The Guide to Removing Musty Towel Odors
Have you ever thought about how many towels you have throughout your household? You likely have at least one towel in almost every single room. Think about small hand towels you use to dry your hands or dish towels you use to wipe down plates and countertops. We can’t forget about bath towels, and we’d be remiss not to mention beach towels you use when laying out on the sand on a summer day!
Now, have you ever thought about how often you’re washing your towels? Or contemplated whether it’s time to change your towels out? The answers to those questions might inform whether you have musty towel odors.
This article will serve as your comprehensive guide for how to remove musty towel odors. We’ll discuss what causes towels to take on musty smells, the cadence for washing towels, plus when it’s time for a new set of towels.
What Causes “Musty” Smell?
A “musty” smell is frequently caused by mold, mildew, or bacterial growth, often as a result of humid or moist environments, which sometimes coincides with poor ventilation. Things like water damage can also cause musty odors, as can old food left in the refrigerator.
Now, is the same true when it comes to the factors causing that mildew smell on your towels?
Why Do My Towels Smell Musty?
Curious about what causes that musty smell? Several factors can lead to the occasional “musty” odor on your towels, including the buildup of body oils and soap. Wet towels are prone to bacterial and mildew growth and thus may give off musty odors with steady use over time if they aren’t washed.
Moreover, when you wash or change towels, you want to store them in a well-ventilated space, particularly if you live in a warm and humid environment. Avoid storing them anywhere they could have exposure to direct sunlight. And be wary about keeping bathroom towels in the bathroom itself. Since bathrooms are especially moist and humid environments, those fabrics could smell musty over time. Instead, consider keeping extra bathroom towels in a linen closet or wardrobe.
Why Do My Towels Smell After Washing?
Using too much detergent when washing your towels could cause them to smell musty or have a mildew scent. It’s important to use just a little bit of detergent when washing towels and not overstuff the washer.
Additionally, whether you’re washing microfiber towels or other materials, you want to wash them separately from other items. This can help you avoid your towels from accumulating lint, hair, dust, or debris from other items.
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How to Get Musty Smell Out of Towels
Find yourself with smelly towels that have been in storage and now need a refresh? Or trying to figure out how to make old, mildew-smelling towels smell fresh again? You need a detergent specifically formulated to target musty odors. Here’s how to make towels smell fresh again:
1. Separate Towels
We mentioned earlier the importance of separating towels from other items before loading them into the wash. Your towels also might be slightly bulkier, and it’s a good idea to do small loads of towels so they have time to move around in the wash and get maximum cleaning. Lastly, just as you would with your clothes, separate white and colored towels before washing.
2. Add Detergent
When you’re washing smelly towels, you don’t want to use just any old laundry detergent. You want a laundry detergent that can help get the mustiest, oldest towels smelling fresh once again. Luckily for you, ARM & HAMMER™ offers multiple laundry detergents that can help tackle musty towel odors!
- ARM & HAMMER™ Deep Clean Odor Formula Radiant Burst Liquid Laundry Detergent is the most powerful odor eliminator formula from ARM & HAMMER™ yet. This liquid laundry detergent features pH Power Technology with millions of ionic micro-scrubbers that penetrate tough odors and dirt deep between clothing fibers. Plus, Deep Clean works in all washing machines and all wash temperatures and is made with 100 percent renewable electricity, all in a recycle-friendly bottle!
- ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ with Odor Blasters™ Liquid Laundry Detergent is concentrated with 3X powerful odor fighters in every load vs. the leading value detergent. It’s triple power action is specifically formulated to eliminate body odors, sweat, and musty towel odors.
Do you prefer using laundry packs to liquid or powder laundry detergents? No problem! ARM & HAMMER™ offers laundry pack formats for both Deep Clean and Odor Blasters™ to give you optionality whenever you need to get rid of that musty smell on your towels.
