How to remove mildew smell from towels in front loader

Difficulty

Easy

Table of Contents Show

2 hours, 55 minutes
What you'll need:
Prepping to Get Mildew Smell out of Towels
Run a Cycle With Vinegar
Run a Cycle With Baking Soda
Dry the Towels
Getting Musty Smell out of Towels Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro
Here's how to get mildew smell out of towels in 3 steps:
1. Clean Your Washer
2. Soak towels in Dawn
3. Wash towels with Washing Soda and Vinegar Rinse
Why this works to prevent mildew smell:
How to Remove Mildew Smell and Prevent Stinky Towels
What Causes Towels to Get Stinky?
So how do you avoid stinky mildew bacteria from growing on your towels in the first place?
How do you get the smell out of towels in a front loader?
How do you freshen towels in a front load washer?
Why do my towels smell like mildew after washing?
Will baking soda get the mildew smell out of towels?

Simple project; big impact.

Time to complete

2 hours, 55 minutes

You'll spend most of the time waiting for the washer and dryer to run.

$3–$5

You might need a thing or two.

Need professional help with your project?

Get quotes from top-rated pros.

What you'll need:

SUPPLIES

White vinegar
Baking soda

If you’ve been washing your towels over and over again but can’t seem to get rid of the musty, mildewy smell, there’s no need to worry. You can try some simple tricks to learn how to get mildew smell out of towels and make your linens smell fresh and as good as new again. Best of all, it only takes a couple of staple pantry items and a little bit of time.

Prepping to Get Mildew Smell out of Towels

If you’re wondering how to get the musty smell out of your towels, you might rush to start washing your towels. But first, ask yourself: When was the last time you deep-cleaned your washer?

If it’s been longer than one to three months, it’s a good idea to do this first. After many cycles, your machine can suffer from mildew, mold, and bacteria buildup and transfer that smell to your towels.

To do a deep clean, first run your washer on the hottest, longest cycle with 4 cups of white vinegar in the drum. Then, add 1 cup of baking soda to the drum and run another cycle. After, wipe the inside down well with a clean cloth.

You should follow up by wiping down any removable parts with a cloth and cleaning the filter. Soak the filter in a 1:1 mixture of hot water and vinegar, then rinse it clean. Finally, wipe down the gasket on front-loading washers with a 1:1 water and vinegar mixture.

This process will add a few hours to your total project time, but will be well worth it. Once your washer is nice and clean, you can get started on cleaning your towels.

Run a Cycle With Vinegar
Throw your mildew-smelling towels into the washer and run a cycle with 1 cup of white vinegar. You can put the vinegar in the fabric softener compartment or pour it into the washer when it’s full of water. If none of those options are available, you can simply pour the vinegar straight onto the towels before running the load.
And as much as you might want to, don’t use any detergent during this step. Detergent can build up on fabric over time, contributing to unpleasant smells. White vinegar strips away build-up from detergent and other cleaning products. The vinegar can also kill mildew, mold, and bacteria, so it’s no wonder there are so many clever ways to clean with vinegar.
Run a Cycle With Baking Soda
After washing the towels with white vinegar, run a second cycle with a 1/2 cup of baking soda. You can sprinkle the baking soda directly onto the towels and use the hottest water setting.
Again, don’t add detergent to the wash. The baking soda will do the job by softening the fabric, whitening it, and removing any lingering vinegar smells.
Dry the Towels
Photo: Catherine Falls Commercial / Moment / Getty Images
Skip the fabric softener this time. Just like with detergent, it can cause build-up on your towels. A good alternative is using felted wool dryer balls. They’ll help your towels come out nice and fluffy.

Getting Musty Smell out of Towels Yourself vs. Hiring a Pro

Getting the mildew smell out of your towels is a fairly straightforward DIY job. But if you don’t have the time to dedicate to running multiple washer cycles—especially if you have tons of towels to take care of—you can hire a local house cleaning service.

You can expect the cost of a house cleaner to run around $30 to $50 per hour. While they typically won’t do laundry unless you ask, you can usually add this on for about $5 to $20 per load. The good thing about hiring a pro is that they’ll know exactly how to get the moldy smell out of your towels, and you won’t have to lift a finger. Plus, for the total price, they’ll clean a lot more than just your towels.

January 28, 2021 Posted by TANYA VAUGHAN

Do you ever worry about having mildew smelly towels? Smelly towels aren't just a nuisance. They're a problem that shouldn't be ignored. That's because the smell coming from stinky towels isn't just a bad odor. It's a symptom of bacteria growing.

Why do they stink? There's lots of different smells caused by different culprits. Like a mildew smell. That's caused by bacteria (mold) and sour/garlic-y smell is caused by oil build-up.

