Washed towels in the sun and now like sandpaper.

I have had to resort to rubbing the towels surfaces together when dry to soften them. I have tried lots of remedies but I live in a hard water area and they are all a waste of money.

You can buy special towel softener at Lakeland and through Amazon. I use this as well as the drier. Keeps my towels beautifully soft.

Never use a tumble dryer, if towels are little hard I prefer them that way. My daughter didn't though.

If you are a regular user of fabric softener in your drier, make sure to wash the filter on a regular basis after removing the "fluff". Volatile chemicals can coat the mesh causing it to clog. It just needs to be rinsed in water and dried before replacement.

Lovetopaint037

What can I do to remedy this?
I washed them with vinegar in the middle drawer. I don’t want to use fabric softener in the drawer. All detergent goes straight into machine. Should I wash them without detergent and just vinegar and dry them indoors which is a shame as the sun helps to kill bacteria. I only have a small tumble dryer and use that as little as possible. Any ideas would be welcome. Thank you.🤩

as they are already dry, just give them a few minutes in the tumble dryer on cold/no heat.

I always tumble dry towels, I have tried so many remedies but line dried towels are always hard.

Mine go into the tumble dryer with three or four dryer balls. My DH can't stand hard towels.

I quite like them crusty from being outside
They smell lovely

I love the summer or nice weather when I can hang out towels and they dry hard (sandpaper DH says). They dry you so much better.

I prefer rough towels but am sad enough to want soft towels when I have guests staying. Thankfully guests are few and far between these days.

Desdemona

I absolutely love a rough towel, me.

So do I , they seem more absorbent and exfoliant.

Me too - not just you. Dry better.
However a quick steam with an iron if they're really cardboardy would seem justified.

My environmental credentials are nothing to write home about, but I've never used a tumble drier (except in laundrettes) & proud of it.

At the risk of sounding contrary, I much prefer a thin, hard towel to a thick, soft, fluffy towel. When I've stayed in hotels with 'luxury' towels, I find them too big, heavy, and less absorbent. Maybe it's just me 🙃.

Even in the summer I tumble dry my towels.

I absolutely love a rough towel, me.

I used to use fabric softener now I use vinegar .
Tennis balls in the tumble dryer softens them as well .

I have cardboard towels too, no tumble drier though so no choice. Fabric conditioner never seems to make a difference so I don’t bother.

I wouldn't use vinegar either...won't the towels smell? I don't think vinegar is good for washing machines due to its acidity.

I dried mine outside today so have cardboard towels. I don't mind the roughness, thank goodness, because I don't like to use my tumble dryer if I can help it. I hope some of the above remedies are a help for you.

Thank you everyone. I will wash again without detergent and when almost dry I will pop the in the tumble dryer for a few minutes. The reason I can’t tolerate really rough towels is that I have a really sensitive skin which irritates like mad. I need soft smooth nightdresses, tea shirts etc. when anything gets rough I have to stop wearing it. Real nuisance. Towels are okay and agree they are useless if smooth. That is why we need to wash new ones. Ironing them is an idea although I hardly ever use an iron. Thank you again everyone. So good of you to take the trouble to reply.💐

Ah, she sounds a wonderful lady crazyH

They have to have a turn in the tumble drier to go properly soft and fluffy. Some people start them off in there, and others finish them in there.
I used to wash and tumble 50 towels a week, and worked them through the drier in 2 days. The daily ones in the pool basket I just line dried and folded because I figured no one would really care getting out of the water and sitting in the sun.

Grammaretto

I would dry them on the line but finish them for a few minutes in the tumble drier.
I don't mind towels like sandpaper.

I start them off in the tumble dryer then finish on the line. It seems to work.

Nannee49 - my darling mum’s favourite put-down ‘ungrateful wretch’ - love it and miss her so much 😍

MT62

I like rough towels 😂 I don’t like those velvet type towels that slide off the body whilst trying to get dried.

Just this!