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Why Towels Smell After Washing
More scent will not fix a towel that stayed damp in the washer or in the closet.
Quick answer: Wash fewer towels at once, use less detergent, add an extra rinse, and dry them until the center is no longer cool. Skip fabric softener on towels.
Packed load or slow dry
How to tell which one it is
Smell a towel as soon as the cycle ends. If it already smells in the drum, the wash did not rinse. If it smells fine wet and sour the next day, it dried too slowly.
What to do
- Rewash sour towels before you store them again. A second wash with no extra products is often enough once the load can move.
- Fill the drum no more than about two-thirds.
- Use about half the detergent you think you need.
- Dry until the center is no longer cool, then hang them if the closet is damp.
What not to do
Do not add more detergent, vinegar, scent beads or softener on top of a load that cannot rinse. Do not store towels in plastic.
Related guides
Illustrations explain the problem. They are not product tests.