The Thing You Should Never Use When Washing Towels (It's Not Fabric Softener)

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We've all seen the commercial: a woman opens the dryer and pulls out freshly-laundered towels. She buries her nose in their warmth and sighs happily as visions of flowers and clean linen dance in her head. But your towels? Even the strongest-scented detergent at your grocery store can't get that musty, mildewy smell out of them. It's tempting to grab a laundry scent booster to remove towels' musty odors, but the truth is that those sweet-smelling beads aren't actually destinkifying your towels. Instead, they're just masking the smell.

The culprit behind your towels' unforgettable odor? Mildew, mold, and bacteria, commonly caused by leftover detergent, folding towels while they're still damp, or lack of proper ventilation. For many people, a boost of extra fragrance might seem like the perfect option to get rid of those musty odors, but you might want to think twice using scent beads on your towels. Why? Designed to disintegrate in the water of your washing machine, the beads' fragrance wraps around your towels' fibers. This way, whenever you move, fold, or use the dried towel, the boosted scent is activated. So while scent beads lend towels a particular scent, they don't fix what's causing the stink in the first place: the fungi or bacteria that are calling your towels home.

So how do you actually get (and keep) your towels smelling fresh and clean without scent beads? The key is to tweak your towel laundry routine. First up, resist the urge to overload the washer. Make sure your towels have enough room to move around the washer's drum. This might mean doing more than one load, but it's worth it. Next, add white vinegar to the washing machine with your towels to get rid of that awful scent, not to mention the bacteria, mildew, and any lingering residue that causes it. The exact amount varies depending on the smell itself: try a ½ cup for lightly-smelling towels or pour 2 cups in if they're really stinky. Wash on warm and the towel setting if your washer has it. If the smell still lingers after the vinegar wash, add in a ½ cup of baking soda to remove any leftover residue. Then wash your towels as normal with ⅛ cup of detergent. Once done, move them to the dryer right away and dry completely on medium-high heat. Dry them thoroughly in the dryer so mildew isn't tempted by damp fibers to move back into your towels, then fold and store in a well-ventilated space.

On the chance your towels still smell, it's time to pull out the heavy hitter: laundry sanitizer. Submerge smelly towels in a large bin with a mix of water and laundry sanitizer, like Clorox Laundry Sanitizer, and let soak overnight. The next morning, rinse out, then wash and dry as normal.