Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

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RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH STRONG MUSTY SMELL ONLY IN WASHCLOTHS, it's from washing off underarm odor. It's worse if you just "wash up" sometimes without actually showering because then you don't really rinse out the washcloth as well as you do in a shower. The smell is darn near impossible to get out unless you use borax or clorox 2. Ammonia and baking soda didn't work.

Post by Wanny

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

The problems is not your washer, your detergent, fabric softener, etc. It is thew towels. So many of the towels now must be made of low quality material that is imported from who knows where - even the expensive towels aren't immune to this problem. I have noticed that my old towels are fine, the newer ones are the problem. Dish towels and dish clothes are the WORSE! In addition I've bought several new bathmats & my cat uses them for a litter box because their smell is so bad! FYI - I have the same front loader washer I've had for over 10 years.

Post by jeffsmom

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

Our towels smelled of mold. I tried all the suggestions on the internet including vinegar and hot water. The only thing that worked, and I mean the first time I tried it was, 20 Mule Team BORAX. You just add it to the wash cycle. I washed them in cold water as always. We were getting ready to buy new.
We live on the coast of California and have some humidity issues, not like Florida though. We have always hang our towels, unfolded to dry after showers. They were not getting dry enough.

Post By CarolMarie (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

I just put a dry cotton washcloth in the microwave and it started to scorch after 30 seconds so DO NOT DO THIS!

Post By Vivian (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

I had a terrible water problem from my washing machine. It ran over and I had every towel in the house on the floor trying to soak up all this water. I had to put the towels in the bathtub for almost two days before I could wash them, that has been months ago and my towels still smell sour like mildewy. What can I do to fix this?

Post By ROZEE (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

We moved into a new house a few years ago and I was not happy when I found the water smelled of rotten eggs as well. We had an iron filter installed and it solved the problem. We had our filter installed by Ecowater and it has been great ever since. We used another company first and it didn't work so be careful who you use.

Post by Kylamareta

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

We have the same problem. I only use cold water to do laundry so I don't notice any smell until we wet our face clothes with hot water. If cold water is used to wet them there is no problem. We talked to our friend who is a plumber and he said it was build up in the hot water tank. Apparently there is maintenance that should be done to the tank to prevent this build up.

Our tank is about 10 years old, never did any maintenance to it. He advised that we drain it and remove some kind of "magnesium (?) stick" at the top of the tank. If this doesn't work the tank will have to be replaced. We did drain it once and it helped alot. However, we were just away on holidays for a week and I noticed the smell is back. Maybe because the water sat for that long in the tank. We will try flushing it a couple more times before replacing the tank.

Post By kocda (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

I finally got my towels to lose the musty smell! The only thing that worked for me was a hot wash using 20 Mule Borax in the detergent dispenser (filled to the max allowable). Note: towels had been washed and dried but still smelled so I didn't use additional detergent when I washed solely with the borax.

Things I had tried in previous attempts prior to borax only: 1) cleaning the FL HE machine first with an empty hot wash cycle with bleach followed by another empty hot wash cycle with vinegar + wiping down rubber part of washer; 2) adding vinegar to the wash; 3) adding baking soda to the wash; 4) using Clorox 2 added to liquid detergent; 5) using different detergents; 6) using vinegar + baking soda together; 7) using bleach.

None of it helped. I've had the smell issue for a while and haven't had any luck at all. Can't tell you how thrilled I am that the borax worked!

As a side note, our towels get stinky from staying on the bathroom floor wet. We remodeled and don't have anywhere to hang our towels to dry properly yet. The musty smell has not been in/on our clothes - towels only.

Post By L.A. Songster (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

Boil the towels in a pot with a spoon of washing soda for thirty minutes or longer, be sure your hands are clean when you dry them. I think the soap with acid ingredient is easy to smell.

Post By marry (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

I cringe every time I see someone saying to replace this and replace that (hot water tanks, well tanks etc). All that work costs lots of money, and this site is about saving money! What I did, and it works VERY well, is get a whole house filter that goes on the water line coming in from the street.

I got mine at Lowe's for about $40.00 and the filter inserts are about $35 each. I installed it myself. I change the filter once a month. It removes lead, sulphur, Iron and other "nasties" in the water for a very low cost! Something to consider!

Post By Heather (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

If your water smells like rotten eggs. I believe you need to replace something in your water heater. We had the same problem a few years ago.

Post By Erin (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

I use one cup of ammonia. Sometimes I forget the clothes in dryer that has run one full cycle but are still damp, and oops, then they get that sour/musty smell. I used to use vinegar and baking soda but the ammonia works MUCH better, and is cheaper. Good luck.

Post by meoowmom

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

Water that smells like rotten eggs has sulpher in it. You'll need to have your water treated to get rid of the sulpher.

Laundry and towels get musty smelling when allowed to be wet over an extended period of time. Wet towels in the bathroom start to grow a little mold and that makes them smell sour. I'd recommend HOT water wash with detergent and baking soda. Hot water kills mold and dust mites. I'd try vinegar in the rinse water. Best of luck always,

Post By Carol in PA (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

I use Borax, it's inexpensive and a little in the laundry really helps. It's a great additive to any cleaner, really boosts the cleaning power.

Post by falldowngobump

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

These are all good suggestions, and it seems that there can be several causes of musty or sour smelling towels. One thing that has worked for me is the ammonia, however, I found that it discolored the dark towels over time. I would not use it again. I would suggest baking soda instead as it is a base like ammonia, but not as strong, so less likely to cause fading.

Just a reminder to everyone not to combine these products. Vinegar works; baking soda works -- but put them together and they neutralize each other and do nothing. And bleach with ammonia or baking soda releases chlorine gas, which is poisonous. Vinegar and bleach is a dangerous combo as well.

Post by louel53

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

Loved reading all of the suggestions. I've also noticed musty smelling odor in my dark towels. Not in my whites, I use bleach. For my dark towels I add 1 cup of ammonia to the wash load whenever I notice this.

Post by pattysue

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

If your water smells like rotten eggs and you have a well, it could be a bad tank. That's what happened to us, as soon as the tank was replaced everything was fine.
Kathy in CT

Post By Kathy (Guest Post)

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

Be sure your towels go into the dirty clothes hamper DRY. Mold and mildew can start multiply quickly and it is hard to get rid of it.

I use GAIN liquid detergent and that really seems to help get rid of odors. Plus, it has a great, clean scent.

You may also want to double rinse.

Post by BerryBaby

RE: Musty Smell on Laundered Towels and Wash Cloths

If your water smells like rotten eggs, you may have a sulfur problem. Call your county agent and see what kinds of tests you can have done, also, you want to check your water for bacteria. They can help with that also.

Post by nadkins

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