How to Deodorize Smelly Towels

Towels are absorbent; their fibers capture moisture and dry you quickly after a shower. Unfortunately, that also means they retain the moisture longer and are prone to developing mold and mildew. Even if you can’t see it, the fungus can grow and leave an odor that stays on your towels, even after laundering.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Turn up the heat. Try washing your towels in hot water instead of cold to remove the mildew. Check for colorfastness first by dipping one corner of a colorful towel into a bowl of boiling water. If the color runs, launder it only will other towels of the same color.
2. Bleach white towels. Bleach stops mildew in its tracks but colored towels may fade if you add it to the washer. Test the towel first by putting a drop of diluted bleach on an inconspicuous place. If the drop removes the color, forget about bleaching.
3. Check the rubber gasket in front-loading washers. Just inside the door, a large rubber gasket seals the water in when your laundry is washing. Pull the rubber back so you can look at the underside where mold forms. Using a rag damped with diluted bleach to clean the inside of the gasket thoroughly .
4. Add a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to banish mildew and sweat odors that linger after washing. Vinegar neutralizes the odor and leaves your laundry smelling fresh.
5. Fill a plastic spray bottle with a common mouthwash and spray on the underarm areas of shirts before washing.
6. Let it all hang out. The towels, that is. On a warm sunny day, hang your just-laundered towels out to dry in the summer breeze. The sun naturally bleaches white towels and removes odor. Be careful when hanging brightly-colored towels in the sun, they may fade.

Who Can Help:

• Find Local Cleaning Services Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.
• Find Contractors Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.
• Find Landscaping Design and Installation Services Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.