Are your towels smelly and scratchy, even after washing? If you’re wondering how to get your towels truly clean in the wash, you’re not alone. Many people share this struggle, as the secret to cleaning towels is the opposite of what they expect.

Hint: It has something to do with your laundry detergent. We’ve spoken to soap experts about the top laundry detergent mistake that ruins towels, and how to avoid it for fresher, cleaner-feeling towels.

• Carylanne Brown is a cleaning expert and senior grove guide at Grove Collaborative.
• Taylor Sutherland is the president at Charlie’s Soap.

The No. 1 Laundry Detergent Mistake That Ruins Towels

Carylanne Brown, senior grove guide at Grove Collaborative, says that the top laundry detergent mistake that ruins towels is using too much detergent. This is a common problem, as many people assume that more soap equates to cleaner towels.

“When you over-soap your towels, the excess detergent doesn’t fully rinse out, leaving behind a sticky residue that coats the fibers,” Brown explains. “This buildup makes towels stiff, less absorbent, and prone to musty odors over time.” She adds that the residue from using too much laundry detergent can even make towels look dull and wear out more quickly.

While washing towels with too much detergent is the initial cause of the problem, Taylor Sutherland, president of Charlie’s Soap, says overdrying towels finalizes it by “baking” the residues into the fibers permanently, leaving you no choice but to replace your towels.

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Washing Towels with Hard Water

Brown says this problem is even worse in hard-water areas, where the detergent doesn’t dissolve as easily, causing it to cling to the fabric even more. Sutherland further emphasizes this point, saying that calcium and magnesium in hard water can be absorbed into the cotton, making the towels stiff and irritating.

Stubborn Towel Odors

Maybe your towels feel fine after washing them, but you can’t seem to get them to smell fresh again. Sutherland says this is another common problem caused by washing towels in standard detergent.

“The reason towels work is the cotton. Cotton is a natural, porous, hydrophilic (water-loving) fiber,” explains Sutherland. “When you wash in standard detergent, embedded fabric softeners, perfumes, and undissolved solids can, and will, coat the fibers with hydrophobic (water-hating) residues that prevent water from being absorbed.”

He says that the more you wash your towels, the worse the problem gets, saying that sweat and other odor-causing elements are “sandwiched in between layers of residues and, when the perfumes weaken, the odors come through.”

If you’re struggling to remove odors and residue from towels, try washing them once or twice without detergent. Oftentimes, this is enough to remove the existing residue without adding any more detergent and worsening the problem.

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How to Wash Towels Properly

To protect your towels in the wash and maintain their softness, Brown recommends the following approaches.

• Use the recommended amount of detergent, or slightly less. Overusing detergent can ruin towels, so stick to the dosage lines on the cap. Experiment with using slightly less, and adjust the amount based on your results.
• Choose a low-residue, plant-based formula: These gentler laundry detergents are easier on towels.
• Skip fabric softeners and dryer sheets: Brown says that these products add even more coating to the fibers, so it’s best to avoid them altogether.
• Run an extra rinse cycle: An extra rinse cycle can help remove excess detergent from the fibers.
• Consider adding white vinegar: Adding white vinegar directly to your washer can remove buildup and restore your towel’s absorbency.
• Don’t overload the washer: Overloading the washer is a sure way to prevent thorough cleaning, as the washer is only designed to handle so much at once.
• Use warm or hot water: Cold water won’t remove the dirt, bacteria, and detergent residue that towels are prone to holding onto.
• Don’t overdry towels: Once towels are dry, promptly remove them. Overdrying can lead to irreversible damage.
• Don’t fold if damp: On the other hand, you shouldn’t fold damp towels, as this can cause a musty odor.

If using vinegar in your laundry, never mix it with bleach, as this can form harmful chlorine gas.