6 ways to prevent smelly towels
When it comes to home comforts, soft and fluffy towels comes to mind. But, a musty towel is not what you want to see, or smell, on getting out the bath.
No matter how attentive we are, sometimes towels turn musty too quickly. I’ve seen them start to smell in as little as a couple of days, so what’s going wrong?
Towels will eventually smell with everyday use, but there are other contributing factors that will speed up bacterial growth. Here, we cover what you can do to keep your towels smelling fresher for longer,.
1. Hang them correctly
It may seem like common sense, but hang your towels correctly once damp. This is so that they can dry quickly and fully, deterring bacterial growth.
That means your towels shouldn’t be bundled on the side or left on the floor, at least not for long! Each towel needs to be spread out in a single layer and needs to hang in a way so the air can ventilate inside and out. That means it should not be draped over a solid object, like the glass shower screen, and not folded over itself (no matter how nice it looks, mum!). It also shouldn’t be bunched up amongst other items either. This is why I’m not a fan of towel rings; it’s not likely to dry where it’s bunched at the top.
While a heated towel rack is acceptable, your damp towels should not sit directly on the radiator. Firstly, because the heat of the radiator could damage your towels and leave them feeling stiff rather than fluffy. And secondly, because your towels are blocking the heat from reaching the rest of your home, which is a waste of energy. Stick to airers, towel rails and racks.
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2. Keep the room ventilated
Bacteria grows more readily the slower your towels dry; that’s because the moisture is trapped. So, keeping the area ventilated is key. To start with, windows and doors should be open where possible. This not only helps your towels dry, it ventilates the residual moisture to the outside which deters mould growth in your home. If you’re towels are drying in a room which is difficult to ventilate, like a bathroom with no windows, consider moving them where there’s better air circulation.
According to Dr Joanna Buckley, Education Coordinator at the Royal Society of Chemistry: "Drying towels quickly minimises the chance they’ll start to smell. Towels that don’t dry fully between uses or are constantly stored in a humid environment allow bacteria and fungi to grow, producing foul-smelling substances. The ways we use towels – at home, at the gym or beach – means they're subjected to constant warm, damp environments. So, alongside lovely residual dead skin cells, sebum, sweat and detergent residue (an ideal food source for microorganisms!) it's a perfect recipe to promote their growth.
“Your nose also detects smells more strongly when they are wet – because of some clever chemistry. Many odour molecules can be dissolved in water and, as that water evaporates, they carry these compounds within the vapour. This means when the odour reaches your nose, it sticks slightly longer to the mucous membranes in your olfactory system and moist air carries more of these molecules than drier air."
You can always speed up the drying process with a dehumidifier, or switch on the heated towel rack if you have one. Or you can even dry your towels outside if the weather permits. Even shaking out your towels to open up the fibres can help them to dry more promptly.
3. Don’t overdo detergent
While you might think going overboard on the detergent is no bad thing, this couldn't be further from the truth. The more detergent you use, the more likely there will be residual suds on what you wash. And with more suds on your towels, it will start to feel crunchier and scratchier, rather than soft. It can start to smell bad too because any dirt is effectively trapped in the material.
According to Dr. Beckmann spokesperson, Natasha Brook: “This stems from excess detergent that doesn’t rinse out completely during the wash cycle. Instead, it can cling to the fabric, trapping residue in the fibres. This residue then acts as a barrier, preventing the items from properly rinsing.
"When detergent is not fully rinsed out it can create a film that traps old sweat and body oils, leaving clothes smelling musty and sour.
"The smell often has a damp, stale quality to it like clothes that have been left in the washing machine too long. Sometimes, it might even smell like the cleaner itself, but in an unpleasant chemical way."
Leaving residual suds in the washing machine will contribute to mould growth as well. So, make sure you’re using the correct amount of detergent with every wash by measuring it out beforehand. You could alternatively use the best bio pod detergent the GHI has tested; the Ecover Bio Laundry Capsules, or the best laundry sheets, which is Dr Beckmann's Magic Leaves, so the dosage is pre-measured. This will ultimately save you money and help out the environment too.
4. Don’t overdo fabric softener
Fabric softener is great for making our clothes feel soft, but you don’t want to overdo it on your towels. That’s because it deters the moisture-wicking abilities, which means your towels won’t dry so well. It’s still ok to use, but we’d recommend taking a break from it between cycles.
Using too much fabric softener on your towels isn’t a good idea either. Not only is it wasteful and likely leaving residue behind in your washing machine, the oil-based ingredients can coat your towels and hamper the breathability.
Natasha Brook continues: "Similarly, fabric softener can have negative effects if used in excess. While designed to keep clothes soft, overdosing can coat the fabric in a waxy layer. Over time, this can keep in odours and prevent the garments from fully absorbing moisture."
5. Wash your towels thoroughly
Using a low temperature wash is great for saving on energy, but it won’t be as effective on stains and bacteria, which can leave your towels smelling. That’s why you should wash your towels occasionally on a hotter cycle if you routinely stick to eco. Check the care label and wash on the highest temperature allowed (ideally 60 degrees) using biological detergent if you can. At the GHI, biological powder detergent is consistently the best for stain removal; but make sure it is a hot wash so it can dissolve effectively.
If your towels already smell as soon as you unload them from the washing machine, then that’s likely down to the machine. Residual smells in the drum are often caused by mould and bacterial growth, and this will transfer onto your clothes unless it’s removed. Make sure you’re running a service wash once a month, or an empty wash at 60 degrees or higher. Every three to six months, you should also run a proprietary washing machine cleaner, such as Dr Beckmann’s Service-it Deep Clean Washing Machine Cleaner, through the machine. Leave the door and detergent drawer open between uses, and empty and clean the drain filter and detergent drawer regularly too.
6. Wash your towels routinely
You should be washing your bath towels after every 3-4 uses. Whereas gym towels should be washed after each use, and hand towels once a week. Although the latter you might need to wash more often (say every 2-3 days) if there’s children or guests with frequent use. Keeping these timelines in mind can help you avoid musty towels. Remember to remove them from the washing machine as soon as the cycle has finished too; the longer you wait, the more chance bacteria has to grow.
GHI Tip: Only bung towels into the laundry bin once they’re fully dry. Otherwise, you’re encouraging bacterial growth.
Towels will always need washing eventually, but you can extend the use by rotating them. This applies to hand towels and tea towels more than anything. If you’re constantly drying your hands in the same spot, bacteria will accumulate here quickly. So move them around to make use of the whole towel.
Reduce the amount of water your towel absorbs where possible too. For instance, if you use a towel to wipe out the shower, make use of a squeegee or a window vacuum beforehand to remove the excess moisture first.
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