# stinky towels!!!



## naturalli (Jun 13, 2006)

i need help! our towels always start off smelling nice and new... eventually some of them start smelling funky, kinda like mold, after a few uses... then some of them actually start smelling bad after just one or two uses. i've washed in hot/dried on high but don't like using bleach so i've never tried that route.

i keep hearing about everyone using baking soda and/or vinegar but i have no idea how to do this! please help me figure out how to get this yucky smell out of our towels! it's disgusting and i hate putting it up to my face to dry off, smell the yuck, and then have to go rewash my face to get the stink off.

tia,
liane


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## mbravebird (May 9, 2005)

Does your washer have mold in the lines? Can you do an empty wash with just water and tea tree oil? See if that helps.


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## Chinese Pistache (May 29, 2006)

Probably a dumb question, but are you letting them sit in the washer too long before drying them? When I do that, they get all musty and gross smelling.


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## naturalli (Jun 13, 2006)

thanks for the suggestions! i've tested my washer (with my trusty ol' nose) and there is no smell in there. i do have a front loading washer (with the rubber liner on the inside of the door) but no mold there either. i've also smelt around in the dryer and no smelly yucky odors there either. i read online that you should check the linen closet as well, and guess what? no moldy smell there either!!!

i try to take out the clothes from the washer as soon as it finishes, but sometimes i forget about it in the dryer once they're done drying. maybe that's where the problem lies... but i do use high heat and the "towel" setting so i don't know.

can anyone give me specific instructions on how to use baking soda (when to add it, how much, etc.) and how to use vinegar (when to add it, how much, etc.)?

thanks for all your help,
liane


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## sweetpeas (May 12, 2004)

I don't know that it has to be real scientific. For general washing (towels & otehr stuff) I fill the fabric softener dispenser of my washer w/ vinegar (if your washer doesn't have one, a downey ball (sold in the laundry aisle) does the same thing). If I leave a load sitting too long in the washer (which is generally the only time I have a problem w/ stinky laundry) I'll re-wash it & either dump a scant laundry scoop of baking soda in w/ the detergent or a healthy "splash" of vinegar in w/ the detergent (in addition to the vinegar in the fabric softener thingy). Don't dump baking soda & vinegar in together or they'll fizz up. I also sometimes add some lavender EO &/or Tea Tree oil to the wash water &/or the fabric softener cup to kill bacteria & make it all smell better.

It also occured to me, as I typed, that the cure to stinky diapers is often to use LESS detergent because if it doesn't all get rinsed out it causes stink. I don't know if that could be true w/ towels or not, but wouldn't hurt to try doing a load w/ very little (or even no) detergent, just baking soda.

HTH


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## ustasmom (Jan 12, 2004)

Keep the door of your frontloader open when not in use.

And I find that towels can sour faster than anything else. I add Calgon water softener when they get that way. Sometimes it is a build-up of detergents, too.


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

It may be something that is in your towels and not getting washed out. Try mixing up an oxygen bleach (like Oxi-Clean) and soaking all the towels in it for about 2 hours, then washing and drying as usual.


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## oneotamama (Apr 23, 2004)

Just subbing to the thread. We've got the same problem right now. I've had it in the past and solved it by using Borax in my wash cycle and drying on hot for a long time. I think it's back now b/c of the humidity in our mobile home. The whole bathroom is kind a smelly







:


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## Zach'smom (Nov 5, 2004)

How about line drying the towels outside in the sun? I never put my towels in the dryer. I always line dry outside or line dry inside during the cold months. I have never had a stinky towel problem that way.


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## Star (Apr 21, 2003)

My mother has this problem with her towels because there are so many people in her house and not enough towel racks to dry them all nicely after showers/baths; they all get piled on the side of the tub and start to stink BAD. I get so grossed out when using her towels. She can't get rid of the smell either, but I've found hot wash & tea tree oil helps some.


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## mosesface (Jul 25, 2006)

it may have nothing to do with your washing/drying technique. i've found that the towels that live nicely folded in the linen closet stay good smelling, but those that are actually hung up in the bathroom can develop the mysterious stink. it most likely has something to do with the humidity of the bathroom, frequency of use, and the way the towel is hung. dh always throws his towel on the hook on the back of the door and it gets to stinking fast, but when i remind him to drape it over the curtain rod to dry, we get a lot more use out of it. hand towels tend to get wet more often and stay wet longer because ...which would more than likely lead to stinking faster.


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## cathy89 (Jul 16, 2007)

I had a similar problem and I finally found a solution which is working so far. I use 4 oz. of hydrogen peroxide and 3/4 of the recommended amount of color safe bleach made by Publix. It has hydrogen peroxide in it as well. If you don't live in an area served by Publix ,probably any brand of color safe bleach containing hydrogen peroxide will work. I've tried vinegar, baking soda, regular bleach, tea tree oil even peppermint oil and mouthwash. Nothing really worked except the bleach and then I couldn't tolerate the smell. Good luck!


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## phatchristy (Jul 6, 2005)

I find oxyclean seems to work well with that...or you can be careful and rotate the towels frequently. Instead of using the same one multiple times, do it instead every other day or two days.


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## SleepyMamaBear (Jun 5, 2005)

strip them like you would diapers.
then DONT use any fabric softener on ANYTHING. use vinegar instead.
wash as often as possible and dry until they are BONE dry.


