Have you noticed your towels becoming a bit smelly over time? And the smell doesn’t completely go away? Going out and buying new towels to tackle this problem is not a sustainable model, is it? I guess it’s time to freshen your towels.
Taking care of your towels right from the start will ensure that they last for a long time.
Today, I will share with you the best laundry tricks to make towels smell fresh all the time.
Make Towels Smell Fresh with This Laundry Trick
In order to get rid of smelly towels, you need to know what makes them smelly in the first place, how to take care of new towels, and how to get rid of the smell in your towels and washcloths.
In this simple guide, you will learn how to take care of your towels, and get rid of that mildew smell for good.
Wash new towels
Always wash new towels before using them for the first time.
Think about the journey the towels made before actually getting on that shelf at the store. Now think about the journey from the store to your home, the shopping basket, the register, the car, etc..
You don’t want that on your body or your hands after you cleaned yourself.
Washing new towels also gets rid of the chemicals that are used on the towels to keep them looking good through transport and in the store.
You want to start taking care of your towels from the first day.
All of the following tips also apply to new towels, just as much as they apply to old ones.
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Get rid of the musty mildew smell in older towels
Have you noticed that your towels are smelling less than fresh?
Is there a musty smell to the towels?
This smell is due to moisture in the towels that allows mildew to grow. It happens when towels are damp for too long.
Maybe the towel was too wet after using it and it did not dry quickly, or even if you left the towels in the dryer for too long when they have not dried completely.
Using too much detergent or fabric softener can also cause your towels to smell and become less fluffy.
When towels stay damp for a long time, they become perfect for mildew to grow. What makes a bigger problem is that the smell lingers and does not easily go away after washing the towels.
Thankfully, it is quite easy to fix.
The Best Laundry Trick To Make Towels Smell Fresh
To deodorize your towels, and keep them smelling fresher when using them, you need two things: baking soda and vinegar.
Baking Soda to Deodorize Towels
Add about half a cup of baking soda – I just eyeball the amount – to a medium load of towels along with the detergent. Run the washing machine on a warm or hot cycle, depending on the color and fabric of your towels.
The baking soda will achieve two things. It will help deodorize the towels, and keep them smelling fresh. Secondly, it acts as a laundry booster that brightens the colors, and keeps the towels fluffy.
Vinegar also helps remove that musty smell
To the rinse cycle, add about half a cup of vinegar. You can use it instead of fabric softener, or in addition to it. Vinegar is great for deodorization, and it keeps the towels mildew-free.
I usually add vinegar where fabric softener goes. I find that it keeps my towels fresh for a longer period of time.
I use this trick from the first wash
When I buy new towels, I wash them with baking soda added with the detergent; and vinegar instead of fabric softener.
I find that this trick prevents musty smells from developing in the first place, and keeps the towels smelling fresh longer. I don’t notice any vinegar smell at all, and I am someone who hates the smell of vinegar.
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Don’t Go Overboard on Detergent and Fabric Softener
Using too much detergent or fabric softener can also cause your towels to smell and become less fluffy. To make towels smell fresh all the time, you have to wash them the right way.
Too much detergent will not wash off the towels, and will build up over time, making the towels less fluffy, less efficient at drying, and they will tend to smell.
Detergents are concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
The same thing will happen with too much fabric softener.
In fact, I only use fabric softener every three or four washes, and I use less than the recommended amount.
These are my tips for making towels smell fresh. What are yours?
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