6 Reasons Your Towels Still Smell Bad After You Wash Them, According to Laundry Pros

• Avoid using fabric softener or extra laundry detergent, as both can damage fibers and cause bad smells.
• Don't overload the washer. Wash towels in hot water and let them air dry completely for best results.
• Regularly clean your washing machine to prevent odor-causing buildup.

Towels should smell fresh and clean after being washed, but that's not always the case. If they have a stale or musty odor after being washed or stored, there are six common reasons for this.

“When towels still smell musty after washing, it’s often due to trapped bacteria, detergent buildup, or improper drying,” says Dr. Kristina Braly, founder of Aembr.

Dr. Braly explains that starting with a clean washing machine is crucial, as is using the right water temperature and laundry products. Below are the top six reasons your towels might still smell bad after being laundered and what you can do instead.

Dirty Washing Machine

For your towels to come out of the wash smelling great, you need to start with a clean washing machine. Even though we wash our towels regularly, we often forget to clean the machine itself.

"Running a rinse cycle with white vinegar or baking soda helps prevent buildup in your washer," Dr. Braly says.

To give the washing machine a deeper clean occasionally, she recommends running a hot cycle with vinegar but no detergent.

Improper Drying

Thoroughly drying your towels after washing them is key to preventing bad smells. Towels are designed to absorb moisture and can develop mildew or stale odors if they aren't dried properly.

Ensure you don't fold and store any towels that are still slightly damp, as they will develop a musty smell even if they were cleaned.

Tip

"If you love a beautifully-scented home like I do, finish with a clean home spray misted into the linen closet—think of it as a subtle signature scent for your towels,” Dr. Braly says.

Fabric Softener Use

While it's tempting to use fabric softener for soft, fluffy towels, Dr. Braly recommends against it.

“Avoid fabric softeners, which coat the fibers and make towels less absorbent over time—this actually makes them harder to get truly clean,” says Dr. Braly.

Vinegar is a natural alternative to fabric softener. It removes odors, dissolves detergent residue, and buildup on towels, leaving them softer and cleaner. Plus, vinegar also cleans and deodorizes your washing machine.

Use Distilled White Vinegar

When substituting vinegar for fabric softener, use distilled white vinegar. Avoid apple cider or red wine vinegar, as their colors can stain towels.

Detergent Buildup

Detergent buildup is a frequent cause of musty-smelling towels. While it may seem like using more detergent will get your towels cleaner and fresher, the opposite is true.

Using too much detergent leaves a residue that builds up on the towel fibers, preventing them from being washed properly and causing them to smell bad even after washing.

Washing Towels in Cold Water

To keep your towels smelling fresh, Dr. Braly recommends washing them in warm or hot water with a gentle detergent. While cold water is gentler on fabrics, it doesn't remove dirt, body oils, and bacteria as effectively as hot water does. As a result, your towels may still smell stale after washing.

An Overloaded Washing Machine

While it might seem efficient to cram as many towels as possible into one load, overloading the washer isn't effective. Too many towels result in an uneven distribution of water and detergent, leaving some towels with detergent residue and unpleasant smells even after washing.