Old Towels Smelling not so Nice

[Nachtvlinder]

I must admit, my towels are rather thin and worn out but as they were expensive to buy, I don't really want to fork out on new ones. Trouble is, since I started to wash everything on 30C wash, they don't smell of conditioner, rather, they don't smell that nice. They are not terribly dirty to begin with, only a couple of uses after showers and hand drying. Is it the towels themselves or that they're not washed at a higher temp.?

I personally wash all my towels at 60 degrees and dry them in the tumble drier or on the line in warm weather. I find the slower they dry, the 'frowstier' they smell

If they are thin and worn out why not replace with cheaper ones, Asda's towels are pretty decent. I don't think 30 wash is enough for towels, I do them at 50 or 60.

Ooh I read a thing about this earlier today. Look up stripping, it's a way of washing your stuff to get rid of the excess detergent and fabric softener to get them good again and it specifically mentioned that it gets rid of that musty smell too.

I'm trying to lower my heating costs, that's why I've lowered the temp. Also, I bung everything in the same wash so that I'm reducing my loads to twice a week. I don't have a smart meter, so I'm not sure how much it's costing for a wash at 30 compared to 40/50C. Everything washes clean, though, just not smelly nice.

do you use biological powder? That might help. Towels really need a hotter wash though.

I still line dry, until the weather becomes too rainy, then it'll go onto a clothes dryer and dries in the spare aerated room, turning them over daily.

I personally think towels need to be washed on 60 and dried where they can get a lot of air circulation so they dry quickly (if you don't have a dryer)
You shouldn't use softener on towels as it reduces the absorbency

@VerifiedBot2351 no, still on non-bio as I'm trying to stick to one washing powder (Aldi/Lidl's). I'll switch over to bio, thanks.

When my towels have taken too long to dry and they pick up that horrible foisty smell, I've found that bunging some vinegar in the washing machine, as well as a laundry sanitiser like napisan can help. If you just want them to smell a bit nicer, then adding an essential oil can work too.

@Princesspeach31 I haven't tried that idea of cleaning the w/m; I do it tonight. How much do I use and at what type of wash?

I think the occasional boil wash is good for things like towels, too.

I wash my towels with white vinegar which I read somewhere. They used to smell awful after coming out of the dryer, even though I'd used strong fabric softener. This has helped, also I add a few drops of essential oil if using the dryer. They smell lovely.

I did buy Sainsbury's bath sheet that was in the sale from £20 to £11. It's okay quality, on par with JL's.

Use White vinegar instead of fabric conditioner.

You néed to wash them hotter. It's hardly saving the planet if the towels smell so bad you can't keep using them. As a trade off, on a 60C towel wash, you need very little powder, so less pollullants released into the water.

For best results don't use fabric softener on towels use white vinegar instead. Fabric softener leaves a waxy coating that washing at 30wont remove fully leaving them musty smelling.

I've lowered my washing temperatures but bedding and towels still get a hot wash

Bio powder definitely makes a huge difference to the smell of your washing compared to non-bio or liquid.
I use Formil (Lidl) and wash most things at 30; towels do get 60 but I save them up until I’ve got a full load (inc tea towels, bath mats, oven gloves, flannels etc) - air dry on rack/banister and finish off with c 5 mins in the dryer to reduce crunch.

I do a 90°c wash about once a year. And wait for a really windy day to soften them up after.

Use a washing machine cleaner and wash the towels on at least a 60, don’t overfill and add some dettol laundry cleanser. Line drying helps too.

I line dry all the time (although, in winter, if they're part-dry when I bring them in and then they go on a clothes airer in the spare room (turning them over once or twice a day) with the window open.

Thanks to all who've answered. I'll get bio powder and also, I'll switch over to a higher temp. although, I'm worried about rising costs. Do you think 40C will do?

I do my towels and mattress protectors on 40, everything else on 30. The only time my towels smell off is when they take too long to dry. I always use bio powder as that uses enzymes to help clean your washing.

Washing machines actually need a hot wash to clean themselves of any residue. My washer automatically reminds me to do one every 40 washes and the programme is a 70C one.

Going forward washing more frequently with biological powder and no softer 40 should be fine.
I'd be tempted to give them a really hot wash first to get rid of any softener coating and the musty smell.

I think 40 will be fine once you’ve got them smelling fresh with the other suggestions. Eco settings will save a bit on the running costs.

Sorry but 30 is not hot enough for towels or bedding. There are also some fabrics that need a higher temperature, even with bio powder. I have a couple of blouses that smell awful washed on 30

I also also white vinegar to remove any smells - it works an absolute treat. You can get larger containers on internet which are cheaper than in the supermarket.

Stop using conditioner , and wash with biological powder at least 40*.