Got Stinky Towels? This may help!

I am probably among the world's worst launderers. I throw damp towels in a basket to be washed later, I hastily sort clothes to throw into the washer, and I pay little heed to instructions like "no fabric softener." Next to my Dear Hubby, who overfills the washer so full that several items "mysteriously" rip, I'm pretty lame at laundry.
However, so far in my laundry career I've managed to ruin very few things. The clothing items that have been ruined have been from things like business cards being left in pants pockets, etc. So I've been pretty irritated lately when it seems like no matter what I do, my towels completely stink to high heaven even after several washings!

I decided to do some research. I actually learned a lot and decided I should share what I learned.First of all... what is causing my stinky towels?

Well, the obvious answer is the that the towels are not thoroughly drying out. I learned that yes, that was part of it. But it wasn't the only thing and it isn't my only problem. Part of my problem is that both of my bathrooms have poor circulation. While my master bathroom is large, it doesn't seem to air out well, contributing to why our bath towels probably don't dry out well enough. Our kids' bathroom has a small linen closet where we keep the majority of towels. It is small, no ventilation, a small window that we had to keep closed all winter, and the door has been kept closed most of the time to keep four little hands out of the toilet!

Also, I learned that my front loading washer may be hurting the situation as well. I learned I need to leave the door open so the machine itself can dry out. Front loaders can easily trap water and with the door closed the excess moisture can cause mildew/mold build-up. Also with my front loading washer, I need to be occasionally wiping it out (which I have been doing!)

Also, with a front loading washing machine you need to be careful to not overuse your detergent. Even if you use HE detergent, you really only need about 2 tablespoons vs. the 1/4 - 1/2 cup recommended. Wash your clothes without any detergent and look to see if you have suds. If you do you're using too much detergent.

So next is what can be done about the stink? Is it a lost cause? Do I just need to replace every towel? My thrifty side was excited to learn that no, I don't have to throw them out, but they do need a little TLC.I read several ideas and decided to put them to the test. However, I do have a front loading machine and so adjustments may have to be made for a top loading machine. Here is what I did. And I was very aggressive because I had REALLY stinky towels!

First, I washed the towels (smaller batches are better) with both hydrogen peroxide, Borax, and vinegar in HOT water. I put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in the main wash detergent tray, the Borax in the pre wash detergent tray, and the vinegar in the fabric softener tray. The theory behind this is that the Borax will deodorize as well as clean, the hydrogen peroxide will kill the bacteria causing any stinky issues, and the vinegar in the final wash (fabric softener rinse) will again deodorize.

Next, I rewashed them, mostly because they didn't feel very soft or had much of any fragrance to them. So I added just a tiny amount of HE Tide, and some Downy to soften them up. Next, quickly move the towels to the dryer...don't let them sit in the washer for hours on end. I think that might defeat everything you just did. I dried them on the highest setting I had.

They aren't perfect...like new towels, but definitely MUCH better! They still didn't seem very soft, but oh well. And the stink comes back after a few uses. After washing most of my towels like that for several weeks in a row I backed off and now just use my regular HE Tide and Downy, with a little Borax in the pre wash. If I start noticing a little stink I go back and throw in some vinegar and/or hydrogen peroxide.

This trick has definitely saved me some moo-lah in replacing towels all at once!