Why do my clean towels always smell after a few uses?

Question

Everytime I wash my towel, it either comes out of the laundry smelling, or after a few uses it ends up smelling ( like a mildew smell ). I dont know how that could happen. My towels are always washed and dried, sometimes they come out smelling fresh, sometimes they dont. But the good smell only lasts 1 or two uses before it gets this really bad mildew smell. At first when the towels dry i wont notice it, but then once it gets steamy in the shower the smell starts to come out but i dont really notice until i dry off my face. What could be doing this? I alwaysl eave it to dry away from my other clothes to avoid them getting wet. I only have a washer so i dry them outside on a clothes line. What could cause this, and how can i fix it? ( Keep in mind i only have a washer )

Answer 1

When you use your towel, make sure to hang it on a chair or out on the line or on anything that lets it get air. Never throw a wet towel on the counter or bed or sofa. Make sure it is spread out. Once it dries you can fold it and maybe put a dryer towel in the middle. Even if you don't have a dryer; you could still buy dryer towels to put in your drawers or under your sofa cushions. This helps to make things smell nice. Change every 2 weeks. I hope this helps you.    

Answer 2

could be the washer.  it may be moldy and need a good cleaning with nothing in it but hot water and disinfectant.

The "dirty" washer may be leaving mold spores in the towels that reactivate when exposed to moisture.

A dehumidifier may help too - in the bathroom, in addition to running the fan.

Good luck, odd issue.  I wish you well in solving it.

Answer 3

Things You’ll Need:

Towels

Vinegar

Detergent

Fabric Softener

Step1

Wash your towels. If you want fresh smelling towels, you can’t limit washings to once a week. You should wash towels every two or three days, washing in hot water.

Step2

Use vinegar to get rid of the mildew smell. If your towels get a mildew smell, use vinegar. For a large load, use ¾ cup vinegar. Add the vinegar to the water, and let it mix for a few minutes. Then add the towels. Do not add detergent to this washing cycle. Once the towels have gone through the complete washing cycle, wash as you normally do with detergent and fabric softener. Fabric softener is optional, but also helpful.

Step3

Remove the towels from the washer and immediately transfer them to the dryer. Nothing causes towels to smell faster than leaving wet towels in a washing machine over night. As soon as the washing cycle is over, immediately transfer them to the dryer. Add a fabric softener sheet for extra scent and softness.

Step4

Line dry your towels. Wash your towels and hang them to line dry. You can put them in the fluff cycle once they are dry to fluff them up. Avoid line drying, if rain is in the weather forecast.

Step5

Hang up used towels. Once you are done using your towel, hang it up so it can air out. Wet towels that are not air drying will get smelly much faster than towels that are hung up to air out.

Step6

Use baking soda with your detergent. Add baking soda, along with the detergent to your wash cycle. Wash in hot water and follow with two rinses. You may also add fabric softener if you wish. Do not use vinegar with the baking soda and detergent as the baking soda and vinegar will cancel one another out.

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soda or vinegar will help take the mildew smell out of towels. You can use the baking soda with detergent. If using vinegar, wash one cycle with vinegar (no detergent). Follow up with a normal washing cycle, using detergent and fabric softener.



Don’t use baking soda or vinegar at the same time. The baking soda and vinegar will cancel one another out and will not get rid of the smell in the towels.

Answer 4

They're not drying out completely, dude.

You're using them...making them damp...and then you're hanging them up in what is likely a poorly ventilated area.

Answer 5

I know for a fact that it's because you're not drying them well. Either you are letting them sit in the washer too long before moving them into the dryer, or the dryer isn't drying them good.

This happens to us whenever we set the dryer over night and it ends before we can fold them. Alot of times when you over load the dryer, the towels wont dry and then they sort of air dry sitting in the dryer.

This gives them that icky, mildew smell.

Is your dryer going out? If not, maybe you're overloading it with too many towels, causing them not to dry. I'd suggest putting less towels in your dryer. Most dryers have a loud buzz timer that you can set when the dryer is done. Try setting that so when the drying cycle has completed, you can check the towels to see if they are done or need extra drying. And don't let them sit in the washer when they are done. Quickly dry them. This is what helped me :)

Answer 6

I believe the smell is not really mildew that you are smelling it is a bacterial smell like that of overused sponges.  Your bathroom is probably not airy enough to dry your towels quickly enough before this bacteria sets in.  Try to put them out on the line once you dry off.  No offense but if you have alot of body hair (like my husband does) you may have to wipe excess water off your body with your hand so that your towel doesn't end up so wet.  If your towel is coming out of the washer with this smell you need to change your laundry detergent OR use a 1/2 cup of Clorox bleach in your towel load.  Another thing I like to do is add a measure of fabric smell remover to your rinse cycle like Febreeze for material and upholstery.  

Answer 7

When ever you can smell a towel as you describe--it is filled with BILLIONS of bacteria. That's what you are smelling. Towels go bad very quickly in summer and in steamy conditions because bacteria thrive on moisture and steam. Solution is to change towels more often, make sure they dry very quickly after use, and when use wash them, use HOT water and add a small amount of clorox to the wash water. (not too much or you will wash out the colors