you can buy.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I assume it’s for people with driers cos I’ve never had one

I've got a drier but you don't need fabric softener at all - it's just a waste of money.

 

[Edie]

I've got a drier but you don't need fabric softener at all - it's just a waste of money.

I’ve never had a problem with clothes not being soft Just put ‘em on or use the towel once and it’s all fine

 

[oryx]

I think it might be to do with the age of the towels. The older they get the more the pile wears down.

Our older towels are much crunchier than the newer ones.

I recently bought a new hand towel and couldn't wait to wash it to get rid of the fluffiness!

 

[manji]

Disposable towels. Use them once throw them away.

 

[Spymaster]

Crunchy towels dry you better.

This is one of life's small observances of something that you figure out, but is too mundane to voice to anyone else. I've been through most of my life favouring rough, dry towels, for their superior drying qualities over 'fluffy Egyptian cotton', most of which just kind of slide over the moisture on the skin.

Call yourself a towel?????

I thought perhaps I was a bit odd (well I didn't, but if I'd thought about it enough I may have), but I'm delighted to find that this is actually pretty normal.

I salute you, weepiper

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I thought perhaps I was a bit odd

You are, but you're right about towels.

 

[WouldBe]

You would have thought that the increased surface area of a fluffy towel would be more absorbent.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Spot the people not worried by energy bills tumble drying towels. That takes ages. Mine basically don't get washed over winter.

 

[Anju]

I only use towels I can prop up against the side of the bath and are rough enough to remove a few layers of skin. Sometimes only wash pits and bits but still towel all over.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Spot the people not worried by energy bills tumble drying towels. That takes ages. Mine basically don't get washed over winter.

It's cheap enough to tumble dry them if you only wash them once a year.

 

[WouldBe]

Spot the people not worried by energy bills tumble drying towels. That takes ages. Mine basically don't get washed over winter.

I just stick them on a radiator.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Tumble drying towels doesn't take that long come to think of it - can't remember exactly how long but will time it next time I do a load.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Tumble drying towels doesn't take that long come to think of it - can't remember exactly how long but will time it next time I do a load.

It's at least few hours if you do a full load. I know because I used to take them to work.

 

[danski]

People that don’t wash towels are deluded if they think that they remain clean because you are clean when you dry yourselves.

Oil from you skin and hair goes on the towels, bacteria, hair and I’m sure tons of other stuff offloads onto them too.
Oh yeah, skin.

I find a week is absolute max for a towel before it feels unclean.

 

[Epona]

I just stick them on a radiator.

I do that too, however due to my flat being incredibly well insulated and on the top floor, I only put the heating on for about 6 hours per winter. (Yes 6 hours over the entire winter, occasionally just need to take the chill off).

 

[WouldBe]

I do that too, however due to my flat being incredibly well insulated and on the top floor, I only put the heating on for about 6 hours per winter. (Yes 6 hours over the entire winter, occasionally just need to take the chill off).

I've got towels on the radiator at the mo and no the heating isn't on.
Still dry within a day or so even with no heating on.

 

[Epona]

I've got towels on the radiator at the mo and no the heating isn't on.
Still dry within a day or so even with no heating on.

I dry stuff on the radiators too (on or off), but I have to deal with mould. It's not ideal.

 

[bcuster]

dryer sheets make laundry smell nice and prevent drier static, but i'd assume they are just fabric softener soaked paper..

 

[Epona]

dryer sheets make laundry smell nice and prevent drier static, but i'd assume they are just fabric softener soaked paper..

They are terrible for the environment, most contain polyester threads and won't decompose, adding to plastic waste in rivers and oceans.

 

[bcuster]

They are terrible for the environment, most contain polyester threads and won't decompose, adding to plastic waste in rivers and oceans.

i did not know that... i thought they were paper

 

[Aladdin]

Another vote for crunchy towels beung way better than soft ones for drying off.

 

[Saunders]

dryer sheets make laundry smell nice and prevent drier static, but i'd assume they are just fabric softener soaked paper..

They do indeed make laundry smell aromatic and help make towels soft. But much better by a long mile is the smell of sheets and towels dried on the line outside. When is was in my teens there was a quiz goi g round the classrooms which included ‘what’s your favourite smell?’ and my friend put ‘clean sheets’. Meanwhile we’d all else written ‘nag champer’ or patchouli or something and all all thought she was hilariously uncool. Now in my older age I do truly delight in the simple pleasure of the scent of line dried wind blown bed linens.