Product Development Scientist at Astonish, Olivia Young, revealed her go-to method to transform scratchy and rough towels into soft-to-the-touch material.

"There is simply nothing better than a warm, soft, fluffy towel when you get out of the shower or bath," said Olivia.

Product build-up, including the use of fabric softener, and general overuse can lead to scratchy towels.

In some areas, hard water could even make brand new towels feel rough after the first wash, which is why a laundry hack is needed.

"Instead of calling it a day and parting with your towels, there are some ways that you can give them some TLC [tender loving care] to help restore that soft and fluffy feeling," assured Olivia.

While combining baking soda and white vinegar in the washing machine drum is an effective way to soften towels, doing this too much "could damage towel fibres".

Olivia explained: "[Baking soda and white vinegar] works by altering the acidity in the towels and removing the residue.

"However, ensure you take care with this method and don’t do it too often, as it overuse could damage the towel fibres."

An alternative to the baking soda and white vinegar combination is a little "trick" Olivia likes to do.

"Use tennis balls or drying balls when you put the towels in the dryer," said Olivia. "This is supposed to work by helping to agitate and fluff up your towels!"

No tumble dryer?

Olivia said: "If you don’t have access to a tumble dryer, there are a couple of things you can try to get that soft and fluffy towel feeling.

"The first is to dry them outside on a washing line or drying rack. This works particularly well if it is a dry and mild day, as the natural breeze will prevent the towels from drying too stiff.

"If the weather isn’t ideal for outside drying, you can allow them to dry inside on a drying rack and then iron the towels once they are dry."

Olivia shared her top tips to help soften towels: