Why Towels Stop Absorbing Water and How to Fix It

Towels stop absorbing water mostly because fabric softener or detergent residue coats the fibres: instead of soaking into the cotton, water just gets pushed around the surface. Other causes are the factory finish on new towels, hard water and an overloaded drum. Most of them can be fixed in one or two washes.

Why do towels stop absorbing water?

• Fabric softener. It coats the fibres with a thin water-repelling film. The towel feels softer but absorbs less, and the layer builds up with every wash.
• Too much detergent. Whatever does not rinse out stays between the loops. Towels turn stiff and absorb moisture less well.
• New towels. Manufacturers treat them so they look fluffy and glossy in the shop. Until this finish washes out, the towel pushes water around rather than absorbing it.
• Hard water. Minerals build up in the fibres, so the fabric gets rough and loses its fluffiness.
• An overloaded drum. Towels soak up a lot of water and get heavy, so in a full drum they rinse poorly and more detergent stays behind.

Should you use fabric softener on towels?

It is better not to use fabric softener on towels. Their job is to absorb water, and softener weakens exactly that. This applies to any softener, including ours.

If you want your towels to smell good, choose Alchemy by RM scented laundry detergent: the scent stays in the fabric without a softener film on the fibres. When softener makes sense and when detergent alone is enough is explained in detergent or fabric softener.

How do you restore towel absorbency?

1. Wash at 60 °C if the care label allows it. Hotter water flushes out built-up residue better.
2. No softener and less detergent than usual. The aim of this wash is to remove what has built up, not to add more.
3. Add an extra rinse. It removes the residue the main cycle left behind.
4. Do not fill the drum. Towels need room to move – fill the drum to about two thirds.
5. If it did not help, repeat. Towels washed with softener for a long time may need two or three such washes.

After that, stick to the usual dose and do not exceed it. For Alchemy by RM detergent that is 30–50 ml per wash: with soft water and lightly soiled laundry, 30 ml is enough. More in where to put detergent and how much to use.

Why are towels hard and scratchy?

Usually because of how they dry. When a towel dries without moving – on a washing line outdoors or on a radiator – the fibre loops stick together and set. Hard water and detergent residue make this worse.

• Shake the towel well before hanging it so the loops separate, and shake it again once it is dry.
• Hang it loosely so air can circulate.
• If you have a tumble dryer, a few minutes on low heat is enough to make towels fluffy.
• Do not over-dry. Fibres left too long in a hot dryer turn rough.

Why don't new towels absorb water?

Because of the factory finish that gives them fluffiness and sheen on the shop shelf. Wash new towels once or twice without softener before first use. New coloured towels may bleed dye the first time, so wash them separately. Good-quality cotton towels usually become more absorbent after a few washes.

Why do towels smell musty?

The musty smell comes from bacteria that multiply when a towel stays wet for a long time. The most common reasons:

• washed towels are left in the washing machine;
• they dry too slowly – folded or hung too close together;
• used towels are thrown on a pile or into the laundry basket while still damp;
• they are washed at too low a temperature.

Take towels out straight after the wash and dry them spread out. If the smell has already set in, wash them at 60 °C, and once a month run an empty washing machine cycle at the highest temperature.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature should towels be washed at?

Cotton towels can be washed at 40–60 °C if the label allows. For towels in daily use, and to get rid of a musty smell, 60 °C works better.

How often should towels be washed?

Bath towels after roughly three or four uses, provided they dry between uses. Kitchen towels more often.

Can towels be washed with other laundry?

Better separately. Towels leave lint on other fabrics, and heavy wet towels rub against lighter clothes.

You will find a detergent that suits towels in our scented laundry detergents collection.