Towels are the workhorses of the bathroom. They trap dead skin, absorb water, and sit in humid environments, effectively becoming sponges for bacteria. Eventually, regular detergent just doesn’t cut it, and you’re left with that dreaded sour, mildewy funk.
If you wash your towels religiously but they still smell like a wet dog, don’t worry. It is usually the result of detergent buildup or mildew trapped deep in the fibers. We’ve tested the best methods to strip that buildup and restore freshness.
Ready to learn how to get smells out of towels using pantry staples like vinegar and baking soda? Whether you are dealing with body odor, dampness, or mildew, these tricks will make your towels fluffy and absorbent again.
Key Takeaways
- The Vinegar & Baking Soda Hack: Run a hot cycle with one cup of distilled white vinegar, then run a second hot cycle with ½ cup of baking soda.
- Drying is Critical: Never store damp towels. Ensure they are 100 percent dry to prevent bacteria growth and bad smells.
- Skip Fabric Softener: Softeners coat fibers with a wax-like layer that traps odors and reduces absorbency.
- Machine Maintenance: A smelly washing machine creates smelly towels. Clean your washer filter and drum monthly.
Why Do My Towels Smell Bad Even After Washing?
It is frustrating when a “clean” towel smells sour the second it gets wet. Usually, the culprit isn’t dirt; it is residue. Here is why that funk sticks around.
- Detergent Buildup: Surprisingly, using too much detergent is the #1 cause of smelly towels. Excess soap doesn’t rinse out; it coats the fibers and traps bacteria and dead skin against the fabric.
- The Washing Machine is Dirty: If your washer has mold in the gasket or filter, that smell transfers to your linens. You need to deep clean your washing machine regularly.
- Dampness: Bacteria thrive in moisture. If towels sit in the hamper wet, or stay in the washer too long after the cycle ends, mildew sets in immediately.
- Fabric Softener Usage: We do not recommend fabric softener for towels. It contains oils that repel water and lock in odors. It essentially waterproofs your towel, making it less effective at drying you off.
- Hard Water: Mineral deposits from hard water can get trapped in the fabric weave, making towels feel stiff and smell stale.
How To Get Smells Out of Towels With Vinegar and Baking Soda
This is the gold standard for towel stripping. The acid in the vinegar breaks down mineral and soap buildup, while the baking soda neutralizes odors and scours the fibers.
- Time: 2 wash cycles (approx. 2 hours).
- Difficulty: Easy.
What You’ll Need
- 1 cup of distilled white vinegar.
- ½ cup of baking soda.
- Washing machine.
- No detergent (for the first cycle).
1. Wash With Vinegar
Place your towels loosely in the washing machine. Do not overstuff the drum, as the towels need room to agitate and rinse.
Pour one cup of white vinegar directly into the drum (or the detergent dispenser). Do not add laundry detergent. The goal here is to strip old detergent out, not add more in.
Run the hottest cycle your towels can handle (usually around 140 degrees Fahrenheit). The hot water and vinegar work together to cut through the waxy buildup on the fibers.
2. Wash With Baking Soda
Leave the wet towels in the machine after the vinegar cycle finishes. Now, sprinkle ½ cup of baking soda directly over the towels.
Run a second cycle on hot. You can add a small amount of standard detergent here if you wish, but it usually isn’t necessary. The baking soda acts as a natural deodorizer and brightener.
3. Dry Thoroughly
Once the second cycle ends, remove the towels immediately. Shake them out to open up the fibers.
Dry them on a regular heat setting (or line dry in the sun for UV disinfection). Ensure they are bone dry before folding. If they feel even slightly damp, keep drying.
Other Ways To Get Musty Smells Out of Towels
If the vinegar method didn’t quite knock out the smell, or if you are dealing with visible mold, you might need a heavier hitter. Here are three strong alternatives.
Option 1: Oxygen Bleach (OxiClean)
For colored towels that smell musty, oxygen bleach is safer than chlorine bleach. It uses oxygen bubbles to lift stains and kill odor-causing bacteria without stripping the dye.
- Soak: Fill a tub or sink with hot water and add a scoop of oxygen bleach (like OxiClean).
- Submerge: Let the towels soak for 2 to 4 hours.
- Wash: Wring them out and run a hot wash cycle with your standard detergent.
