Musty and Mildew Smelling Towels

We had the same problem. My husband asked someone at one of the hotels he stays at regularly for business and they gave us the following advice:

Use the hottest water possible
Do NOT use fabric softener
Wash the towels by themselves; not with other clothing.
Use an enzyme-based cleaner in addition to laundry soap.

We started adding "Bac-Out Stain & Odor Eliminator" to the towel loads and we no longer have the problem. We also add Oxyclean so that may be helping as well.

Hi C.~
You might try adding a large bottle of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide in the washer and letting it run (without clothes) for a full load with Hot water. You can get the peroxide in any market or drug store - it's about $1.50 or so. It's not a harsh chemical and does wonders for so many things! After you run the machine, leave the lid open for it to air dry. if you leave the lid open, nothing can grow in a dark, damp place. Good Luck!
Lucy B.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year C.,
I put pinesol in the washer with my towels. It works in many ways to freshen and to soften them so I don't use dryer sheets. It has been working for me for several yers now. I wish you lots of luck becasue I know it is frustrating!
Nana Glenda

You could try adding baking soda to your loads of towels, but what I do is add just a tiny bit of liquid bleach. I mean very small--like a tablespoon. I add it after the water is already full in the washer so it won't bleach any one item. My laundry always smells better after using bleach.

Vinegar! put a cup in the wash, or better yet in a soak cycle with the musty clothes. Vinegar kills mold and mildew. if your washer has a self cleaning cycle then put it in there as well. anytime I have accidentaly left clothes int he washer over night and they've gone sour, I just wash again with vinegar. works every time!!

Hi C.,
I too, had the same problem and it is very frustrating. I went out and bought some Tide tablets that you put in the washing machine by itself start the load that cleaned the tub out. It worked for us. I too, am curious as to what the other Moms have to say about this subject. Since then we have gotten a new HE washer and dryer.
Good Luck.

Hi C.! Can you believe that my neice actually likes the smell of mildewed towels??? Yuck! Just the thought makes me shudder! :)

I use a cup of white vinegar and a half cup of Borax (powdered natural laundry booster) along with my detergent. My towels used to smell absolutely nasty but after using vinegar and borax, they are smelling absolutely fresh!

Being a former competitive swimmer I TOTALLY understand that dillema! I got to the point where I buy the Arm & Hammer brand detergent just for my towels. I got the idea from my mother-in-law who uses it because she smokes & it helps with eliminating the tobacco smell. For me, this detergent works wonders!

Are you letting them sit, moist, for too long prior to washing them? I use only white towels, that way I can bleach them when necessary, I love the smell of bleach on the towels, it gives you that "germ free" feeling.
If you are leaving dirty, wet towels in a wad for a few days prior to washing, that is probably the culprit. Always hang them up to dry whether you will use them a second time or not. We hang our towels immediately after drying off from the shower and usually get 3 or 4 uses out of them before it's time to launder them again. Mildew cannot grow on a dry towel.

i've also heard that baking soda and/or vinegar can work. be careful with bleach products; i don't think they're safe for our (especially our children's!) skin, not to mention the earth. good luck!!!

I have a front loading washer that also has a sanitize cycle on it. If you have the same I would suggest washing your towels on that cycle.

I also only buy white towels and always use Clorox® UltimateCare® Bleach in the wash. Be sure to take out the towels as soon as the washer has stopped, leaving them in there will cause the odors to occur.

You can also try adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to the load. Use HOT water.

Hope these help. I have really seen a big difference by just changing to white towels and using bleach every time.

Hi C.,

If you pour in 1 cup of white vinegar with the laundry, it gets rid of the bacteria which causes the musty smell, and freshens the towels. It also helps soften them. There is no lingering smell of vinegar as they go through the rinse after the wash, and I usually use Downey for that "April Fresh" scent. Use the vinegar EVERY time you wash towels. It makes a huge difference, and isn't too expensive if you get the gallon size.

Good luck!

E.

Hi! Yes, I have had this problem. Lately, I have been adding white distilled vineger to the wash along with the detergent. Try it, I hope it helps!

i bought natural softener sheets (whole foods) to put in dryer with clothing. one scent is blue/eucalyptus and lavender. load smells good.
G.

The problem is not a regular washing machine vs. a front loading/HE. I have used both and it made no difference, even with a sanitary cycle. However, the advice to use 1 cup vinegar to 1/2 cup borax did work; however, on one towel it didn't work, and we replaced it. We live on a levee road that runs along a river and you can smell that river water when the tap flows - more so with the cold water than the warm/hot. In our case, the problem is our water as I never had this problem in other homes that I have lived in. It has nothing to do with the closet that they are stored in, but, I believe, is all related to your water system. If you are in N. CA, then the towns of Davis, Elk Grove, and Carmichael all have some of the worst water. You can get a carbon filter for your shower, to help with your head hair and diminsh the harmful chemicals in the water. Dr. Oz had a program on recently about things we need to be doing to better filter our water (on channel 58 in the morning and channel 3 at 3:00 pm), and you can acess tips from the program online. Hope it all helps, K.

I like all the advice below for the actual laundering, but could it be the closet or cabinet you store them in?

If the laundry fixes do not work, try one of those dehumidifiers for the closet. If it collects water, it may be the closet/cabinet where your linens and towels are stored.

hi C. i have the same question....could you forward me the answers you get? I have a difficult time getting in to see responses later...perhaps because i don't do facebook. Thanks,P.. ____@____.com

Hi C.,

Add some baking soda to your wash. That will help. I have the same problem and when I add the baking soda, it goes away.

Musty mildew smell is a big issue with front loaders. Hopefully the sanitize option on the washer will do the trick. If not, then I suggest doing a load with bleach. That's what works with mine. If you do have a front loader, make sure you either leave the door cracked in between loads or wipe the door and interior seal with a dry cloth in between. Someone mentioned Arm & Hammer detergent, a few of us in my family had an allergic reaction to that product and I've heard a few other people that experienced this as well, just a heads up. Good luck!!!

You only mentioned your towels, not the rest of the laundry...it's hard to get the smell of mildew out, so I would guess that your towels do not dry out between uses, and have been getting some mildew.

I had to get a new washer this year, and immediately noticed that the laundry smelled much better and even felt softer! I didn't change detergents or anything, just the washer.
So I assume that the old washer just didn't rinse or drain properly. But if it's only your towels, it's not the washer.

Dry them in the sun.

It may be the towels. I would think about replacing them.