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How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Your Towels and Keep Them Smelling Fresh and Clean
- by Brodie Cook
You've just stepped out of the shower. You're cold, you're running late, and you grab a towel off the rail. You lift it up and there it is: that sour, damp smell. The towel was washed. So why does it smell like a wet dog?
If that's your bathroom, take a breath. Your towels aren't ruined, and you're not bad at laundry. A musty towel is one of the most common household gripes, and the cause is usually a few small habits that are easy to change.
The quick fix: wash a smaller load with the right amount of detergent, use the warmest water the care label allows, skip the fabric softener, and dry the towels completely as soon as the cycle ends. Still smelly? Keep reading and we'll help you work out why.
Why Do Towels Smell Musty After Washing?
Towels soak up more than water. Body oils, dead skin, and bits of shampoo and body wash all work their way into the fabric. If the wash doesn't lift that residue, or the towel stays damp afterwards, bacteria thrive. A peer-reviewed study of used towels found odour-causing bacteria in washed, indoor-dried towels, and fewer after treatment with the antibacterial detergent tested.
A musty smell doesn't automatically mean mould is growing. More often, leftover residue is trapping the odour, and it comes back the moment the towel gets damp.
Notice when the smell shows up, because it tells you where to look first:
| When you notice the smell | What to check | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Straight out of the washer | A packed drum, a short cycle, or a smelly washer | Smaller load, full cycle. Check the door seal and detergent drawer. |
| Only when the towel gets wet | Odour the last wash didn't fully remove | Rewash without softener, then try the damp-corner check below. |
| After hanging overnight | Overlapping towels or poor airflow | Spread towels out on separate rails. |
| After time in the cupboard | Towels stored damp | Make sure they're completely dry before folding. |
The damp-corner check
After washing and drying, dampen one corner of the towel with clean water and sniff. If the musty smell comes back, the towel only seemed clean while it was dry.
The Easy Fix for Stubborn Musty Towels: Add a Laundry Sanitiser Sheet
Here's the simplest fix. If your towels are washed and dried properly but still smell sour, bacteria living in the fabric are the likely culprit. Detergent lifts away dirt, but it isn't made to deal with them.
Our Laundry Sanitiser Sheets do deal with these type of baceteria. Drop one sheet in the drum with your regular detergent, run your wash and dry the towels fully. The sheet reduces bacteria in the wash by 99.9%*. Because bacteria are a big part of what causes that sour, damp, musty smell, your towels come out smelling fresh and clean.
They work in cold and warm washes, too, so they're a good fit for towels that can't take a hot cycle. Want to know more? Here's our guide to how to sanitise laundry without bleach.
How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Towels Without Harsh Chemicals
Start with one small load so you can check the result before rewashing everything.
Pick a Full Wash Cycle
A quick wash isn't enough for thick, musty towels. Choose a towel or normal cycle, and use the warmest water the care label allows. If it says 40°C, stay at 40°C.
Load the Washer Loosely
Give towels room to move. Follow your washer's load limit, which may be lower than the number on the front. Keep whites apart from dark or bright towels so the colours don't run.
Use Less Detergent and Skip the Fabric Softener
More detergent isn't better. Too much leaves residue that holds onto smell. Fabric softener and dryer sheets coat the fibres and make towels less absorbent, so leave them out of this wash. If water beads on a towel instead of soaking in, that's a sign softener has built up.
TIP: Our detergent is pre-measured: no spills, no guessing, just the right amount!
Rinse Well and Take Towels Out Straight Away
If towels feel coated or you spot suds, cut the detergent dose or the load size. An extra rinse can help if your washer's instructions recommend one.
Then don't leave them sitting. Wet towels in a closed drum all afternoon will bring the sour smell right back, so set an alarm if you tend to forget. If a forgotten load already smells, rewash it before it goes in the dryer.
Should You Soak Musty Towels First?
Not for the first attempt, because a long soak can just leave fabric sitting wet. If a towel is still stubborn after a corrected wash, soak it in warm water with your regular detergent, within the care label's temperature, then wash it straight afterwards and dry it completely.
How to Dry Towels So the Smell Stays Away
“Just hang them up” doesn't always work. Two bath sheets folded over one narrow rail leave wet layers pressed together, and that's exactly how towels trap moisture.
On a line or rack: spread each towel out so air can circulate. Avoid overlapping edges, and try a better-ventilated spot, a fan or a dehumidifier on humid days.
In the dryer: shake towels out first, stay within the load limit and follow the care-label setting. Check the thick hems at the end, because that's where damp hides. Dryer balls are optional; they don't sanitise anything.
If you shower twice a day, rotate towels, so you're not reaching for one that's still damp from the morning.
Could Your Washer Be Trapping Residue and Scent?
If your clothes and bedding smell musty too, the washer deserves a look. If it's just one towel, start with that towel's wash and drying spot.
Check the folds of the door seal on a front loader, where lint, water and residue collect, and wipe out the detergent drawer. For the drum, our Washing Machine Cleaner Tablets go in an empty machine: pop one in the drum and run a hot cleaning cycle that suits your washer's instructions. Wipe away any loosened residue afterwards, and leave the towels out of this one.
Baking Soda, Vinegar or Borax: What Helps Neutralise Odour?
You don't need a cupboard full of remedies to start.
Baking soda: Whirlpool's towel-care guidance suggests up to ½ cup of baking soda for musty odours, if your washer and detergent instructions allow it. It supports the wash but doesn't replace detergent or prove the towels have been sanitised.
White vinegar: you'll see “one cup of white vinegar” in plenty of recipes, but that amount doesn't suit every machine or load. Check your washer's manual first. Don't mix vinegar and baking soda in the same treatment; they neutralise each other. Never mix vinegar with chlorine bleach.
Borax: it's a laundry booster. Follow the label for your fabric rather than adding several remedies together.
Keeping Towels Smelling Fresh and Clean Between Washes
- Give each towel its own space. Don't layer them on one rail.
- Unpack gym and pool towels. Don't leave them zipped in the bag.
- Dry before the laundry basket. Damp towels piled up turn musty fast.
- Wash about every three uses, or sooner if a towel smells or isn't drying well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do microfiber towels smell worse than cotton?
They can, but for a different reason. Microfiber and other synthetic fabrics tend to hold on to body oils, and that oily residue is where odours cling. Thick cotton soaks up more water, so it stays damp longer. Wash microfiber without fabric softener and give cotton plenty of space and airflow to dry.
Can one musty towel make the rest of my laundry smell?
Yes. A damp, smelly towel sitting against other fabric in the basket or the drum can pass its odour along. Until the smell is gone, wash the musty ones on their own, and don't leave a mixed load sitting wet.
Why Does Only One Person's Towel Smell?
Swap their drying spots after washing both towels the same way. Does the smell follow the towel or the spot? That helps you decide whether to change the wash or find somewhere better to hang it.
* Based on independent TÜV testing under ASTM E2274-24, showing a 99.9% reduction in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli under the tested conditions.
