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How do you keep towels smelling fresh?

Author

Olivia House

Published Mar 05, 2026

How do you keep towels smelling fresh?

Using vinegar every other wash or so can also help prevent the musty smell, but you can also treat extra-stinky towels by using baking soda instead. Super-scratchy towels might benefit from this occasional treatment: one hot cycle with only vinegar (no detergent) followed by one hot cycle with only baking soda.

Also question is, how do I stop my towels from smelling?

Here are the basics:

Wash towels only with towels.
Choose the warmest wash setting that your towels' care tags allow.
Clean towels with detergent and a splash of distilled white vinegar.
Put them in the dryer immediately after the wash cycle ends.
Shake each towel out on the way from the washer to the dryer.

Secondly, why does my towel smell so bad? Towels develop a sour and smelly odor when they're put away wet. Another source of towel odor, and also the reason towels lose softness and absorbency, ironically comes from detergent/fabric softener buildup.

Similarly, you may ask, why do my towels smell after washing?

Musty towel smell is the same issue that happens with unsanitary mop heads that are not left to dry properly or cleaning sponges that fail to dry out between uses. A warm, moist environment is most conducive to germs. When a towel gets a sour, musty smell, it is a sign that a bacteria colony is breeding and growing.

How do you get moldy smell out of towels?

Put your towel in your dryer with a dryer sheet or dryer balls, and they should come out smelling fresh and new! If they do not smell better and have extreme mildew smell, throw back into the washer and instead of vinegar, add one cup of baking soda to the wash…still no detergent.

Why do my towels smell even after I wash them?

Towels develop a sour and smelly odor when they're put away wet. So when you notice a musty or sour smell in your towels or they lose softness and absorbency, Forté recommends adding one cup of distilled white vinegar during the final rinse (for a standard top-load washer that fills with water) to remove the odor.

Where do you keep wet towels?

It's stunningly simple: a towel bar affixed to the back of the bathroom door. “Few bathrooms have enough places to hang towels,” the gurus at MarthaStewart.com explain. “Stacking towel bars behind closed doors is a great way to remedy the shortage and use space efficiently.”

Why do my towels smell when they get wet?

Make your towels softer, smell better with this 1 tip

Her secret ingredient? Distilled white vinegar. Towels develop a sour and smelly odor when they're put away wet. Another source of towel odor, and also the reason towels lose softness and absorbency, ironically comes from detergent/fabric softener buildup.

Where do you put wet towels after shower?

A wet towel quickly turns into a smelly towel if it's left in a heap or sloppily folded over an equally-damp shower curtain. The solution? It's stunningly simple: a towel bar affixed to the back of the bathroom door. “Few bathrooms have enough places to hang towels,” the gurus at MarthaStewart.com explain.

Where do you put vinegar in a washing machine?

To clean your clothes with vinegar, put 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar in your washing machine's detergent compartment. You don't need to add any other detergents.

How do I clean my washing machine it smells?

Pour two cups of white vinegar into the drum, then run a normal cycle at high heat—without any clothes, of course. The baking soda and vinegar should break up any residue stuck to your drum and kill any mold that might be present. They'll also help remove any foul odors.

How do you make towels soft and fluffy again?

Instead, soften your towels by using one cup of white vinegar about every six weeks; this will remove the soapy residue that makes towels feel rough, bringing back softness while restoring them to full absorbency. Simply run the towels through a regular washing cycle, then redo them using vinegar instead of soap.

How do you keep towels dry after shower?

Wash bath towels in hot water (between 140° and 150°) with strong detergent (and bleach for white towels), and fully dry them as soon as possible. Hang towels to dry immediately after each use to halt the growth of bacteria.

How often should you replace bath towels?

There's no hard and fast rule here, but to get that fluffy feeling when you step out of the shower, you'll want to replace your bath towels when they lose their absorbency — which experts say is about every two years.

How often do you need to wash your towels?

The best way to prevent germs from growing on your bath towel is to let it dry completely between each use, and wash it frequently. The Cleaning Institute recommends washing bath towels after three uses. If you shower every day, that means laundry almost twice a week.

Why do my clothes smell musty?

Any clothing can begin to smell musty due to damp storage, re-wearing, or even unclean laundry machines. The specialists at COIT Cleaning and Restoration discovered some tips for people around the world, hoping to help them remove the musty smell from clothing.

What are the best bath towels?

The Best Bath Towel

Our pick. Frontgate Resort Cotton Bath Towel. Thick and luxurious.
Runner-up. Target Fieldcrest Reserve Bath Towel. A lighter plush towel.
Budget pick. Bed Bath & Beyond Dri-Soft Plus Bath Towel. Thin and extremely affordable.
Also great. The Onsen Bath Towel. Quick-drying lattice.

How do clean a washing machine?

Add two cups of white cleaning vinegar to detergent dispenser. Run it through a complete cycle. Run another cycle on the highest level and at the hottest water temperature, this time adding one-half cup of baking soda to the drum. When cycle is done, wipe inside drum of washer with a damp microfiber cloth.

How do you get moldy smell out of carpet?

Mix one cup of vinegar and 2 cups of warm water in a spray bottle. Gently spray the solution onto areas of the carpet that smell. Be sure not to oversaturate the area, since this can trigger more mold to grow. Pour baking soda over the treated areas.

How do you strip sheets?

How To Strip Wash Sheets | TODAY - YouTube

When your laundry needs an extra boost, try strip washing. [00:01]
It gets rid of dirt, bacteria and stains. [00:07]
Add the borax, baking soda and detergent to the tub. [00:26]
Add the laundry and run the water again until completely submerged. [00:33]
Mix the laundry around with a spoon and let it sit for at least 4 hours. [00:39]

Why do my towels smell musty after I wash them?

Towels develop a sour and smelly odor when they're put away wet. So when you notice a musty or sour smell in your towels or they lose softness and absorbency, Forté recommends adding one cup of distilled white vinegar during the final rinse (for a standard top-load washer that fills with water) to remove the odor.

Why are my towels so rough?

Eventually even the best towels can become stiff, scratchy and not very absorbent. It happens when fabric softeners and residue from dryer sheets build up on the fibers. When the towels are done, run the load again, but this time add a cup of baking soda to the load the same way you added the vinegar.

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