smelly towels | Imamother

momtomany

Mon, Jul 17 2006, 5:49 pm

My towels begin to smell like mildew after just one use when they are damp. and after they dry out completely smell fine. what can I do to get rid of that smell? and how come I just cant get the towels smelling nice and fresh even when clean no matter how much fabric softener I use?

chen

Tue, Jul 18 2006, 5:10 am

I'm stumped, since mildewed fabric still smells when it's dry, though not as strongly. Then again, I have the nose of a bloodhound--maybe munchkin's nose is less acute. I can immediately detect by nose any laundry that wasn't hung up to dry soon enough, but other family members don't smell a thing.

check out your linen closet: does it smell mildewy? If so, the smell will cling to clean laundry that's stored there. solution: empty out the closet, wipe down all surfaces with vinegar, let dry and air out for a day or two. and then make sure nothing goes in there that isn't beyond bone-dry.

How's your wash machine? If a little water stays in the machine after spinning, that water will develop a mildewy odor which can also transfer to the laundry inside.

My guess is that either your linen closet is damp or you are putting your towels away ever so slightly damp. When the towels get wet with use, the mildewy odor intensifies, and when they dry out again the odor weakens to the point that you can't detect it. Towels that feel dry to the touch may still contain some moisture. Try touching the fabric to the center top edge of your upper lip. (If you machine-dry, wait till the fabric has cooled off completely. Warm-from-the-dryer fabric will feel dry when it isn't.) You will be able to feel any residual dampness that your fingertips are not sensitive enough to notice. (My kids ask my why I'm smelling the laundry when I do this.) Don't put anything away unless it passes the lip-test.