Option 2: Chlorine Bleach (Whites Only)
If your white towels smell like mildew, chlorine bleach is the best disinfectant. It kills mold spores on contact.
- Load Machine: Place white towels in the drum.
- Add Bleach: Add bleach to the designated bleach dispenser. If your machine doesn’t have one, dilute the bleach with water first and add it 5 minutes into the wash cycle. Follow the bottle’s instructions for ratios (usually ½ cup for a full load).
- Wash Hot: Run a hot cycle with a small amount of detergent.
Safety Warning
Never mix bleach with vinegar, ammonia, or other acids. This creates toxic chlorine gas. Only use bleach on its own with water and detergent.
Option 3: Borax
Borax is a natural mineral booster that raises the pH of the water, helping detergent work better. It is excellent for stubborn, sour smells.
- Add Borax: Sprinkle ½ cup of Borax powder into the drum.
- Add Detergent: Use your normal amount of laundry detergent.
- Wash: Run a hot cycle with an extra rinse if possible.
Option 4: Ammonia
Ammonia is a powerful degreaser. If your towels smell because of trapped body oils or greasy lotions, this is the solution.
- Load: Put towels in the washer.
- Add Ammonia: Pour one cup of clear ammonia into the detergent dispenser.
- Wash: Run a hot cycle. Do not use bleach.
Caution
Ammonia creates toxic fumes if mixed with bleach. Ensure your laundry detergent does not contain bleach additives before mixing it with ammonia (1).
How To Keep Towels Fresh (Prevention Tips)
Now that your towels are fresh, keep them that way with these habits.
- The Three-Use Rule: Use a towel three times max before washing. Any longer allows bacteria colonies to multiply rapidly.
- Spread Them Out: After showering, spread the towel flat over a bar. Hooks bunch the fabric, trapping moisture in the folds where bacteria breed.
- Maximize Airflow: If your bathroom is humid, turn on the exhaust fan for 20 minutes after showering to help towels dry faster.
- Clean the Machine: A dirty machine cannot clean clothes. Wipe down the door gasket and run a cleaning cycle with a washing machine cleaner monthly.
- Dose Correctly: Most modern high-efficiency (HE) washers only need 2 tablespoons of detergent. Using more leads to buildup.
- Use Vinegar Regularly: You don’t have to wait for smells to appear. Add ¼ cup of vinegar to the fabric softener compartment every few washes to keep fibers soft and residue-free.
FAQs
Can You Use Vinegar in an HE Washer?
Yes, vinegar is safe for High-Efficiency (HE) washers. It will not damage the internal components or void warranties when used correctly. In fact, it helps keep the internal mechanisms free of soap scum.
Where Do You Put Vinegar in a Washing Machine?
For a front-loader, pour vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser; the machine releases it during the rinse cycle. For top-loaders, you can pour it directly into the drum during the final rinse, or use the fabric softener cup in the center agitator.
How Often Should You Wash Towels With Vinegar?
You can use vinegar as a fabric softener alternative in every wash if you like. However, for a deep clean “stripping” method (using vinegar then baking soda), aim to do this once a month or whenever you notice absorbency dropping.
What is the Best Laundry Detergent for Stinky Towels?
We recommend an enzyme-based detergent designed for heavy-duty cleaning. Tide Ultra Oxi Liquid is excellent because the enzymes break down biological matter (like skin cells) that cause odors, while the Oxi-boost tackles stains.
Why Do Hotel Towels Smell So Good?
Hotels generally wash at very high temperatures (160°F+) which kills all bacteria. They also use industrial strength detergents with bleach, and they never let wet towels sit around. The “clean” smell is often a combination of bleach and high-heat drying.
Why Are My Towels Hard and Scratchy?
Towels usually turn into sandpaper due to detergent residue. If you don’t rinse all the soap out, it dries into a stiff, crusty layer. Hard water minerals also contribute to this. To fix it, run the vinegar and baking soda method to strip the residue, and cut your detergent dose in half moving forward.
Can I Mix Vinegar and Baking Soda Together in the Wash?
No, you should not mix them in the same cycle. When mixed, they create a fizzing reaction that neutralizes both ingredients, leaving you with salty water. To be effective, they must be used in separate stages (vinegar first to strip, baking soda second to deodorize).
