How To Get White Towels White Again? 3+ Method for Washing Towels

How to get white towels white again? Bright white towels give your bathroom something extra, don’t they? They make the space feel spotlessly clean and luxurious, like a fancy hotel room. However, as we all know, white towels eventually lose their shine and become discolored and dingy, making them look a little less luxurious and a little more “wait, these are clean, right?”

Luckily, with a little TLC, you can brighten white towels that are looking a bit tired. Keep reading to learn what causes dingy towels and how to keep white towels white for years to come.

What Causes Discolored and Dingy Towels?

Detergent

Using the wrong detergent, or excessive amounts of detergent, can be a major contributor to dingy towels. Some detergents contain harsh chemicals that may break down the fibers in the towels, causing them to lose their brightness over time.

Residual detergent left in the fabric can also attract and trap dirt and stains, making the towels look dull and gray long before their time.

Washing with Colors

You’ve probably heard it before, but it’s worth repeating that you shouldn’t wash your white towels with colored clothing, especially newer items, to prevent color bleeding.

Minerals

If you live in an area with hard water (i.e. water that’s high in dissolved calcium and magnesium) you may find your towels turning gray or dingy over time.

Fabric Softener

Although the name makes it sound appealing (who doesn’t like soft fabrics?), it can be misleading.

Rather than softening your towels, fabric softener leaves a thin waxy coating on the fibers which temporarily makes it feel softer. However, the coating also flattens the fibers and reduces the absorbency of the fabric, not ideal when it comes to towels in particular.

Over time, buildup of fabric softener residue can also cause discoloration and lock in existing stains.

Natural & Skincare Oils

Buildup of oils on towels is common, whether they be natural oils from your skin or oils from skincare products like makeup, lotions, creams, and self-tanner. Like fabric softeners, they can cause discoloration over time.

If you’re struggling to keep makeup and skincare products off of your white towels, our personalized makeup towels come in a rich navy, designed to stay beautiful use after use.

Hair Products
Similarly, hair products like shampoos, conditioners, and styling products often contain oils and chemicals that can transfer onto your towels during use.

Temperature

Cool water wins when it comes to washing Weezie and other luxury towels. Hot temperatures scorch the cotton fibers, causing them to deteriorate much more quickly. The result: yellowed towels that don’t feel as soft.

Some detergent manufacturers and online sources say that washing in hot water can make detergents more effective. However, washers today run cooler than those in the past and many detergent manufacturers have adjusted their products to ensure they’re effective even in cooler temperatures. Though an occasional warm or hot wash won’t damage our towels, consistently hot soaks will.

These residues can build up over time, creating a yellowish tinge on the fabric– impacting the brightness of your white towels.

How to get white towels white again – Towel stripping

Everybody does theirs a bit different, but this is my tried & true process for laundry stripping… this especially works beautifully on white bath towels.

Just for a quick comparison, this is where I started- a new Parachute bath towel (straight from the package) versus one I’ve been using for 2-3 years now. They’re the exact same item number and style. You can tell it has started to turn gray and dull. Gradual greying is inevitable, but I think this towel still has a little life left.

The process is really easy, although time consuming… here’s what you’ll need (most of these items are probably already in your laundry room):

• Clean laundry (freshly laundered dry towels… no dirty towels)
• 1/2 cup Borax
• 1/2 cup Oxi Clean (or sodium carbonate)
• 1/2 cup laundry detergent (linking my current favorite)
• 4-5 wool dryer balls

Step One: Mix the Solution

Fill your bathtub or utility sink with the hottest water. Add the cleaning items (borax, OxiClean, and detergent), then give it a good stir until it’s completely dissolved.

Step Two: Soak the Towels

Add your bath towels, wash cloths, and hand towels to the prepared bath, submerging them completely, making sure they’re fully saturated. Allow them to soak, agitating the bath each hour, for 5-6 hours. Don’t be alarmed- the water will turn a dirty gray color (which I find quite satisfying).

Step Three: Rinse the Towels

Drain the dirty water, give the towels a quick rinse with warm water in the tub, wring the towels, then transport them to your washing machine.

