How to Get the Stale Smell Out of Towels

You went swimming last weekend and brought some towels to dry off with and you left them in the trunk. Or perhaps you put the towels in the washer and forgot about them for a couple days. Whatever the case the towels have been sitting and now they smell stale.

The problem with the stale smell that wet towels get after sitting for too long is that simply washing them in regular laundry detergent, no matter how many washes they go through, will not get rid of the smell.

Is there anything you can do besides throwing them away and buying an entirely new set of towels? Sure there is. Here's how to get the stale smell out of towels.

1. The first thing you can use to get the stale smell out of towels is regular bleach. Make sure when using bleach that you add the water, laundry detergent, and bleach before putting the towels in the washing machine. If you put the towels in first and poor the bleach over top of them it can ruin the towels. Be sure to follow the directions on the bleach container to know how much to use in the wash.

2. The second thing you can use to get the stale smell out of towels is white distilled vinegar. Vinegar can be a better option than bleach because it is gentle and will not harm fabrics. To get the stale smell out of towels, simply add ¼ cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse cycle of the wash. The vinegar helps to absorb the odor and remove it from the towels.

3. The third thing you can use to get the stale smell out of towels is baking soda. Baking soda is known and often used for its odor eliminating abilities. It works great to get the stale smell out of towels too. Just add ½ cup baking soda to the wash with the regular laundry detergent, before putting the towels in.

whether you're using bleach, vinegar, or baking soda, make sure you use the hottest water setting when washing the towels. Depending on how severe the stale smell is in the towels, you may have to repeat the above steps a couple times to completely eliminate the odor from the towels.

All three of these options work great to get the stale smell out of towels. I personally prefer the baking soda method, simply because baking soda won't harm fabrics like bleach can and it doesn't have a strong smell like vinegar and bleach. But I've tried them all myself on different occasions and they all work great.