Anyone know how to get rid of the sour smell in towels?

Question

I don't know why, but my towels have a sour smell. I put them in the dryer right after the wash is done, I wash them regularly, but still they get a nasty smell to them.

Answer 1

Try some Febreeze or baking soda in your wash water next time you wash them.

Answer 2

How often are you changing your towels?

If used after a daily shower, towels can last 3-5 days if allowed to dry thoroughly in-between uses.

But if your towels aren't THOROUGHLY drying between uses, they may last only a day or two before developing that slightly sick-sweet smell that's a precurser to mildew.

From a previous answer of mine, here's how to REALLY wash your towels:

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Fabric softener may make for soft towels, but they lose a huge amont of their absorbency. Adding fabric softner to the wash cycle, or in the dryer, is like "waxing" your towels.

Also, too many washer 'Rinse' cycles don't adequately rinse towels. Try putting a few freshly washed towels back into the washer... add water... and agitate the load for a minute or two... likely you'll find a fair amount of detergent foam on the water's surface.

Try washing your towels by putting them through a normal wash cycle w/ laundry detergent... then, after the load is (allegedly... LOL!) done, reset the washer to put 'em through a second full cycle withOUT detergent and NO fabric softener.. instead, add 1-2 cups of white vinegar to the first wash cycle.

After the load is done, dry your towels without adding a fabric softener sheet. They'll be fluffy -and- absorbent -and- REALLY clean. :-)

Washed like this, your towels will last longer, smell better, and do a MUCH better job of both absorbing water -and- drying (on the towel rack) than when "normally" washed.

Hope this helps,
TX Griff

Answer 3

White Vinegar and Baking Soda are are the two versatile (and only right accepted) organic cleansing products that are great for freshening clothing and removing a bitter scent. once you do the wash, determine you do no longer overload the washer so there is extremely some room for the towels to agitate. alongside consisting of your commonplace laundry detergent, degree approximately ½ cup of baking soda, and upload it to the wash. make sure to bathe in warm water. After the towels have agitated for a jiffy, turn off the bathing gadget and enable them to soak for one to 3 hours. Then proceed washing the towels as time-honored. upload one cup vinegar for the period of the rinse cycle. in case you have a fabric softener dispenser, fill it with a cup of vinegar rather of your familiar liquid fabric softener. For next wash a lot cut back the quantity of white vinegar to a minimum of one one million/2 cup. even nevertheless vinegar has a solid scent, the smell of vinegar gained’t stay interior the towels whilst they’re dried. You’ll in trouble-free terms word mushy fluffy towels that scent sparkling and clean. additionally don’t make the blunders of leaving your freshly washed towels interior the dryer whilst the dryer is thru. as quickly as the buzzer sounds, verify your towels on the instant and get rid of them in the event that they’re dry. if your towels are the least bit damp, proceed drying them till they're completely dry. sparkling damp towels will become bitter towels which will scent something yet sparkling.

Answer 4

Use amonnia in your next wash of the towels.
This will takeaway the sour smell you describe.
Dry the towels in the sun after washing to give them direct uv rays that also help to kill off any germs & odours.

Don't put the amonnia direct onto the towels in the washing machine. Put it into the water as the tub fills first. Then put in the towels.

Use a nice fabric softener/conditioner in the last cycle.

Answer 5

Try bleach on white towels and Clorox 2 on colored ones. I also use softener. Wonder if it's your water? Is your clothes the same way? Maybe the towels are being reused to much before you use another. Or they sit wet in the laundry room before you wash them. Other than that, don't know why the smell like that.

Answer 6

The way I get rid of the nasty smell in towels, washcloths and even cloth diapers is to boil them after washing them. It is not has hard as it sounds--the towels don't need to be swimming in water. They just need to be wet and heated to boiling.
I have even microwaved damp washed towels long enough to get them steaming and it does the same thing. They smell great and it can be done as often as necessary.

Answer 7

Use your regular detergent and about 1 C. of baking soda to the wash water.. Launder as usual... Put in dryer immeadiately ! Also, using fabric softner "coats" the fibers of your towels and they won't dry as well... Good luck

Answer 8

You should wash with Tide in Hot water, and use a fabric softener, I use Downey April Fresh and my clothes and towels always smell really good.

Answer 9

Adding 1 cup of ammonia to the next load is the best way to do it...

Be sure to wash in hot water.

All the other ideas will only mask the smell and not kill the mildew.

Answer 10

Try not to put them in the dryer for once, put them to dry outdoor see if the smell will still exist, if it doesn't smell, there maybe some kick back in dryer hose,

Answer 11

First be sure they aren't getting soured in your hamper. Adding white vinegar, Oxyclean, or Odoban should take care of it in the washer with the hottest water setting for the colors of your towels.