There’s nothing worse than getting out of a hot shower and going to wrap up in a nice warm, cozy towel…just to find that the towel reeks of mustiness. Instead of smelling that fresh smell of clean-linen, you’re often met face-first with a kind of stale, moldy smell from your towels. And nobody wants that.
Why do our towels tend to stink, even after we’ve washed them?
Well, when towels are put away while still partially wet, they tend to develop a sour odor. Ironically, another source of towel odor comes from detergent/fabric softener build-up. These build-ups also cause towels to loose their softness and absorbency.
Although this might be a secret weapon to get stink out of towels, Forté notes that you don’t have to wash your towels with vinegar EVERY time. It’s best just to do when you’re noticing the mustiness return to the fabric. If you use this trick with every wash, your towels will start to smell less like mold and more like vinegar.
Still not especially pleasant.
If your towels do start to smell like vinegar, just try rinsing them without soap one more time. This second rinse should keep them just as soft and fresh while also being able to take out that lingering smell.
Vinegar is seriously a miracle product. It can get stains out of just about anything including clothes and glassware, it’s great for making appliances shine, and it takes the stink out of rancid-smelling fridges easily.Speaking of stain remover, vinegar doesn’t just make towels fluffy, more absorbent, and better smelling, it can also clean stained towels! For a little extra boost on really tough stains, add a little baking soda to a stained load of towels. When you take them out of the dryer, they’ll look like they just came from the store!