my towels still smell after they are washed in hot water with downy and bounce in the dryer.. as soon as i use one to dry with , i get this musty smell, like it wasnt even clean.. i use a front loading washer. any suggestions?
2006-12-02 11:35:59 · 25 answers · asked by notaclue 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Cleaning & Laundry
I have a front loader - first time in my life -
Was having the same problem, also the first time in my life -
After trying many things to 'find' and 'fix' the problem?
Seems that putting LESS soap in the machine, and running the towels thru an EXTRA (warm) rinse - without liquid fabric softener - and then drying on permanent press dryer setting (with downy sheet), has fixed the smelly problem . . .
2006-12-02 11:59:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been having the same problem lately. What I have done that makes it better is I wash my towels like normal aned use fabric softener in the rinse cycle. Then I dry them using two dryer sheets. Then right after I use a towel to dry off I throw it back in the dryer for about 10 to 15 mins. It works. I think the smell is just form it taking so long to dry on it's own. Could be the time of year too. Try that though. I know it will help. I use Downy april fresh fabric softener, and any dryer sheet will do just use 2.
2006-12-02 11:48:17 · answer #2 · answered by jdyzy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That musty smell is from mold or mildew. It gets re-activated every time the towel gets wet again . . . even if you've already washed them.
Add some bleach to some really hot water in your washing machine and wash your towels really well. This will kill the mold/mildew. Be sure your towels get all the way dry in the dryer.
Then make sure you hang your towel on a rack to dry after every use until it's time to wash it again. It doesn't take much bleach and you can go ahead and use the bleach even if it's a colored towel. The colored towel may fade a bit but it's better than rubbing that moldy smell all over your body every time you dry off after a shower ;-)
2006-12-02 12:24:22 · answer #3 · answered by Just Me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you shouldn't use a fabric softener with towels. It prohibits the absorption of moisture and besides it's not helping with the smell. Use bleach when you are washing the towels or even vinegar in the final rinse(both were suggested before I got in line here) your front loading machine should have nothing to do with the odor coming from your towels unless of course you are cramming it full and they are just not getting clean. That would happen with a top loading machine as well. Your towels(and all your laundry for that matter) need to have space to move around to get their cleanest. Good Luck.
2006-12-02 12:24:50 · answer #4 · answered by Slam64 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try washing them in the hottest water possible with some color safe bleach added. Don't use fabric softener on your towels, it somehow lowers the absorbency. Dry them until they are hot. This should help. And use a high quality laundry soap.
2006-12-02 12:05:14 · answer #5 · answered by Michelle 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if your towels were ever left not fully dried and oput away..they will get a musty smell to them. You could try to clean out your tub with no colthes in it..(put washer on full cycle..add javex to water..let it go thru the cycle..) then rewash your towels. Or..you could add baki9ng soda to the wash..that absorbs smell too. . I live in an aprtment..i get that sometimes..i hate it!
2006-12-02 11:40:04 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not what you put in the washer dryer with the wasing. It's what you do with your towel afterwards!
Don't dump it on the floor after showering, hang it up on a warm radiator. Or better still, drape it over the bannister, let some warm air circulate.
2006-12-02 11:38:34 · answer #7 · answered by Moorglademover 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps after you dry them, they're not dry all the way, although they may seem like it because they're still warm from the dryer. They must dry allll the way before you fold them because otherwise they'll still smell gross. Also, make sure you're using enough detergent and that you hang it up evenly after each use so that it dries all over.
Hope this helps!
2006-12-02 11:38:31 · answer #8 · answered by WiseWisher 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Smelly Bath Towels
2017-02-25 14:23:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Adding white vinegar to the rinse cycle should kill your mildew smell. You would be amazed at the number of things vinegar can do in place of expensive chemical based remedies. I recommend checking out the following site to see the hundreds of ways vinegar can work for you, is earth friendly, and available at grocery stores as well as a lot of smaller markets and convenience stores.
http://frugalliving.about.com/library/blvinegararch.htmn
2006-12-02 12:04:46 · answer #10 · answered by Cathy M 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