Switching to liquid / thanks for new ideas
Many thanks for the more recent posts with explanations of what the cause could be. Looks like I do many of the things that might contribute to roughness...
1) I use powder detergent which probably contain zeolites and has the wrong pH?
2) wash at high temps (even my old GE FL heated to 170F/75C)
3) possibly some mineral build up even with soft water because of insufficient detergent use
4) Not rinsing well enough
Launderess, thanks for stripping instructions.
I guess I am off to buy some liquid detergent! And possibly some STPP, and maybe some new towels and just start fresh
P.S. BTW, clothes have been coming out soft with Persil megaperls color (previously washed in Ecover powder and also came out soft with that). But, the smell is driving me nuts. I couldn't really smell it coming out of the dryer, but when I got into bed in my freshly laundered PJ's, the smell became very noticeable. Also, stain removal was not 100% effective (comparable to how Ecover does). Maybe I need liquid detergent all around for everything (I read somewhere here that the Persil gel worked better for someone on stains).