Step Four: Cycle Your Towels Through the Washing Machine

Run the towels through your washing machine on a drain & spin cycle, followed by a regular cool water cycle with your preferred laundry detergent and a small amount of color-safe bleach or bleach alternative (I use 1/8 cup or less)– no fabric softener.

Step Five: Tumble Dry on Low

The last step is to tumble your towels on a low to medium dry cycle until they’re totally dry, warm, and fluffy (with 4-5 wool dryer balls)… sometimes I’ll even do this twice for extra fluff. That’s it- your cleanest towels that have been revived to the white they once were (or the closest they can be)!

End Result

These are the same two towels I shared in the “new vs old” towel image earlier in the post. Can you tell them apart? While it’s not as bright as the new towel… it’s pretty close! I always feel this is a worthwhile process that yields good results.

How to get white towels white again – Baking Soda and Vinegar

• Add half a cup of baking soda to the detergent compartment of your washing machine.
• Pour half a cup of white vinegar into the fabric softener compartment.
• Wash your towels using hot water and run a complete cycle.
• Once the cycle is complete, repeat the washing process, but this time use detergent only (no baking soda or vinegar).

How to get white towels white again – A Bleach Alternative

• Wash your towels with an all-purpose bleach alternative, like this one from Branch Basics.
• Pre-soak your towels with 1-2 scoops of bleach alternative in a sink or tub filled with water.
• Ensure your towels are completely covered.
• Soak for a few hours.
  After soaking, wash your towels as usual using a mild detergent and cool water.

Regular Towel Washing & Care

For best results in keeping new bath towels white and fluffy, I recommend the following:

• Adhere to the washing instructions on the label.
• Wash them on high with hot water.
• Wash with whites only.
• Avoid fabric softener & harsh chemical bleach.
• Shake out towels before adding them to the dryer.
• Always dry them with wool dryer balls for fluffing.

At some point, towels will look past their prime and they’re difficult to revive. Which brings me to my next point.. when to replace your bath towels. With proper care, they’ll last you several years…

The Lifespan of a Bath Towel

I also think it’s important to be realistic about the lifespan of a bath towel that is being used regularly. Most laundry and textile experts recommend replacing your towels every 2-3 years… with five years being the maximum lifespan of a towel. That said, you don’t have to throw them away. We usually graduate our old towels to the “dog” or “cleaning” cabinets in our laundry room for wiping paws or for use cleaning our house. Once those cabinets are full, we donate any old towels to our local animal shelter- they’re always appreciative and in need of them.

FAQ

What else can you strip wash?

I do this with our bedding when it’s time to swap it each season. Anything that is bulky and won’t fit in your washing machine, has stubborn stains, or is especially susceptible to body oils, musty odors, or is used frequently. White linens of any sort are perfect for this process.

Will you link your exact laundry detergent?

Of course! I love No.723 from the Laundress.

Does this work for cotton towels, or does it need to be a specific fabric?

All of my bath towels are 100% cotton and I’ve had really good luck with this method. For other fabrics, I’d double check the laundry label to ensure it won’t shrink with hot water. If so, you could just adjust the water temperature or machine washing portion of the process.

Is there anything better than a fluffy white towel that makes you feel transported to the spa? It’s the simple joys in life… like clean towels. Everyone has their best practices, but this is what has worked best for me. Have you ever tried laundry stripping? What does your process look like? The next time you’re organizing your linen closet, pull out the towels and trying stripping them.

About us

TQT Trading Co., Ltd. was established in 2011, operating as a manufacturing unit, specializing in exporting, we aim for the ideal:

Long term cooperation, joint profits

Our company is proud to be an enterprise with many years of experience in the textile and garment field and is a reputable exporter in Vietnam and the world market, especially the Japanese market.

Over the past 12 years, the company has always strived to build good cooperative relationships with partners on the basis of bringing bilateral benefits, constantly developing production activities and promoting its exports, Providing customers with products and services of the best quality.

To meet the diverse needs of the market, customers always want to have outstanding and different products, so TQT Trading Co., Ltd. manufactures products according to customer requirements.

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