Household trick: make towels softer during washing with one kitchen staple
Towels often turn rough after repeated washing, but a simple kitchen product can restore their original softness. A hotel manager recommends citric acid instead of the usual vinegar.
After repeated washes, towels and bedding often lose their softness and become rough and unpleasant against the skin. The cause is detergent residue that builds up on fabric fibers over time, making them stiffer. This problem is especially noticeable in households with hard tap water.
The good news is that the fix is both simple and inexpensive. The outlet Express shares a time-tested method for restoring fluffiness to towels using a product already found in most kitchens.
Citric acid instead of vinegar
Vinegar is the usual go-to for softening towels, but a hotel manager has shared an alternative that, in her experience, works just as effectively: citric acid. The method is simple — after the main wash cycle, before the rinse begins, add one tablespoon of citric acid to the washing machine drum.
This acid helps remove soap and detergent buildup from fabric fibers, acting as a natural fabric softener. As an added bonus, citric acid leaves towels with a fresh scent.
People who have tried this trick confirm that it genuinely works. Compared to vinegar, citric acid is described as gentler on fabric while remaining just as effective at tackling residue left by hard water and detergent.
It's worth keeping citric acid on hand at home — it's useful not only for laundry but also for other household tasks, such as descaling a kettle.
