Cotton towels often become stiff when washed without fabric softener and naturally dried, but the mechanism behind it has remained a mystery. In previous studies, the research groups at Kao Corporation suggested the involvement of bound water — a special type of water that exhibits unique properties on the surface of materials — for the hardening. The group proposed a theoretical model in which the bound water that remains on the surface of cotton causes cross-linking between single fibers through a process called capillary adhesion.[…]

Read More: Why does your cotton towel get stiff after natural drying? – ScienceBlog.com