Essentially, the smell is something lingering on your towel. And you need to remover whatever's clinging to the fibers.

Here's how to get mildew smell out of towels in 3 steps:

1. Clean Your Washer

Especially front loaders. They're known for that mildew smell. And if your washer has a mildew smell, it's likely it's depositing that mildew on anything you wash in it (including your towels).

A quick way to clean your washer:

Run a wash cycle with 4 cups of vinegar

Wipe down inside and out

You can also use cleaning packets specific for your washing machine. And of course, follow your washer's recommended process for cleaning and allow the washer to air dry after a load before closing the front door tight.

2. Soak towels in Dawn

This step is for degreasing. If you're dealing with an oil smell, Dawn is the best de-greaser in town.

Oil buildup. Oils are everywhere. Body oils, essential oils, bath oils, kitchen oils. On hand towels this can also be from kitchen oils. So it's likely a smell is from oil buildup.

You can do this in your washer or in the sink or tub, depending on how many towels you're washing.

Per Dawn's website just add 2 teaspoons to your wash machine and run the wash cycle. You can also use Dawn to pre-treat. Apply Dawn right on the stain and gently rub in before tossing in the wash.

3. Wash towels with Washing Soda and Vinegar Rinse

Add 1/2 cup of Washing Soda (it's better than Baking Soda, but you can use it in a pinch) and your detergent as normal.

Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to your rinse cycle.

Wash towels on preferred cycle.

Remove from washer and tumble dry immediately.

Air dry if weather permits - this makes them feel stiffer but gives them a lovely fresh air smell.

Why this works to prevent mildew smell:

Washing Soda lifts the debris from the fabric and the vinegar helps wash it away.

This process will help remove most of the smell from your towels. But it is possible to prevent bacteria from growing on your towels in the first place.

How to Remove Mildew Smell and Prevent Stinky Towels

Hang towels after every use
Don't let towels sit wet in the washer
Avoid fabric softeners; use wool dryer balls instead
Wash towels more frequently
Use towels that dry quickly - like Turkish towels

What Causes Towels to Get Stinky?

According to The Spruce:

"Musty towel smell is the same issue that happens with unsanitary mop heads that are not left to dry properly or cleaning sponges that fail to dry out between uses. A warm, moist environment is most conducive to germs. When a towel gets a sour, musty mildew smell, it is a sign that a bacteria colony is breeding and growing."

Towels are supposed to get wet. But they're not meant to stay wet. When they stay wet they harbor bacteria growth. A stinky towel is a sign of a bacteria colony forming on the towel.

So how do you avoid stinky mildew bacteria from growing on your towels in the first place?

If a wet towel is the culprit, the best way is to start with towels that dry quickly.

A quick drying towel is essential for reducing stinky towel syndrome, because it stops bacteria from growing in the first place.

The Bali Market towels are designed to dry-quickly. That's because they're woven from a special cotton exclusively grown in a tiny region in Turkey. This cotton has really long fibers compared to traditional cotton. That longer fiber is the key factor to making a towel that's lightweight, super absorbent, and quick-drying.

I really want more people to try these bacteria-reducing, non-mildew smelling towels.

So that's why today you can buy one full-sized bath/beach towel and get one free (up to $44 value).

I call it the Stink Free Offer and I hope you take advantage. It's available for a very limited time, so don't wait.

You just need the code: STINKFREE to claim this offer.

Remember that code. You'll need to enter it at checkout.

You can mix + match different styles and colors and you can find them all here: Buy One Get One Free Bali Market Stink-Free Towels

Just add 2 bath/beach towels to your cart and use code: STINKFREE at checkout to get the second towel free.

How do you get the smell out of towels in a front loader?

The Vinegar Method.

Soak towels in vinegar. Soak your stinky towels in a bucket of white, distilled vinegar for 30 minutes to overnight with a tablespoon of detergent to help loosen body soils. ... .

Add towels. Place your towels into the washing machine's drum..

Add detergent. ... .

Dry your towels..

How do you freshen towels in a front load washer?

FRONT LOAD (HE) WASHER: If you have a HE (front loading) washer, place your towels in the washer with 1 cup of baking soda (no detergent). Start the washer let the water fill for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of vinegar to the “liquid” cup (again no detergent) and allow the load to run through.

Why do my towels smell like mildew after washing?

Over time, soap residue accumulates in the fibres of the towels, stopping them from absorbing as much water as possible, and from drying as well as they could. Bacteria then starts to builds up in the fabric, and hey presto, you've got yourself mildew-y smelly towels in a pile of just-washed laundry.

Will baking soda get the mildew smell out of towels?

Baking soda is great for getting the stink out of towels, workout clothes, kids clothes and anything else with a mildew smell. Some people even add ½ cup of baking soda to each heavy load, just to give laundry detergent that extra boost!