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## maisiedotes (Jan 2, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mosesface* 
it may have nothing to do with your washing/drying technique. i've found that the towels that live nicely folded in the linen closet stay good smelling, but those that are actually hung up in the bathroom can develop the mysterious stink. it most likely has something to do with the humidity of the bathroom, frequency of use, and the way the towel is hung. dh always throws his towel on the hook on the back of the door and it gets to stinking fast, but when i remind him to drape it over the curtain rod to dry, we get a lot more use out of it. hand towels tend to get wet more often and stay wet longer because ...which would more than likely lead to stinking faster.


That was what I was going to say- DH always leaves his wet towel in the bathroom, and I usually discover it after a few hours (when I get home from work) so I immediately wash them but they still seem to pick up some of that odor.







Our bathroom has NO ventilation so we are resorting to putting them on the back of a chair in the dining room. Looks great if company pops in unexpectedly!


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## mossimo12 (Sep 29, 2005)

My towels were getting stinky when I didn't have a big enough closet outside the bathroom to keep them in. At the time I was keeping them on a shelf in my bathroom so they were always there, getting all steamed up when ever we took a shower. At the time I would wash them with a cup of vinegar every few months. Now that we have moved I don't have to do this anymore. So the stink should eventually come out and stay out (as long as the towel can dry between uses).

Sarah


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## lilsishomemade (Feb 12, 2005)

I always use vinegar in my rinse for towels, little detergent and hot water. I don't measure the vinegar, I have a front loader and I just fill the rinse section up to the max line. Then, I put them in the dryer on hot immediately after they are done. I threaten my dh within an inch of his life when I catch him not hanging the towel up after using it







Oh, and I prefer to hang it over the shower curtain rod instead of a towel rack since there is more room to circulate air. And, I insist on keeping the bathroom door open (not just for the towel's sake, but to keep the bathroom from getting funky). When it's really humid, I set a fan up at the bathroom door to help get some circulation going.

If your towels are really bad, I think hanging them in the sun is very much worth a try. Or, you could try some TTO or GSE in your wash/rinse to kill the yuckies.


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## Demeter9 (Nov 14, 2006)

Try ammonia.


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## dbsam (Mar 3, 2007)

I just had this problem tonight. I was gone for two days and my husband threw wet towels in a laundry basket.

I always add baking soda in the washer. If there is a musty smell, or any smell or stain, I add Bi-O-Kleen Bac-Out to the water and presoak. It works great.


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

How many and what kind of "uses" are you trying to get out of these towels? You can't get a towel thoroughly damp, not allow it to fully dry for several hours, then wonder what's wrong when it starts getting stinky!

If you do find that there's mold in the towels and/or washer, using bleach once or twice a year can help keep the problem in check. Bleach is definitely not something that needs to be used on a regular basis to be effective.


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## oneotamama (Apr 23, 2004)

Too funny how this is getting bumped back up a year after it was originally posted. I've got stinky towels again in my trailer house. I think it's a seasonal thing!!


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## mwor (Feb 18, 2009)

I am always finding hidden towels and washcloths that the the "smalls" leave hiding around the house before I can rescue them! I have developed a nose for these crouching towels. Anyway, I learned a few things about towels in general. Depending on the season, once the humidity factor is up I need to wash towel linens more than once a week for the family. The hidden ones aside, even the ones my husband and have hanging in the bathroom simply do not dry out enough to stop eventually smelling. Adding, these slightly damp towels to the hamper also leads to a stinky smell. So, I just decided to wash several times a week. When the kids were born I switched to an eco-friendly laundry detergent that does not leave residue on laundry . I never noticed the residue issue until I started using a natural detergent. But the sticky residue traps odors and dirt. You will notice this stiffness factor if you ever have tried to line dry towels or jeans after using a traditional detergent.

Anyway, the other thing I eliminated from my laundry routine was dryer sheets/fabric softeners. When you have a detergent that is clean rinsing you don't need this. The fibers are naturally freed from the sticky residue and the laundered items are fluffy. While using dryer sheets with yucky chemicals actually coats your laundry with residue that traps dirts and odors. So ditch the fabric softener. You can use wool dryer balls if you feel you need something to further fluff in the dryer. There are times when I still experience a sour, smelly towel and for those times I use a natural towel cleaner called Smelly Towel Cleaner. It's sourced from organic agreements. This is my go-to treatment when I am really serious about needing to get a smell out (like the towel I found hiding in my son's play tent). It just works without worry.

I found mine at http://laundryshoppe.com/. I have not seen it anywhere but online.


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## Barcino (Aug 25, 2004)

Take the drawer out where the soap dispenses - mild can form there. Always leave door open in front loader. Regularly do a wash with bleach. I also try to leave my hot washes for the last load of the day so it cleans everything bacteria and mold wise out. I have zero odors from my front washer but I'm pretty religious about keeping it dry etc... My friends struggle with sour towels too. These tips helped.


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## aslandess (Apr 14, 2013)

Baking soda will help wash better just shake some in on the clothes in the washer machine. Vinegar helps with smell, you can add it to the rinse cycle, but for maximum effectiveness put in a spray bottle. When you put your clothes in the dryer liberally spray them with the vinegar. Don't worry the vinegar-y smell will go away when they're dry and will take the funky smells with it.


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