There is nothing better than hopping out of the bath and enveloping yourself in a fluffy towel, but all too soon even the newest and fluffiest of towels can begin to feel dry and scratchy.

While you might think that topping up the fabric softener while doing your laundry will help to restore your towels to their former glory, according to an expert, this could have the opposite effect. In fact, fabric softener could be the thing that is making your towels feel even worse.

An expert from the Turkish Towel Company advised “cutting back on detergent” and “replacing fabric softener”. They said: “Towels feel stiff because they start to build up soapy residue.

“By using a little less detergent than suggested, your machine’s rinse cycle will have an easier time washing out those last pesky bits of soap.”

Though it may sound counterintuitive to skip the fabric softener, it will help to ensure your towels don’t end up with a hard coating.

The expert added: “Fabric softeners contain silicon that will make towels water repellent, so they won’t get as good a wash.”

Many fabric softeners coat your towels with oils and petroleum-based ingredients, which can make your towels less absorbent and feel harder. The filmy coating can also mean that your towel needs to be washed more often which, over time, breaks down the towel.

However, there is a rather unusual solution to restore your towels to their former fluffy selves.

According to the experts, while it may sound odd, adding white vinegar to the mix could help you soften up your towels. Turkish Towel Company said: “Simply run the towels through a regular washing cycle, then redo them using vinegar instead of soap.”

The vinegar is said to help to strip away any build-up which may be coating the surface of your towel.

Adding one cup of white vinegar to your wash is recommended. Add it to the washing machine drum just before you load and set the cycle going along with your usual detergent or washing powder.