Laundry can be a bit of a challenge, especially when it comes to keeping towels soft and fluffy.

If you've ever ended up with towels that feel stiff and scratchy, you're not alone it's a common issue that arises from improper washing. Using too much detergent or fabric softener can actually make towels hard and less comfortable to use.

In search of a solution, one cleaning buff posted on the Mrs Hinch Army Cleaning Tips Facebook page asking for advice. Rob Whiting said: "How do you keep your towels soft? Ours have gone brick-hard. We don't have a tumble dryer the towels are usually put over an electric Airer."

Members of the group quickly jumped in with their top tips, with many suggesting the use of soda crystals as an effective remedy, reports the Express.

Jane Herd said: "Don't use fabric conditioner, use soda crystals instead. I don't have a dryer either so I just hang mine on the line but definitely softer than with the conditioner, they also come up much cleaner."

Katie Paterson said: "I wash with soda crystals. I've done this for 30 years and never had a problem with hard towels. My hubby likes hard towels though."

Gail Radford said: "I wash on 30 degrees with soda crystals, then once a month I give them a 60-degree wash - it helps prevent a build-up of chemicals on them."

Paula Bear said: "Soda crystals, never fabric softener. If you do start to use this it takes two to three weeks to get all the build up out of all the towels."

Clare Connery said: "I stopped using softener reluctantly a few weeks ago after reading posts from members on this group about how bad it is for your washing machine and clothes. I put some soda crystals in my washing machine instead and I can honestly say my towels and washing in general have never been softer."

Laundry experts at Dri-Pak suggest that adding soda crystals to your usual detergent can soften both the water and your laundry.

For especially stiff towels, they recommend soaking them in a warm, medium-strength solution of soda crystals for 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly and then washing as normal in the machine.