how to remove nasty pungent smell from shower towel even after wash.?

Question

I get this pungent smell in the towel even after the 1st or 2nd use of a washed towel.

Answer 1

Wash in bleach, small load, large amount of room in washer. Other wise do not overload washer. Dry well. If that fails, throw away the towel. Likely you are smelling mold/mildew. Overloading the washer makes none of the clothes clean.

Answer 2

Launder your towels in a clorox and bleach solution in warm or hot water. Dry them completely either on a line outside or in the dryer.

After each use, if it is a face towel, be sure to wring it well and spread it out and hang on a towel bar to dry in the bathroom. If it is a bath or hand towel, do the same. Do not ball up the towels or fail to open them out to hang after use. You should be able to use them more than once before changing towels if you follow the described practice.

If your bathroom has inadequate venting and poor air circulation, then you probably have a moisture problem. In that case, you will probably need to install a dehumidifier in your house someplace near your bathroom. You can purchase those at Sears or Lowes. Not sure about Home Depot because in our area, that would need to be a special order.

Answer 3

Is it a mildew smell? You probably aren't drying the towels long enough after washing, or after each shower.

First make sure the towels are bone dry before removing them from the dryer. Then, after each shower, make sure the towels hang freely (unfolded) in an area that gets air flow. Many bathrooms have no windows so there's no air flow and the towels never dry thoroughly.

Answer 4

Baking soda added to the wash water can help. But run an experiment. Buy a new towel (doesn't have to be expensive) and use it. Leave it out, and check it. Maybe it's the water leaving the smell on the towel, in which case, see about cleaning your hot water heater.
Make sure your towels don't get left on the floor after use. Hang them up as flat as possible and let them dry throughouly after use.

Answer 5

Wash after each and every use. Hang towel over shower rod and allow it to completely dry before putting it in your dirty clothes hamper. Use vinegar in lieu of a fabric softener. Put your laundry in the dryer right after washing and make sure you get all of it completely dry. [Nothing stinks like a towel that has "soured" in the washer because I forgot to put it in the dryer until the next day. This is especially true in a humid climate like Florida's.]
Open your bathroom window or turn on your exhaust fan after bathing... you may have a moisture/mold problem in your bathroom.

Answer 6

The towel has mould spores by the sounds of it - soak it in a bucket of warm water with a cup of Dettol antiseptic (this will kill the mould spores) for a couple of hours rinse and wash as per normal. Dry the towel in the sunlight if possible. Don't leave towels to stay damp, air them if possibe (over the shower rail) and dry them between uses.

Answer 7

If the towel is a light colored towel, use bleach.
No matter what color it is, you can hang the towel outside in the sunshine to dry. It will smell wonderful when you bring it back inside.

Answer 8

For this very reason, a few years ago I bought all white towels. Now I can add a little bleach with them each time I wash and they always smell clean....I also use Bounce in the dryer...

Answer 9

Wash your towel in vinegar (let it soak for about 1/2 a day) then wash as usual. Do not let your laundry sit in the washer or dryer. This causes them to "sour". Make sure you hang them spread out to dry after using them.

Answer 10

Just throw it away and buy a new one. Towels are not that expensive. Try Target, Wal-Mart, or a department store.