The Forgotten Kitchen Liquid That Softens Towels In The Wash With Minimal Effort

Over time, your soft, luxurious towels can start to feel scratchy and stiff, typically due to buildup from hard water minerals and laundry detergent. If you've been searching for a remedy that actually works to soften up stiff towels, you might want to look in your kitchen. Lemon juice is commonly used as a natural cleanser and is often recommended to remove stains from laundry, though it can be a game changer for your towels as well. The acidity of lemon juice makes it capable of breaking down hard water mineral deposits and soap scum, making it perfect for restoring towels that have lost their soft texture.

By simply adding a little lemon juice into the wash with your regular detergent, you can keep your towels soft and fluffy with this easy laundry hack. Though lemon juice is a popular laundry-softening hack, you may want to be careful. Acidic cleaners, such as vinegar and citric acid, can wear down rubber components of your washer, including the vital hoses and seals. Since lemon juice contains citric acid, continually using it in your washing machine could have negative effects. This method is best reserved for when your towels need a quick softening refresh rather than every time you wash them.

To breathe new life into your stiff, scratchy towels, all you need is a lemon. While you can squeeze your own lemon juice, bottled lemon juice should also work effectively as an organic fabric softener. Pour ¼ cup of lemon juice in with your towels while they wash, forgoing any regular fabric softener, and that's it. Alternatively, you can wait until the wash cycle stops, add your lemon juice to the detergent drawer, and run an additional rinse cycle to regain your towels' fluffy feel. This method is extremely simple, and the most difficult part would be juicing the lemons yourself.

After washing and drying your towels on a low heat, they may have a sweet, lemony scent. Besides dissolving hard water minerals and soap scum, the acidic nature of lemon juice also gives it antibacterial properties and the ability to eliminate grease, ensuring your towels are fresh and clean. When using this natural cleanser with fabrics, keep in mind that it can have a bleaching or lightening effect, which is why it's commonly suggested to remove stains with lemon juice.