You know how after the years that wet dog smell starts to build up in your towels? You wash them, you dry them, and when you pull them out to use them, it feels like you are drying off with a dirty dish rag. If you don’t want to toss all of your towels and start again {which I am pretty sure no one wants that}, try this quick, easy and CHEAP fix:
You’ll Need:
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Washing Machine
Smelly, gross towels
Directions:
First, turn the washer to the HOTTEST setting. Add two cups of distilled white vinegar and add the towels. Do not add detergent or anything else, just the vinegar and towels. Run the wash cycle. When the cycle is complete, leave the towels in the washer and repeat, only this time, use one cup of baking soda and nothing else {use the hottest water setting again}. When that cycle is complete, remove the towels and dry completely. If it is warm enough to line dry, that’s perfect, otherwise, throw them in the dryer and make sure they get completely dry. Repeat the process every couple of months to maintain {go back to just washing them normally in between}.
Your towels will smell like…well, absolutely nothing–which is the freshest smell in the world when you’re used to pulling in a whiff of mildew.
Happy Homemaking,
Mavis
Krista says
Genius! I’m definitely going to try this method this week. Thank you!
Mavis says
Let us know how it works!
Yvette says
SO EXCITED TO TRY THIS!! I have thrown away so many towels because of that awful stench. I’m going to throw a load of towels in today!!
Mavis says
It’s the worst smell. Gag!
Karissa says
Where do you put the vinegar and baking soda in your machine? Do you put it inside the washer with the towels or do you put it in the detergent area? I tried using powdered detergent once with a washer like yours but it just clumped up and stayed in the dispenser for the most part.
Kara says
Karissa- I’ve had the same problem and I’ve read that vinegar is not good for HE machines and then I read it was okay….
Mavis says
Just right in with the towels.
Shannyn says
Random question-is that a vintage mason jar? I’ve been looking for blue/greenish mason jars for our wedding and the ones I found aren’t really blue/green glass, they’re painted with a clear color, but aren’t as pretty as this one! Did you happen to buy this one recently?
Thanks! (also, I wish I had a yard!!)
Mavis Butterfield says
Yep, it’s a real one. I bought a bunch of them a few years back at a yard sale.
Helen in Meridian says
Shannon, you can buy them on Amazon. Last year was the 100th anniversary of Ball jars. For one year they have produced these american heritage collection pint jars in a 6 pack. I also bought them recently at Fred Meyer grocery and they have them at KMart. They had them at Target until recently. Not sure if they are still there. Oh, ShopKo had them this week, too. This year they have released pint and wide mouth quarts in a green, but I love the antique blue/green. Hope you find them. Fred Meyer has them for $7.99 and I paid more for my first ones from Amazon. That price is for 6.
Pat says
Could this be used to get the musty smell from a mattress and box springs? Maybe spray it on outside and leave it in the sun…once with vinegar water and then maybe once with baking soda water perhaps? What do you think?
Karen at A Glimpse Into My Reveries says
Baking soda and sunlight would be a good start! Give all sides a good vacuum. I would also try Febreeze, maybe the Allergy version might help.
Karen at A Glimpse Into My Reveries says
I never had this problem until I got my front load washer. I started when my teenage son overloaded the machine (picture packed in hard and full), then left the clothes in the washer, during July, when he joined us on a two week vacation. You can only imagine the stench that walloped me when I got home and opened the washer. Think stinky teen boy, add two weeks of mildew! I threw the clothes away.
I’ve tried all the suggested smelly washer recipes and yet I don’t dare leave the clothes in the washer after the cycle finishes or that smells creeps in, especially towels!
Mavis says
GROSS! I would have thrown the clothes out too!
D'Anna says
My youngest was just complaining about the towel smell so I rewashed and dried a load over the weekend and haven’t been to the dryer yet to give em a sniff. I think I’ll try this sometime this week, at this point it couldn’t hurt and it might give him one less thing to complain about. I have to agree, I think this comes with front loaders. Mine smells if the door is closed and the garage gets warm so I just leave it open now.
michelle says
I needed this! I HATE smelly towels. I wonder if it would work on smelly workout clothes that my husband won’t give up?
suzanne hissung says
It does work on smelly workout clothes! I’ve never done it in the wash though. I mix water, vinegar, clothes in a 5 gallon bucket add baking soda (love the fizz) soak overnight than wash normally. For those who don’t know it yet, keep your front loader door open between washes and you should never have the mildew problem.
Rachel says
I recently started using Borax with my laundry detergent and my front-loader smells much better. I had tried leaving the door open all the time but it wasn’t enough!
Kori F says
I just had the washer tech guy from sears out to look at my front loader, he recommends a vinegar wash once a month. 4 cups of vinegar into the drum of the machine and then use the drum/machine wash cycle. (if you don’t have that cycle just use the hottest water setting) Also never put clothes in during the clean drum cycle. He said that would help keep the mildew smell under control.
Mavis Butterfield says
Great tips! Thanks Kori F.
Cam says
Ive never had the problem with smelly towels, I always wash them at 60 °C, and use vinegar instead of fabric sftener.
Tracy says
Bought a fancy front loading washer 10 years ago and hated it every single day. Hated it, hated it, hated it. Took forever to run through a cycle. Didn’t get the clothes clean because it used about a teaspoon of water per load. And stunk between loads. When it finally died, I danced a jig with joy. Went to good ‘ole Sears, told the salesman I wanted the most simple top loader they had, extra large and I wanted it to use 9 million gallons of water for every load. Bought an old style center agitator model and I’ve loved and adored it ever since. Never had a mildew smelling towel.
Elise says
I just tried this, and it TOTALLY worked. I wouldn’t usually have 3-4 hours to monitor the laundry, but I did today and it was SO worth it. No scent whatsoever in the towels that _I_ forgot in the washer for several summer days on their FIRST WASH (shoot me now). Even my husband’s towels, which get scratchy because he uses manly soap, are soft and fluffy!
Elise says
AND, I just tried this technique on synthetic fleece fabric (pre-teen onesie jammies) and it worked great! So, good for both natural and synthetic fabrics!