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Is there something to presoak hand towels in, when you can't get them completely clean? Wash and wash them and and they never seem to get completely clean.

How ot clean hand towels. Should check my spelling.

What works for me?
I often use Shout Advanced, for set in stains. I spray soiled areas before adding the item to the hamper. The longer it sets, the better the results. Most of the prewash treatments work better if you leave them on the item for a while rather than immediately washing. Check the label for specifics.

Also use 20 mule team Borax both with white loads (instead of bleach) and heavily soiled loads when washing as a booster for your detergent. You can also presoak using it.

The more times an item has been washed and dried, the harder the soil is to release. That is one reason I'd recommend one of the prewashes for set in stains.

I add 1/2 teaspoon of trisodium phosphate to the washer after pouring in the laundry detergent. Phosphate has been taken out of our detergents and it really shows in my laundry. Once I started doing that, I finally got rid of ring-around-the-collar on DHs white long-sleeve shirts.

You can get it at Lowe's, etc. in the paint. Be sure to buy the real thing and not the fake TSP. Handle carefully. Just remember...it was once an ingredient in our detergents. The problem is - when waste water gets into lakes the phosphates cause algae bloom.

I'm on 10 acres with a septic system.

Another thing that might help - change your hand towels more frequently even if it's a couple of times a day.

You can also try soaking in some oxy-clean solution before washing. Works sometimes.

But I am with KYIS on this. The easiest solution is to change the towels often, really often. You might buy some cheap ones for everyday use. They don't have to be thick and luxurious to dry your hands. Depending upon your household they may be, use once and toss in the wash.

Are you talking about KITCHEN towels?? Dawn USED to make (haven't seen it in a while) something called "power dissolver"... or something like that. It was supposed to be for those casseroles that you put in dishwasher knowing full well they would NOT come out clean. Came in a spray bottle... kinda foamy. Was not a 10 in my book for intended purpose but did something with food stains?!? Have some great, off-white, terry-ish oven mitts and pot holders. They ALWAYS end up with food-schmutz on them. A liberal dose of the Dawn stuff... and they came out pretty much spotless! Even stains that were OLD!

Another hint for hand towels is to be sure people using them really wash and rinse their hands thoroughly.

thanks for all your input. I will give these a try and see what happens.