February 17, 2014
A Towel Tutorial
This week’s focus is on towels. (The weekly focus is always listed on the left hand side of the calendar in gray.) If you haven’t grabbed February’s Cleaning + Organizing Calendar, go get it! It’s free here.
There are a couple ways to approach this week’s task – you can purge towels, organize towels, buy new towels, or just give your towels a good washing. Today I’m going to give you some ideas for all 4 of these ‘towel tasks’.
Let’s call it a Towel Tutorial, shall we?
Sweet smelling, fluffy towels are the best, aren’t they? What happens to make them veer away from that wonderful state? Real life. Towels absorb water, aren’t hung up optimally, remain damp and get stinky. Hampers are full, towels get stuffed into the washing machine and never get fully clean. Then they get over-stuffed into the dryer and don’t get completely dry or get dry but aren’t folded right away and they are wrinkled and crunchy. All of this stops this week. Let’s get a handle on the towels and make a little progress in this super simple homekeeping task, shall we?
- Purge old towels or towels that don’t match. If towels have frayed corners and are falling apart or are stained, put them in a purge pile. Most animal shelters love used towels for pets – instead of tossing them, consider dropping them off at your local shelter. If you have a little extra space to store old towels you can save them for rags, your pets, or for those icky messes when your kids are sick.
- Purchase new towels. If you need some new towels, now’s the time to grab them. I love Home Goods and Target for high quality towels at low prices. If you’re looking to simplify your laundry, I also suggest switching to white towels. Why? You can wash them all at once, they can be washed on hot without fading (obviously) and you can wash them with oxygenated bleach to remove stains without any spotting or fading. And best of all? White towels add a spa-like look to your bathrooms and they match with just about any color or decor.
- Organize your towels. This sounds funny as I’m typing it but all you need to do is group like towels together – group your wash cloths, hand towels, and bath towels together. Fold them all the same way – use your favorite method and fold each towel the same way to keep a neat and tidy look in your linen closet or cupboard. Regardless of if you choose a rolled towel, folded in half or folded in thirds, doing the same thing for each towel type is all you need to worry about.
- De-stink your towels. Make sure your towel storage method is optimal for non-stinky towels. A couple things to keep in mind… Use bath towels no more than twice before washing and make sure that they are able to fully dry in between uses and before tossing them in a hamper or laundry basket. Change your hand towels often – daily is optimal. Never leave your towels (or any laundry) longer than a couple hours in the washing machine. The wet towels and closed space are breeding grounds for bacteria to build up. Never over-fill your washing machine or dryer as you want adequate water flow in the wash and air flow in the dryer to clean and dry your towels (and any laundry). If you notice on my cleaning schedule (see link at the top for this month’s) I wash sheets and towels on Saturdays. This works really well to keep the towels clean and put away on schedule. Try it if your laundry routine is lacking at the current moment. Stop using liquid fabric softener. The softener coats the fibers and can keep your towels from getting fully clean. You can use white vinegar as a softener (1/4 cup/load) and you can use it to freshen up your towels too. If you have some extra stinky towels use 1/2 cup baking soda in a wash and then re-wash the towels with your favorite detergent.
My favorite laundry detergent? This homemade recipe is perfect for a subtle scent and most importantly, CLEAN towels. If you want to know all about the right way to do laundry (according to me) go to this post.
Ready to tackle your towels this week?
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Nancy Says
You can save yourself a lot of towel laundry (which is good for your time/effort and good for the environment) by taking a little time to plan where everyone will hang up their bath towels after using so they can dry properly between baths or showers. If you have space for hanging, you can even alternate between two towels, using one every other day so they have time to dry completely between uses. If you do this you towels will NOT get stinky and you will be amazed at how long you can go between washing them. You may also get a kick out of this post: http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/12/30/are-you-cleaning-out-your-own-wallet/
Becky Moyer Says
I’m a total laundry dolt… I’m allergic to fabric softeners and love the idea of using white vinegar. But is that in the washer or dryer (see – clueless!)??
Becky Says
Post authorIn the washer – you can put it in the fabric softener dispenser or in a fabric softener ball.
xo, Becky
Rachel Says
You’ve mentioned several times about not using fabric softener in the towels. Do you use it in your other laundry or do you use something else entirely?
I have always used Downy April fresh because I have severe allergies and can’t use any other softeners. My son has allergies as well and is having trouble with the downy. Any suggestions?
Becky Says
Post authorUsually I just use the detergent 🙂
Annaliza Says
I would try wool dryer balls. They fluff your clothing and reduce static.
Sophie Says
I never use softener. My mom does. I see a difference in the smell (too much for me!) but not in the touch.
Paula Says
I never use softener or dryer sheets. I love Dryer Balls for softening, static, and decreasing dryer time.
Sinea Pies Says
Not leaving the towels in the dryer too long is such an important point. Makes all the difference in the world!
Whitney, Senior Editor @ Home Depot Says
These are great tips! I’ll be linking to this post on our Cleaning Hacks pinboard. Check it out at pinterest.com/homedepot. Thanks for sharing! -Whitney, Senior Editor @ Home Depot
Becky Says
Post authorThanks Whitney! xo, Becky
Heather Says
Just want to mention NOT to use baking soda and vinegar in the same wash! Use either or but not both at the same time!
Melanie Says
I have a front loader and I add washing soda to the front when I add the towels and the vinegar is in the ‘softener’ section in the upper chamber (when I was using a top loader, it was a downy liquid softener ball). If you add them together at the same time, the reaction doesn’t do much good but separate, they work wonders.
Paula Says
I love your suggestion of not using Fabric Softener. That can be so toxic! I love my microfiber towels because they keep the stink off with their micro silver technology. Plus I don’t have to launder them as much or have as many towels on hand.
Jennie Says
Hi Becky – which line of Target towels do you like best? I have tried some different ones over the years but wasn’t very happy with the quality. Thanks!
Becky Says
Post authorI use the Threshhold line from Target – white – love them!
Becky Says
Post authorI like the Threshold line 🙂
Melinda Says
Do you have any tips for stinky socks? Ours smell okay after washing and drying (I use sponges soaked in a mix of 1 cup softner, 2 cups water during drying) but they all stink after coming out of the drawers. I used to wash them with the towels and thought that was the problem but they still smell after washing with tshirts or other clothes.
Becky Says
Post authorI would wash them separately (just once) and soak them with your favorite detergent and a scoop of oxi-clean. Wash on hot and then dry them and see if that helps!
brook Says
Pine sol disinfects and removes odor. But wash in hot water for best results. Don’t worry a out the pine sol smell because soon as you dry them they will only smell like your soap.
Elizabeth Says
I like the idea of using vinegar and/or baking soda for freshening up towels. Where would I put the baking soda in my HE washer? Right into the drum?
Carrie-ann Bailey Says
How do you achieve soft fluffy towels especially if you tend to dry outside on a line or on an airer inside in winter? Or do you only achieve it by tumbling them?
Becky Says
Post authorTumbling is the best way to achieve fluffy towels.
brook Says
I use original pine sol on my towels. It sounds crazy but if you add a 1/2 cup to your towels it removes odors, mold, and disinfects. After they dry they smell so fresh and no pine sol smell. Great for greasy clothes also (but can fade clothes). Works better than vinegar!
Stacy Finney Says
With a front-loading washer, do you put your homemade detergent right in the drum, or in the small drawer that you add liquids to? (…I feel like I should know this…) Thanks — I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Becky Says
Post authorIn the small drawer 🙂