What can I do about clean towels that smell even after there washed?

Question

I wash my towels and even after they come out of the dryer they have a horrible smell. Help me get that clean smell back in my towels?

Answer 1

wash them again, you preobably let them sit wet in the washer too long, and use dryer sheets! good luck!

Answer 2

well if bleach wont work, buy new towels

Answer 3

if there natural they might, like wool. also some materials burn easy in the dryer. Try air drying.

Answer 4

perfume? or while they're in the dryer, put one of those bounce sheets...

Answer 5

Sounds like they have some mildew....

You need to use some bleach (1 cup) in the washer and very hot water....run the load, and if you can't put them in the hot sun to dry a hot dryer, immediately.

You might have left some in the washer, washed, and then not dried soon enough, or not dried enough and sat damp.  

Answer 6

I've had the same problem....

Bleach will usually do it but this worked for me:

Put one in a large microwavable bowl add enough water to get it soaking wet and nuke it for 5 minutes.

You could also boil it but the microwave worked for me.

Be careful not to burn yourself.

This will help with mold, bacteria and many other smells. If it is purely chemical....go get new towels.  

Answer 7

Towels often smell because they've been wet for a couple of days before actually being washed. If they're left in the washing machine for a while and unable to air, it causes towels (and any clothes) to smell because it can't dry. I find the best thing to wash them with a couple of drops of tea tree oil added to the water, and before you dry them in the dryer, mix up a spray bottle of water and lavender oil or eucalyptus oil and spray in the dryer with the clothes. It gives them a nice clean scent. (You can use just about any type of oil if you want, as long as it's safe for contact with your skin)

Answer 8

Throw them out and get new ones.  

Answer 9

put cologne on them ;)

Answer 10

I was just talking to my best friend about this.  We both have husbands who like to "help" with the laundry, and forget that the towels load is in the washer.  A day or two later, I find it and they stink!  My friend says she washes the load again in warm water, then lets it soak for a couple hours in warm water with a bunch of liquid fabric softener, then washes it again in cold water.  

Good luck!

Answer 11

Try to change the detergent. Certain type of detergent actually smells horrible. If that doesn't work, buy new towels.

Answer 12

idk, have the same problem. do they have scented dryer sheets? or you could just spray them with febreeze after dryer.

Answer 13

Are you sure you are not using too much soap?  Or not enough soap?

Try a double or triple rinse.  Towels are the 1 item I like to put a small amount of Downy fabric softener in the water.

Answer 14

Maybe a different detergent.   Believe it or not, I found the perfect category for this question! "Cleaning and Laundry!" It's under "Home and Garden."  Good luck!

Answer 15

try adding baking soda or borax to the wash, it will help eliminate musty/sour smells, arm & hammer makes a good laundry detergent that can eliminate bad smells and is not overly perfumed...also a cup of white vinegar can help eliminate bad odors in laundry and it does not make your laundry smell like vinegar.  

Answer 16

try running them through a wash cycle with vinegar instead of detergent at the hottest setting then rewash as usual with detergent. the vinegar will kill the bacteria that may be causing them to smell bad.