Towels smell musty when they stay damp long enough for bacteria and mildew to grow, and when detergent and fabric softener build up in the fibres and hold on to the smell. To fix them, wash them on hot with a cup of white vinegar and no detergent, wash them again on hot with half a cup of bicarbonate of soda, and dry them completely, ideally in the sun or a dryer. Then stop using fabric softener on towels, and don't leave them damp in the machine or in a pile.
Why towels start to smell
- They stay damp too long: on the floor, bunched on a hook, or left in the machine after the cycle ends
- Too much detergent or fabric softener: the residue holds bacteria and stops the towel absorbing water
- An overloaded machine, so the water can't rinse them properly
- A machine that smells itself: mould in the door seal or detergent drawer passes on to the load
- A humid bathroom without a window or fan, common in Sydney apartments
How to strip the smell out
This two-step wash removes the build-up. Use a hot cycle, around 60°C, if the care label allows it.
- Wash 1: a hot cycle with one cup of white vinegar in the drum or softener drawer, and no detergent
- Wash 2: a hot cycle with half a cup of bicarbonate of soda, and no detergent
- Don't use vinegar and bicarb in the same wash: they cancel each other out
- Dry them completely straight away, in the sun or in a dryer
If the smell comes back after the first use, repeat both washes. Old towels that still smell after two rounds are usually past saving.
Clean the washing machine too
If everything that comes out of your machine smells a little stale, the machine is the problem. Wipe the rubber door seal, including inside the folds, clean the detergent drawer, clear the filter if your machine has one, and run an empty hot cycle with a machine cleaner. Leave the door open between washes so it can dry out. Check your machine's manual before using vinegar in it, as a few manufacturers advise against it.
How to keep towels fresh
- Hang towels spread out after each use, not folded or bunched
- Wash bath towels after three or four uses
- Take them out of the machine as soon as the cycle ends
- Use the normal dose of detergent and skip the fabric softener
- Make sure they're completely dry before you fold them away
Our guide on how often to wash sheets and towels has the full schedule.
Or hand them over
Towels are heavy and slow to dry, which is why they're so often the load that sits around damp. With Laundry Load you choose a hot wash and hot dry when you book, and can ask for no fabric softener in the notes. They're washed on commercial-grade machines at our own laundromat, dried all the way through, folded, and back at your door within 48 hours. See our wash, dry & fold service.
