My clean towel smells mildewy the first time its wet out of the shower. Why is this?

Answer 1

Over time, just because towels are wet a lot of the time, they can become mildewy. Regular washing won't kill the mildew but when it gets wet, it will bring out that musty smell. You can wash all your towels in a load of hot water with about 1/4 cup of bleach and then an extra rinse cycle. That should take care of it.. for a few months anyway. Drying it in the sun will be a big help as sun naturally kilss mildew. If you want to use the dryer for that softer feeling though, just make sure you promptly put your towels in when they are finished washing and turn it to high.

Answer 2

how long did you leave it in the washer before putting it in the dryer, also if its hot out and it stays wet for too long it will smell. It may not smell when dry but as soon as its wet. I too had this problem in the hottest part of the summer, forgot a load in the washer (YUK), well I had to bleach all the white ones ALOT and you can use either a cup of vinegar or ammonia per load and see if that works, good luck.

Here is a forum I found for that problem, Yes there is a forum for stinky towels. lol

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000711.tip.html

Answer 3

everyone so far gave good tips, but here's the trick...... when you wash towels, put a cup of white vinegar in the final rinse water, the spores that mold grows from cannot grow in the slightly acid environment of vinegar. Using bleach and drying thouroughly is a great idea, but the bleach will also weaken the fibers and your towels wear out too fast.
You can get a gallon of white vinegar at the grocery store for under 2 bucks, it will last a couple months.

Answer 4

It sounds like it has some mold in it, from not drying thoroughly, after the wash.

Add a little more detergent and some bleach. If it's a colored towel, look for color-safe bleach.

Maybe in the dryer, add a dryer sheet and make sure the towel dries thoroughly. Mold and mildew thrives in moisture. It reacted to the moisture from your shower.

Answer 5

Because it's mildewy. We have some face cloths that are like that, washing them, even with bleach doesn't cure it. Time for new towels.

Answer 6

Make sure when you wash it that you don't leave it sitting in the washer wet. If you leave your clothes in the washer overnight (or longer) before putting them in the dryer they will mildew and smell. Use a good quality detergent and some fabric softener (a rinse or the cloths) and make sure you dry them right away, and completely.

Answer 7

Eww. I hate when this happens. You all nice and fresh and clean and the second that you use your supposidly clean towel all that good fresh feeling vanishes.

Try bleaching it, use an extra rise cycle, warm water and dry it on high. If it's a color towel use color safe bleach.

Answer 8

Let it dry completely, then wash it. If it doesn't fix it, try Febreeze Laundry Odor Elimator.
http://www.febreze.com/en_US/febreze/laundry_odor_eliminator.do
I am a fitness pro and go through several sets of sweaty clothes each day. Without this product, I would be buying clothes 5 times more often than I do.

Answer 9

Had mildew in them at one time.
Wash in hot or warm wash with Pine-Sol or liquid Spc N Span. Put through 2nd rinse cycle, dry. Do this to all your towels so you can take care of all the affected ones.

Answer 10

because it's not clean. If it was clean, then it wouldn't smell mildewy.
When you put things in the washing machine to be cleaned don't forget it is in there for a while and then say "ohhhh I have to take it out of the washing machine and put it into the dryer". Maybe your towel was sitting in your washing machine for too long because you forgot about it for a few days.