Towels Smell Sour after washing them?

Question

After washing and drying them they smell sour. Why? What do I do?

Answer 1

Is it possible you let the towels sit in the washer for a while before putting them into the dryer? Wet clothes left in a washing machine will sour if left sitting wet too long. The only thing I can think of to remedy the smell is to re-wash the towels, and be sure to use the proper amount of detergent. You may want to also add some color safe, or non chlorine bleach.

Answer 2

You probably left them in the washer damp too long and, depending on the laundry room temp, they will begin to sour. Once you dry them it's almost like you dried the smell in there as well. Using a fabric softner sheet at that point may have been able to cover up the smell.

In the end re-washing the load is the best option and using a fabric softner is always a good bet to add a pleasant scent to the load. Hope this helps!

Answer 3

The main reason for our washed clothes not to have that lovely fresh smell is that we tend to now what 30/40 degree so a couple of times a year you should give your washing machine a good hot wash ! u have special fluids to use but maybe the baking soda/ vinegar trick will work - use highest temp so clean out the washing machine - dont forget to clean around the rubber ring in the door as alot of mold from soap can build up -and keep the door open after giving the inside a wipe with dry cloth

Answer 4

Usually that's because they sat in the washer too long.

Try running a small load, EMPTY, with 1 cup of bleach. After the cycle is done running, you should have all the mildew mold sour smell gone. Do this occasionally to maintain fresh smelling washer.

Answer 5

I had something similar happen but my problem was that I was drying them outside on days when it was humid, or not any breeze. I found that when any of the clothes dried slowly they seemed to have a sour smell. As long as they dried quickly, or on a breezy day, they seemed fine. If you are drying them in a dryer and it happens, you should change detergents. Sometimes very hard water ( depending on your area) could contribute to that as well. I only had that problem in the summer.

Answer 6

Use nothing but hot water and good soap. Many cheap detergents are just that, Cheap and you get what you pay for. Stinky laundry. Also go straight to the hot dryer. Leaving them in the washer more than a few minutes will sour them.

Answer 7

Sometimes after if they sit for awhile in the washer they will start to smell, sometimes you may need to wash them several times to get the smell out of them. Also try adding more soap than usual and try some nice smelling fabric softener. Hope that works for ya :)

Answer 8

Use less detergent, DO NOT use liquid softener on towels, this makes them less absorbent, plus to me it makes the towel smell once you start drying off. Another thing you can do is add a cup of white vinegar in the final rinse and use dryer sheets.:)

Answer 9

run a empty load and add vinegar to the wash: that will flush out your washer: now on the next load of clothes don't let them sit there take them out asap and hang on line:

you may have left them in the washer for to long: if over night wet they will sour: even after a couple of hours they can sour:

Answer 10

How long were they in the wash before you dried them. If they were left in the machine overnight, they could sour easily. Try rewashing them. Are they whites? Use a cup of bleach in the wash. If they're colored you might try soaking them in some white vinegar first and then wash.