How to Keep New Towels From Falling Out All Over the Place
New, freshly washed towels are great … until you use one and find yourself covered in lint. This problem will not go away even after you wash them again (and again). The waxy, water-repellent layer of the conditioner that covers most new towels is to blame. While this coating is meant to make them look chic and attractive on the shelf, this coating also acts like a sticky paper for lint and dust – and it really doesn’t want to wash off.
If you want to break the endless cycle of fluff, you must first dissolve this “new towel” coating. It’s pretty easy to do this with the right strategy and a little help from common household chemicals . The only drawback is that it works best with 3 machine cycles: two in the dryer and one in the washer. If you can’t or don’t want to pay for an extra cycle in a coin dryer or laundry room, that’s okay, just skip the first one. I did it both ways in vintage coin machines in my building, and while the extra drying cycle does matter, you can still get pretty good results without it.
Start by shaking off any loose lint from yourself. To do this, shake the towels vigorously , then pass them through the dryer without heating, like air fluff . (For obvious reasons, make sure the lint trap is completely clean.) If your dryer does not have a no-heat cycle, use the lowest possible — the high temperature “fixes” the coating in place, making it even more difficult to dissolve. Discard drying sheets; they will only add more of the coverage you are trying to remove. Shake the towels again before putting them in the washing machine to see how much lint is removed. If there is a lot, clear the trap and repeat the process.
Then, wash the towels in hot water with a detergent like vinegar, borax, or baking soda. These chemicals will help hot water and detergent break down the sticky coating and remove anything stuck on it. For best results, use 1/2 to 1 cup of enhancer and no more than half of the recommended amount of detergent . To avoid the accumulation of even more residues, do not add excess detergent and definitely do not use fabric softener.
The final step is to dry the towels over high heat without the sheets , which will negate all the hard work you just did. With any luck, you should now be ready to enjoy all the benefits of fresh towels and a lack of lint.