Why do towels that were completely soaked get crispy when they dry, when towels that were only damp don’t?

Question

Why do towels that were completely soaked get crispy when they dry, when towels that were only damp don’t?

In: Other

Answer 1

I believe it might be similar to how metal quenching works – when the towel dries quickly, the fibers remain tangled together. When it dries slowly, or you handle it while wet, the fibers untangle. But I’m not sure if anybody seriously studied this.