Towels and flannels… for the love of god what am I doing wrong?

[BettyCarver]

Every single towel and flannel in our house gets those horrible orangey bleachy patches on them within a few months. I know benzoyl peroxide in products can cause it but it’s every effing towel and flannel in the house, no matter who uses them or how careful they are. I use bleach now and then in the bathroom but I don’t chuck it over the towels. Honestly it’s doing my head in.
If you have lovely towels and flannels and have managed to keep them lovely, what do you do/not do? (Confession: I actually cried this morning looking at the skanky towels in our bathroom)

I don't use bleach. I hate the smell and I want to clean the room rather than making the muck white.

Wash towels with colour powder weekly, everyone has their own. I always but dark colours too, shades of blue, navy, dark green, seem to last better.

Change flannels every couple of days.

Dry on the line. I don't think I do anything amazing tbh. They need replacing about every 10 years or so ime.

I've never had this, presumably you have coloured towels? We have all white towels and flannels and they're really easy to look after and can go in a boil or bleach wash for a really deep clean. Maybe get all white next time?

Is someone bleaching their hair

What colour towels are they, mine are grey and orange and they dont stain, what powder do you use. Do you wash them at 60.

I just wash ours in bio washing powder and either line or tumble dry, I've never had this? Does it happen on your clothes as well?

I only ever use bleach down the toilet. Where do you buy your towels from? I’ve only had this problem when DH was bleaching the toilet and clearly dripping it on the bath mat.

The only towel of mine that does this is the one that I use when I dye my greys. (I have an old towel that is used for this)

I only buy white towels and face cloths
I think towels should always be white
And sheets
And crockery

Do you have teenagers? It took me a long time to figure out that mine were ruining my towels by wiping pimple cream all over then.

I only buy white decent quality towels and I’ve never had this

*them

My friend had problems when her DS was using some acne cream and would wipe his hands on the towels, by passing actually washing his hands in between!

If it's the orange spots it sounds like a damp problem?!

How long do you use towels before washing them?

How are you drying them between showers?

How do you dry them after washing them?

I had this on my tea towels once, I used the Vanish oxy powder directly into the machine but it was the whites powder and it bleached the wide grey sections. Have you used oxy powder in the machine?

Providora

Do you have teenagers? It took me a long time to figure out that mine were ruining my towels by wiping pimple cream all over then.

No, but I have a 27 year old son who’s moved back home for most of the lockdown... I know he uses products with benzoyl peroxide so maybe the bugger is wiping his hands on the nearest towel… it doesn’t completely explain it though because it’s always happened whether he’s here or not. Interesting that white towels seem better. Ours are grey and light brown.

The only time I've bleached a towel was when I used mould and mildew remover on the grout in the shower while I was in there and then stepped out onto the towel and my feet bleached it.

My son did this and couldn't understand why He was using benzoyl peroxide cream on his face

I used to get weird orangey marks on white washing, until I gave my machine a good clean out and stopped using pods and conditioner - there can be a huge build up of gunk. I’d never used bleach in the machine though.

Try a 90deg wash with just a cupful,of soda crystals - nothing else, no washing. You may be amazed at the amount of foam that still appears. I had to do it twice before it disappeared,

I now use just powder (in the drum), soda crystals in the drawer, no conditioner.
I wash towels etc. (all white) at 40, but with a 60 wash about every 3 washes.

Fabric softener and liquid detergent can drip onto and bleach spots on fabrics if you load the machine, but don't run it immediately.

Is someone in the house using facial spot cream it bleaches fabric.

I’m another believer in white towels, white sheets and white crockery. Easy to maintain and you know at a glance that they are actually clean.

I couldn’t afford to replace all of mine in one go, but I just made a decision a few years ago to only buy white from them on.

@Vetyveriohohoh

I only buy white decent quality towels and I’ve never had this

I only buy blue cheap towels and I've never had this. I don't think the quality makes any difference.

I also only have white towels, flannels and sheets and pillowcases.
Wash on 75 degrees. Line dry. No issues.