after i wash and fold my towels i put them away, and after using them they stink. any reason why?

Question

i do make sure they are totally dry before i fold them. i have tried all detergents. i even used to keep the towels in an open shelf in the bathroom but have moved that to outside the bathroom. not as bad of a smell, but the smell isn't a fresh smell like it should smell.

Answer 1

Probably not dry when you fold them. Try putting some of those dryer sheets wherever you keep the folded ones.

Answer 2

Yeah some times if the towels are left in the washmachine for over 2 hours they smell after wards . What you need to do is as soon as they are done place them in the dryer and get a good dryer sheet. Like bounce or snuggle. throw a few in the dryer. Another reason may be because if you do use a cheaper laundry detergent it just doesnt cut it. I found out myself. Try getting arm and hammer or tide if you can. Youll smell the difference.

Answer 3

I have to agree with everyone else. It is probably the smell of damp you are describing. That smell is caused by bacteria. It might be worth you disinfecting them before you put them in the washing machine and making sure that they are dry before putting them away. Or maybe you could put some distilled white vinegar in each load?
If you are putting damp towells in an airing cupboard, this is ideal breeding ground for bacteria - which is the cause of your smell it seems ;-)

If its not a damp smell, it could be lack of ventalation wherever you are hanging your towells.

Answer 4

Even if they are completely dry when you put them up the problem may be that your leaving them wet in the washer to long. They get sort of a sour smell to them if you leave them wet to long. Try drying them as soon as they are done washing and see if that improves things, is not maybe its time for new towels

Answer 5

I think the problem is after you take a bath or shower the bath towels maybe soaking in the moisture from you bathroom and getting the towels damp then start smelling. I might add it could be your shelf too.

Answer 6

ya know mine did the exact same thing. I started using Tide with febreeze and washing them in HOT water (make sure lights are with lights and darks are with darks). And then using both liquid and sheets of fabric softener with febreeze. And then of course make sure they are completely dry. If this doesn't work run an empty load of hot water and a cup of bleach because it could be the washer. If not make sure your bathroom is well ventilated and use febreeze spray. (can you tell I swear by febreeze or any fabric refresher). It seems like a long process, but it's really not and so worth it.

if it happens when they sit in the linen closet. Spray down the shelves with a bleach solution and let dry.

Answer 7

could be your current detergent is not doing the trick in cleaning them. try a different det that has the fresher scents and possibly frebreze mixed in. also be sure your towels are dry, if damp when putting away, bacteria will build up in the fib ers and smell.

Answer 8

They are most probably not 100% dry when you are folding them or putting them away. Or as someone above said, you may have left them in the washer too long before drying them. That happens when you do.

Answer 9

Are they totally dry when you fold them and put them away or you may be leaving them in the washing machine too long before you dry them... try adding baking soda to your towels when u wash them..

Answer 10

using a cheap detergent sometimes causes this. I switched to tide and no longer have that problem. I tried drying them longer and everything. it didn't stop until i changed the detergent