There’s nothing worse than reaching for a clean bath towel post-shower, only to notice that it has a musty, mildewy smell. It’s not a problem you hear about often, but it happens in more homes than you think.
The mystery of the mildewed towels actually has a few very simple, albeit surprising, explanations. But the good news is that the solution to those problems is as easy as doing a load of laundry. As Underscored’s cleaning expert, I’ll break down exactly what causes your towels to smell musty — and how to prevent it from happening in the future.
What causes a musty smell in clean towels?
Typically, there are three things that can cause clean towels to smell musty:
1. You’re using too much laundry detergent
When detergent residue lingers in towels, it creates a breeding ground for mildew. Using more laundry detergent than necessary means that the washer’s rinse cycle won’t fully flush away all those suds, and your towels will come out of the wash with product buildup that results in a musty smell.
2. You’re washing towels with fabric softener
It may come as a surprise, but towels should not be washed with fabric softener nor dried with dryer sheets. Those products leave behind a coating that makes towels less absorbent and prevents them from getting fully clean in the wash. That coating serves as a barrier to detergent and water, stopping them from being able to fully penetrate and clean the fibers.
3. Your washing machine needs to be cleaned
Using laundry detergent (in general, but especially overusing it) can lead to buildup in your washing machine, causing the appliance — and all the laundry that’s done in it! — to smell musty. Using the right amount of detergent and performing routine maintenance on the washer will help prevent that odor-causing product buildup from occurring.
Thankfully, every one of these problems has an easy fix.
Eliminate existing musty odors in towels
When a towel or set of towels has gone musty, remove the odor-causing buildup using the following products and steps.
Because your towels have detergent buildup in them, using only a half dose — and being precise with measuring that dose — is crucial to getting them clean. The vinegar will help break down the buildup and eliminate those musty odors. As a bonus, it also serves as a natural fabric softener.
Once your towels are out of the wash, dry them on the highest heat setting they can tolerate (the care tag will provide this information) with dryer balls instead of fabric softener sheets. The dryer balls will fluff up the towels as well as cut down on drying time by creating more airflow in the drum. High-heat drying isn't usually recommended, even for towels, but in this case, the heat will help further eliminate odor-causing bacteria.
For people who prefer an alternative to distilled vinegar, a laundry odor eliminator like Zero Odor can be used instead of vinegar to remove lingering smells caused by product buildup.
Clean your washing machine
It can be easy to forget to clean the things we used to clean things, but cleaning your washer is an important part of routine maintenance. It’s essential when you notice a musty odor coming from the appliance or when you notice that laundry is coming out of the wash smelling less-than-fresh.
Start by cleaning the tub, using a washing machine cleaner like Affresh. Run the washer’s cleaning cycle, followed by a rinse and spin cycle, to remove residue from the cleaner. Leave the washer door open to let the tub dry.
Pull out the dispenser drawer(s) until you feel resistance, or, if they're removable, take them out of the unit. Wipe them clean with a damp cloth and use a toothbrush to scrub any stubborn buildup. (Children's toothbrushes, with their shorter handles, are ideal for this job.) Removable parts may also be soaked in warm water to loosen and remove residue; wipe well after soaking.
For top-loading machines, open the lid and clean in and around the door using a damp microfiber cloth. For front-loading machines, wipe down the inside of the tub and the door. Then, use another damp cloth or a sponge to wipe the exterior of the machine clean. (Avoid abrasive or harsh cleaners on the exterior as they can scratch and cause other damage.) Finally, return the detergent trays and parts to the machine and prop open the door to allow everything to dry thoroughly.
For more detailed instructions, including how to clean the filter on a washing machine, refer to our guide to cleaning a washing machine.
How to prevent musty odors in towels
Now that we’ve solved the problem of musty odors in otherwise clean towels, let’s turn our attention to preventing it from happening in the first place.
When washing a load of towels, follow these guidelines to ensure they come out as clean as possible:
Use the right amount of laundry detergent. More detergent does not equal more clean, and the best change you can make to your wash day routine is to practice precise detergent dosing.
Avoid fabric softener. Liquid fabric softener, as well as dryer sheets, leaves a coating on towels that makes them less absorbent. Over time, that coating will contribute to a layer of product buildup in towels that will leave them looking dingy and smelling less than fresh.
Using fabric softener can be a hard habit to break, and if you find yourself missing the scent that fabric softener lends to towels, in-wash scent beads — which do nothing more than add fragrance to laundry — are a good alternative.