Sometimes towels end up with a musty smell for no apparant reason, and when towels smell musty they don’t seem to be completely clean, even if they’re really not dirty at all. Who wants to take a shower or bath and have to dry off with a towel that stinks? Sometimes even freshly washed towels smell musty, but it isn’t an uncommon problem. Many people have a problem with towels that smell musty, but it is possible to get the musty smell out and prevent unpleasant lingering odors once and for all.
Beginning Fresh
To get a musty smell out of towels, begin by washing them in the hottest water recommended on the longest wash setting with your usual detergent and ½ cup of borax. You’ll find borax in the cleaning aisle next to the laundry soap and fabric softener. Borax added to each wash load will make towels and all other laundry cleaner and fresher than ever. Follow product label instructions for best results.
Alternately you can try adding ½ cup of baking soda to each wash load to get a musty smell out of towels or other fabrics. Baking soda is a natural odor remover, and it’s very inexpensive compared to other laundry products. Many people who’ve had problems with musty fabrics have been able to get the odors out with baking soda and never require store-bought cleaners. I get out the baking soda and add ½ cup to each wash load. Since I’ve started doing this I never have a problem with fabrics that smell musty.
Vinegar is also a great natural odor-removing product that’s cheap. It’s an effective way to get all types of odors out of laundry. Add ½ cup to each wash load along with your usual laundry detergent. The vinegar will work hard to get out trapped dirt and odors, and it’s a great alternative to borax or vinegar.
Towel Storage
To keep clean bath towels from absorbing moisture that causes bad odors, never store them on an open shelf or closet in a bathroom, or any other area of high humidity. Instead, store them in a closed cabinet or closet, and preferably not in the bathroom. Once folded fabrics become damp, they might not dry before they begin to get musty and smelly. Start with a musty towel, and it will smell musty until properly washed and dried once again.
Hanging Towels
Don’t hang towels on hooks where they remain gathered and unable to fully dry. The fabric will definitely begin to smell musty in a matter of hours. Instead of using single towel hooks, invest in towel bars that allow towels to remain fully open while they dry. The faster towels dry the less likely they’ll become smelly.
Prevention
When it’s time for a fresh towel, don’t throw damp towels in the clothes hamper. They must be completely dry or they’ll start to smell bad in no time, and they’ll make other clothes and fabrics in the hamper smelly and musty. Once the smell is embedded in the fabric, it won’t be easy to remove. Only toss towels into the hamper if they’re completely dry. With proper washing and handling, more than likely you’ll never again have to worry about how to get a musty smell out of towels and other fabrics.
