machine washing bathroom towels

I’m another who prefers a hard, exfoliating towel. We were in a hotel recently where the towels were so thick and fluffy it took ages to get dry after a shower, though this was a plus point to some Tripadvisor reviewers. I appreciate I’m not in the majority here, so do give the towels a quick tumble dry if we’re expecting guests.

I'm with Chestnut - a bit of rough is sometimes needed. Soft and fluffy is okay for a cuddle but not for a good all over rub down. Although I don't want a towel that takes the skin off my back.

Who really needs soft fluffy towels?

As for flannels, DH's could be folded in half and stand on their own!
Having just given it some ( though not a lot of ) thought, does it really matter? Once they are wet, is there really any big difference?

I don’t have a tumble drier and usually dry my towels indoors. Some are harder than others. I find they soften a bit once you use them. I quite like them hard but DH doesn’t. I have bought him some bamboo towels which are beautifully soft. I wash them separately, without any sort of soap or conditioner or white vinegar and they have stayed soft. I can recommend them.

What is that?

My towels are always soft and fluffy and dry me very well. I don't use softener but do use soda crystals in the wash. I won't stop using my tumble dryer though as I can't bear the Chinese laundry look.

I don’t have a tumble drier, always dry the towels outdoors.

My towels are always hard, but it doesn’t bother me or DH.

Softness doesn’t necessarily equate with how well they dry you.

I have line dried since the cost of electricity went up and find they dry harder which I don't like, not enough to start using the dryer though.

I agree with all the advice above and can add that vigorously rubbing dry bath towels does soften them. It’s quite a work out though.
To achieve fluffiness, just before my towels are completely dry, I put them in the dryer. It’s the only time I use it.

I can never get line dried towels to stay soft no matter how old or new they are or how windy it is. The only thing I use my tumble drier for now is towels so that they remain soft.

If you have no access to a tumble drier, steam ironing sometimes make them softer. And fabric conditioner does help a bit although it reduces absorbency if too much is used.

My mother always hung towels by the hems, folded in two, like a sort of bag. That way they rubbed together and were a little softer. Always give them a good flap before and after hanging them out, to loosen the fibres.

This will not solve your problem, bit it might help a bit.

Otherwise, time to treat yourself to new deep pile towels maybe?

It may be the amount of washing liquid you are using. If it's not rinsed out properly (and it may not be if you are using too much) it will sit in the material. You could try putting the towels through the machine using something like washing soda (softens the water) on it's own to wash and vinegar as the rinse to see if it removes any ingrained soap. If you see suds you know that's at least part of the problem.

Maybe the older ones can no longer be that fluffy?

Could water have changed in your area?

I can’t bear hard towels!

I agree with Chestnut. I am trying to make my towels less fluffy and more absorbent.

White vinegar is for getting rid of the conditioner which makes the towels more fluffy but less absorbent - or so I thought.

Why do you want fluffy towels? I find scratchy old towels much better, the soft fluffy ones are not so good at drying.

If you have hard water you might not be able to get them soft and fluffy because the water hardness is relevant.

Some quite newish, some older.

How old are they?