For some extra freshness, try adding a laundry scent booster to pair with your detergent! These dissolvable crystals or beads help enhance or extend the fragrance on your towels and other clothing items. Try an odor-fighting scent booster, like ARM & HAMMER™ Odor Blasters™ In-Wash Scent Boosters!
3. Wash in Warm Water on Delicate Cycle
Once you’ve added your laundry detergent of choice to the drum or dispenser, you need to choose the right washing temperature and wash cycle. Warm water works best in terms of removing stains and some of the factors that may contribute to musty towel odors. Make sure to choose a delicate wash cycle if available and per the recommendations on your fabric care label.
4. Dry Your Towels ASAP
Have you ever run a load of laundry through the wash before heading to work or running errands? Maybe you simply got distracted watching your favorite movie or show and forgot your laundry was sitting in the wash. These things happen!
But especially when it comes to towels, you want to get them out of the wash and into the dryer as soon as possible. Leaving damp towels in the wash can result in that mildew or musty smell – which is exactly the thing you were hoping to remove in the first place. To keep them fresh, make sure you’re ready to dry them promptly after washing.
Most towels can be tumble-dried. But you might also choose to hang them on a clothesline or a rack. Regardless, make sure you allow the towels to fully dry before storing them.
How to Deep Clean Old or Musty Towels
If you’re looking to refresh or deep clean old or extra smelly towels, you can try pretreating your items or employing the laundry stripping method. Either route should help you get the musty smell out of your towels.
How to Preatreat Musty Towels
For pretreating, you’ll want to rub a little bit of detergent directly on your towels. Fill the cap of ARM & HAMMER™ Deep Clean Odor Formula to Bar 1. If you’re using ARM & HAMMER™ Plus OxiClean™ with Odor Blasters™, fill the cap to Bar 8. Apply the detergent to your towels and rub it into the fabric. Wait 5-10 minutes, then wash immediately using the amount of laundry detergent recommended by the product label.
Laundry Stripping for Musty Towels
Laundry stripping is a deep cleaning method that can help remove residue from detergent, hard water, fabric softener, and body oils from towels. Follow the steps in our laundry stripping guide so you can deep clean your towels and give them a proper refresh.
How to Hang Bath Towels
You can hang bath towels in a variety of ways. You might have single or double hooks you use to hang and dry your towels. Or, you might have wall-mounted rings (these are more applicable to small hand towels) and towel bars.
Regardless, you want to fold and pinch or fold and drape your towels before placing them on hooks, bars, or rings, rather than simply crumpling them before hanging them up to dry. You also want to try spreading your towels out to give them more room to dry, if possible.
In any event, always hang your towels after each use (even light usage) and air dry them away from humidity. And NEVER toss wet towels in your hamper. Musty and mildew odors begin to form on your towels after they’ve been in a warm and dark place for a couple of hours.
How Often Should You Wash Towels?
The Cleaning Institute recommends washing bath towels every 3-5 “normal uses.” That’s because body oils, dead skin cells, sweat, and more can accumulate on your towels after each use. If you use your towels regularly, aim to wash them at least once a week.
How Often Should You Change Your Bath Towels?
If you don’t have the time to wash your dirty towels, you should also change them out for clean ones every 3-5 uses. But if you’re washing your towels consistently, you probably don’t need to replace them for 2-4 years.
This isn’t a hard and fast rule. For example, you’ll likely want to change or replace towels sooner if the fibers start to break down or if they start to smell with just a couple of uses after being washed. So, keep tabs on your towels and use your best judgment.
Triumph Over Musty Towel Odors
There’s nothing like a soft, clean towel to make you feel even cozier after a relaxing bath, or covering yourself following a hot shower when you get soaked during a thunderstorm. But that level of comfort probably goes away in a hurry if your towel smells musty.
Don’t let musty towel odors get in the way. Turn to ARM & HAMMER™ laundry detergents and scent boosters to help you eliminate musty and mildew odors on towels, clothes, and other laundry items!
