There's nothing like getting out of the shower and wrapping yourself in a soft, clean towel. But after months of use and detergent buildup, sometimes towels can get rough. One mom shared her favorite hack for reviving your towels, and all it takes is one ingredient.
The scoop
In a popular Instagram reel, Alissa (@home.and.chaos) explained how she keeps her towels fresh. The key ingredient? Baking soda.
"Do your towels start to get a weird texture and a musty smell? … Try this," Alissa wrote.
All you need to do is add a half-cup of baking soda directly into the empty washing machine drum. You won't have to worry about clogging your machine when using the proper amount and warm water. Dry products like baking soda can be used safely in the drum.
Add your towels and wash them like normal using your preferred laundry detergent.
This hack is especially useful during the summer months, when you're using more towels than usual on beach trips and pool days.
"Baking soda gets rid of the buildup, making towels softer and getting rid of the musty smell," she said.
How it's helping
This is a simple way to revitalize your towels, prolonging their life span. This hack will help you save money because you won't need to replace towels so soon after they get rough and smelly.
Additionally, baking soda is a natural, nontoxic alternative to traditional fabric softener that is safer for both you and the environment.
Fabric softener often contains hazardous chemicals like chloroform, ethyl alcohol, and ethyl acetate. These toxic chemicals and can cause cancer and damage the skin, eyes, and nervous and respiratory systems depending on exposure.
Chemicals in fabric softener and other laundry products can also contaminate indoor air quality, emitting hazardous pollutants.
One study found popular scented products, including fabric softeners and dryer sheets, can contain hundreds of chemicals, some of which will react in the air. Almost half of the 25 products tested produced at least one carcinogenic air pollutant.
What everyone's saying
Fellow Instagram users were glad Alissa shared this simple trick to restore their towels in the comment section.
"Okay, I legit need to do this," one user wrote.
Another Instagrammer said: "This makes such a difference!"
"I'll have to try this," a user added. "Great tip."
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