How to wash towels with vinegar – for soft and fresh-smelling results

The first few times we use a bath towel are luxurious. They are super soft and fluffy, making it feel like we have stepped right from our shower into a luxury spa.

Give them a few washes, however, and the scratchiness starts to set in as laundry detergent and fabric softener starts to build up and clog the fibers. Luckily, there is a super simple way to restore our towels to near new with a single pantry staple – cleaning with vinegar.

But it isn't as simple as soaking them in a pint of white vinegar, cleaning experts warn. Here, we break down the three-step laundry process for how to wash towels with vinegar for softer results without lingering sour smells.

How to wash towels with vinegar

Using white vinegar in laundry is one of the expert's favorite all-round hacks.

White vinegar is inexpensive and acts as a disinfectant because of the acetic acid content which can break down bacteria and viruses. This not only thoroughly cleans but also removes odors, so it's a good option for older towels that seem to have a faint, lingering damp smell even when freshly cleaned. Vinegar also removes dirt and oils, enhancing the cleaning power of your detergent, and it doesn't have the water-repellent effects of fabric conditioner.

1. Swap detergent for vinegar

One of the best things I ever did for my clothes and linens was to cut down on laundry detergent.

Although it is an essential step when doing laundry, I discovered that using too much was actually damaging my clothes and towels, rather than refreshing them. The result was towels that were crunchy and scratchy and often had a greasy feeling when I took them out of the washing machine.

Switching to vinegar for the occasional refreshing wash is a great way to target this build-up and restore towels to nearly new.

There is no hard and fast rule about how much vinegar to use, but home and lifestyle blogger Rene Lategan says you can ballpark the amount depending on how big your machine is and how many towels you wash per cycle. 'One cup per two big towels works well,' she says.

Either pour it into the fabric softener dispenser of your machine or straight into the drum. Set your machine to the hottest wash possible and let the vinegar get to work – there's no need to rinse afterward.

This powerful, natural cleaning agent can also break down any laundry detergent or fabric softener build-up that may be leaving towels feeling rough and scratchy. Similarly to cleaning with lemon juice, white vinegar can also leave dull towels looking brighter, so you can maintain a fresh white color for longer.

2. Repeat the cycle with baking soda

If you are anything like me, then the acrid smell of vinegar is not very high up on your top home fragrances list. If you are not careful, however, washing towels in vinegar will result in linens that smell sour.

A great way to combat this is to wash towels with baking soda after washing them with vinegar. Cleaning with baking soda naturally deodorizes fabric without leaving any lasting scent behind or making towels crunchy. Better yet, it can act as a natural optical brightener, whitening whites and making colors pop.

I like to add half a cup of baking soda to the drum before rewashing to make towels smell fresh. Then, I can add a delightfully scented linen spray to help make a bathroom smell nice and add a simple spa-grade touch.

Although it might seem wasteful to run two separate laundry cycles, it is for good reason. Baking soda and vinegar have a very strong reaction (something you will be aware of if you have ever used them to clean a kitchen sink drain). Mixing these ingredients in the washing machine is no different. Put a little too much in, and you will be left with a foaming mess. It is much safer and more convenient to run two, shorter cycles.

3. Repeat the cycle monthly

As with any cleaning or laundry task, this is not a once-and-done solution. If you want to keep your towels soft and free from odor, you will need to wash towels with vinegar around once per month.

I will generally wash my towels every three uses on a regular laundry cycle, and throw them all in together for a 'towel-only' wash with vinegar at the end of each month to keep them soft and fluffy and to get rid of musty smells in a bathroom.

How to keep towels soft

Keeping towels soft is not rocket science. In fact, it often involves us doing a lot less, rather than piling on products helping you to save time, energy, money, and your towels:

1. Cut back on detergent: One of the most important laundry lessons I learned from my grandmother was less detergent does more. That is not to say that you should ever wash clothes without detergent it is essential for regular washes to help kill bacteria and fight grease, but too much coats delicate fibers leaving items like towels scratchy and less absorbent. Oh, and never use fabric softener. Despite the name, it is one of the leading causes of scratchy towels.
2. Air dry where possible: Another 'less is more' trick when it comes to towels is letting them air dry, rather than putting them through the tumble dryer. I find that air-dried towels are often softer and last a lot longer than those that have been subjected to the rough-and-tumble abrasion in the dryer. And that is just one of the benefits of air-drying laundry.
3. Keep your washing machine clean: You should never underestimate the power of a truly clean washing machine. A washing machine that is regularly serviced will not only make your clothes and linens cleaner and smell nicer but will often leave them softer too as old detergent and limescale aren't pushed onto fibers during the cycle. You can even clean your washing machine with vinegar too.
4. Invest in high quality: As someone who has used both cheap and expensive towels, I will be the first to say that there is absolutely a noticeable difference. Not only do cheap towels not last as long, but they will often be scratchier from the get-go, and they are harder to keep soft no matter how you wash them. The best bath towels, on the other hand, are easy to maintain and feel nicer for longer, so you won't end up rushing back to the store any time soon.

FAQs

Can you use vinegar and laundry detergent together?

It is possible to use laundry detergent and vinegar together when reviving towels, but you may find a cup of vinegar does the job on its own, making cleaning with vinegar a cost-effective and eco-friendly laundry technique to have up your sleeve. It's a great way to be more sustainable at home and cut down on how much detergent you are using.
Lifestyle blogger Rene Lategan points out that vinegar causes some detergents to produce more foam, so don't be alarmed if your load is more foamy than usual if you combine them.

What are cons of using vinegar in laundry?

Every cleaning method comes with its pros and cons, and vinegar is no different. While vinegar is an effective laundry tool for tackling odors and stains, prolonged use of acidic vinegar can eventually degrade the rubber seals on some washing machines, eventually leading to leaks.

Washing towels with vinegar periodically is super easy, banishes funky smells and keeps them soft. Bear in mind that towels, just like anything else, do have a life span, and if it's time to replace them, donate old towels to a pet shelter and follow our rules for buying towels to get the best ones.