Forgot towels in washer for 7 days... Help!?!

[gate_pourri]

I put a load of towels in the washer last Wednesday and forgot about them when I went out of town on Thursday. They are now nasty! I washed them twice tonight and they are still seriously stinky. With temps in the 80s, they are pretty bad. Besides washing them another 5+ times, what can I do to get these clean/stink free?

 

[Miller1412]

Add some vinegar to the wash, that will take the smell right out, but won't leave your towels smelling like vinegar. I usually add a 1/2 cup, but you might want a little more if they are seriously stinky.

 

[Beth921]

I second the vinegar, you can also try some baking soda

Good luck!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I third the vinegar!

 

[gate_pourri]

Hmmm... I just checked and I have no normal vinegar: Rice Wine, Red wine, Sherry, but not plain white vinegar. I guess I'm stopping at the grocery tomorrow for some vinegar. Thanks for the suggestion... I'll be trying it tomorrow night.

 

[HLAuburn]

Bleach! If you're worried about fading, try the color safe kind, but I've left things in the washer before and if I add just a little bleach and wash them again, they're fine.

For a week, might need a few good washes though!

 

[Frantasmic]

Vinegar wash. Spray with febreeze while wet and then dry out in the sun.

Repeat until smell gone.

If you are in an area getting rain, leave outside during the rain, especially if it is lightning as the nitrogen infusing from the lightning will cleanse the air.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

I wish I read this thread before I pitched some washcloths.

 

[Witch Mountain]

I agree with the vinegar, probably more than once. We left a load of clothes in the washer over a weekend in Florida heat (90+ degrees). It took three runs of vinegar, but that did the trick.

 

[momof1princess]

i second using both bleach and vinegar (not at the same time). i once left some wet towels and a shirt in a clothes basket for several days (i ended up i the hospital), and they not only smelled, but they had mildew spots. i used both bleach and vinegar, and while i got the smell out in about 3-4 washes, the mildew spots never did come out.

 

[si-am]

Honestly I'd just toss them and buy new towels. Seems like too much work to bother getting them back to normal.

 

[Sandy321]

Honestly I'd just toss them and buy new towels. Seems like too much work to bother getting them back to normal.

Kols always have towels on sale - the HUGE ones for $3.99 - today they are $5

you could work very hard with white vinegar or do a bleach run = and still have that "I can smell it - can you" worry always... $3.99 Towels

and at Christmas Target - towels were$1.99 for the LARGE one - they, Target, usually have large stacks of washcloths for $2.99!

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

Honestly I'd just toss them and buy new towels. Seems like too much work to bother getting them back to normal.

That seems very wasteful. I'd mix in half a load of "clean" towels with half a load of the stinky towels, layering them so they're thoroughly mixed. Wash as normal, add some vinegar to the rinse cycle. Then wash the other half the same way ~ half clean towels, half stinky towels. That should get rid of the smell. I've done this more than once and it always works.

 

[Nancyg56]

I routinely use vinegar in my wash and a bonus is that my laundry is softer. Before buying new towels I would try to save them.

I have no issue tossing out something that is either ruined or worn out but I would try running the towels thru a few times before throwing them away. Aside from a few times up and down the stairs all I have lost is a little time, a few caps full of detergent and about two dollars in electricity.

 

[fireflymedic]

I would dry thim, hang thim out side. Look real close if they are moldy I think your only chance is to bleach the heck out of thim. You will never get rid of the black mold spots but you can kill the mold