Why do my towels still smell musty right after washing?
Towels retain a damp, musty smell immediately after drying even after changing detergent amounts, water temperatures, and using extra rinses or enzyme cleaners. This persistent odor prevents them from smelling fresh despite looking clean when they come out of the wash.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Using white vinegar during the rinse cycleDid this help you?
- 2Running a hot water cycle with a washing machine cleaner or bleachDid this help you?
- 3Soaking in cold water with higher concentrations of enzyme cleanerDid this help you?
- 4Soaking in an enzyme cleaner like Febu or BizDid this help you?
- 5Soaking in soap and vinegarDid this help you?
- 6Using citric acid in the rinse cycleDid this help you?
- 7Bleaching the period underwear despite potential damageDid this help you?
- 8Soaking in OxyClean then washing with detergent and another dose of OxyCleanDid this help you?
- 9Soaking in a covered container of hydrogen peroxide, rewashing, and line dryingDid this help you?
- 10Throwing the items awayDid this help you?
- 11running several cleaning cyclesDid this help you?
- 12installed a backflow or check valve to prevent odors from coming back up through the drainDid this help you?
- 13Placing the towel on a cloth stand in the shade immediately after useDid this help you?
- 14washing multiple times on heavy duty with extra detergentDid this help you?
- 15using vinegarDid this help you?
- 16using hot waterDid this help you?
- 17considering boiling clothesDid this help you?
- 18washing multiple times with detergent, vinegar, or baking sodaDid this help you?
- 19hanging clothes outside in the sunDid this help you?
- 20using hydrogen peroxide based cleaners or laundry sanitizerDid this help you?
- 21putting damp clothes in a bag filled with cat litterDid this help you?
- 22Using Oxy Clean to try and avoid or remove odorsDid this help you?
- 23Washing items with vinegar and dawnDid this help you?
- 24Doing a laundry strip to remove trapped oilsDid this help you?
- 25Using laundry sanitizer to kill bacteriaDid this help you?
- 26Soaking the load in hot water with blue Dawn dish soap to degreaseDid this help you?
- 27Washing with regular detergent plus baking soda on the hottest settingDid this help you?
- 28Adding vinegar to the rinse cycle instead of the washDid this help you?
- 29Skipping fabric softener and air drying instead of using the dryerDid this help you?
- 30washing clothes once every week or twoDid this help you?
- 31storing clothes in a closetDid this help you?
- 32using perfumesDid this help you?
- 33showering everydayDid this help you?
- 34opening windows to air out spacesDid this help you?
- 35trying enzyme cleanersDid this help you?
- 36Using ammonia in laundryDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“If you feel like your laundry never smells clean and that horrible musty sour smell won’t seem to leave some pieces of clothing, use ammonia!”source ↗
“I've gotten a lot of comments from people about myself smelling like smoke, and asking if im the one smoking.”source ↗
“regardless of how often i wash my clothes or if i put them in a closet, they'll still absorb the smoke smell because they'll still be in the environment.”source ↗
“my towels look clean when they come out of the wash, but they still have that damp, musty smell as soon as they dry.”source ↗
“i have tried using more detergent, less detergent, warm water, and an extra rinse, but nothing seems to make a lasting difference.”source ↗
“This has bothered me my whole life. Sometimes I’m around people and they smell like this smell, which seems to get worse with sweating.”source ↗
“The bathroom has this smell right now. It seems to be coming from the shower curtain”source ↗
“Sometimes kitchen rags will have this smell also.”source ↗
“Washed them twice in cold water with our usual detergent and an enzyme cleaner, most of the underwear smells fine, but the actual pad part is still musty.”source ↗
“I've got them soaking in cold water with a higher concentration of the enzyme cleaner, no detergent, in hopes that it will help, but is there anything else I should do?”source ↗
“every now and then and for no apparent reason, my clothes develop a mildew/musty smell (kind of like a wet dog). The strange thing is that the smell seems to develop over time, immediately after washing, I can’t smell anything.”source ↗
“Still, I’ve noticed black mould starting to appear and it seems to be increasing.”source ↗
“The towel is hardly 1.5 months old!”source ↗
“im at a loss for getting the smell out.”source ↗
“I put them in the dryer and they smelled less like smoke but its still there.”source ↗
“most of what i was seeing was for like a week of exposure to smoke... Not 50 years”source ↗
“I was rushed getting out the door and accidentally left a full load of laundry in the washer for 4 days while I was on a business trip.”source ↗
“I’ve washed multiple times on heavy duty, extra detergent, used vinegar, hot water, but the clothes still smell musty after I’ve worn them for a few minutes and warm up.”source ↗
“What are my best options to clear this stink from these items that is both safe for the clothes, but also a guarantee to work.”source ↗
“I smell this smell as well in dish cloths, sponges, etc, and I can always smell it days before anyone else in the house can smell it so we’ve realized it very sensitive to the scent.”source ↗
“Now EVERYTHING reeks of fish oil. Straight up stinks. I've washed this load with everything I know of- detergent, distilled vinegar, fabric softener, bleach, and all of the above combos and NOTHING is helping.”source ↗
“What can I use to get the smell out?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 19Why does my house smell like cat urine when there is no visible mess?
- 14How to get chemical smells out of carpet
- 4Why does my hall closet smell like cat pee on certain days?
- 6How to get rid of a lingering musty smell after water damage
- 6Why does my house smell bad after taking a shower?