Fluffy bath towels are the best things to happen since slipping on warm clothing out of the dryer. Old, worn-out towels, however, are scratchy, don’t absorb water, and are equivalent to drying off with sandpaper.

Two words: No thanks.

You know what the culprit is? Laundry detergent. If that isn’t crazy enough—the stuff that’s supposed to clean your towels in the washing machine is in fact, ruining them. From overusing too much detergent and fabric softener, soap builds up on the towel fibers, which decreases their absorbency and fluffiness from being weighed down.

Good thing WonderHowTo has us covered, because all you need to do is add vinegar and baking soda to your wash cycle on the hottest setting to revive those oh so sad towels.

The vinegar helps dissolve any soap buildup, remove odors, and soften the material, while baking soda helps scrub the remaining bits of gunk away and also softens the material. Once the cycle is complete, your towels will be fluffed and renewed—after a spin in the dryer, of course.

Simply add one cup of white vinegar to the detergent tray or right in your washer’s tub. Then, add a half-cup of baking soda during the rinse cycle—either manually or right where you add the fabric softener.

This lovely concoction will get rid of the gunk and build up on your towels, restoring them to fluffiness in no time.

Fluff Up Old Bath Towels with Vinegar and Baking Soda