OT: Way to "freshen" up your towels

[disney_me]

Ok, I'm looking for a simple and quick way to make my bath and beach towels smell fresh. Family goes to the beach every weekend and hang our towels outside to dry. We have a camper in a campground and the towels stay out all day and night. Campfire smell gets in them and when I do the wash, the towels never seem to smell "clean" . What can I do???

 

[allison443]

Maybe Febreeze?

 

[Patti_C]

I use vinegar in my laundry, It helps with stinky work clothes.

 

[Alesia]

Put a cup vinegar in the rinse cycle. I promise your laundry won't smell like a salad.

 

[dcforbreakfast]

Bounce sheets? They make everything smell nice. I think there is even Bounce with Febreeze.

 

[mommyof2princesses]

Febreeze all the way. Just be careful, everytime I use it I want to keep smelling the item...just like the commercial!

 

[ZPT1022]

Do you have a top loading washer? If so, put all the towels in with a cup or two of baking soda. Do this before bed and allow them to sit all night long. NO SOAP at all for this cycle!!!! Baking soda won't harm the fibers if it sits all night, laundry detergent will! Trust me on this In the morning come down and shut the lid and let it run through a regular cycle, maybe with an extra rinse. Run a hot water cycle next with your regular detergent, and a cup of white vinegar. do an extra rinse and toss the towels in the dryer as normal. This gets rid of the funk that can accumulate with cloth diapers, and it works on towels too

 

[jamesmommy]

Another vote for vinegar. I hate musty smelling towels, and does the trick for us. I usually use a cup of it in the rinse cycle of a regular sized load, a little less for a smaller load.

 

[ssferguson79@yahoo.c]

I make homemade febreeze. I am a febreeze adict and I was so excited to know how to make it at home. Take 1 part fabric softener to 3 parts water, shake in a spray bottle... and spray spray spray. If it is a tougher smell use 1/2 and 1/2 mixture. I haven't bought febreeze in 2 years. I am able to pick my smell b/c I can buy fabric softener in any smell! HTH!

 

[My2Cinderellas]

when the towels get stinky, I use HOT water instead of warm and add a heaping scoop of oxyclean in with the detergent.

 

[disney_me]

I use vinegar in my laundry, It helps with stinky work clothes.

Are you guys useing white vinegar??

I'm going to the beach this weekend so when I get home on Sunday I will try the vinegar rinse.

Thanks

 

[Patti_C]

Yes, I use white vinegar, Have fun at the beach!!

 

[Clutterbug]

I use white vinegar. When I buy fabric softener I mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with vinegar. It's a great way to stretch fabirc softener and it softenes and freshens just as well, IMO.

 

[pixiewings71]

I use Oxy Clean in my laundry, works pretty well for us.

 

[Merriwind]

I agree. White vinegar in the rinse is great for yucky towels. Plus, I use no fabric softener on towels. I read somewhere that it builds up and makes the towels less absorbent after time.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

Do you have a top loading washer? If so, put all the towels in with a cup or two of baking soda. Do this before bed and allow them to sit all night long. NO SOAP at all for this cycle!!!! Baking soda won't harm the fibers if it sits all night, laundry detergent will! Trust me on this In the morning come down and shut the lid and let it run through a regular cycle, maybe with an extra rinse. Run a hot water cycle next with your regular detergent, and a cup of white vinegar. do an extra rinse and toss the towels in the dryer as normal. This gets rid of the funk that can accumulate with cloth diapers, and it works on towels too

How does this work if you have a front loader?

I've noticed recently that my towels don't stay as fresh as they used to and we can't use them as many days in a row. We used to be able to get at least 5 or 6 days of use out of them before we washed them and now about 3 days into using them they smell musty and gross. I guess I just use the cup of white vinegar in my wash???

 

[NotUrsula]

Borax will do the same thing.

 

[WildGrits]

How does this work if you have a front loader?

Maybe you could try using a Downey Ball. I have no idea if they still sell them though.

 

[asktriplets]

How does this work if you have a front loader?

I've noticed recently that my towels don't stay as fresh as they used to and we can't use them as many days in a row. We used to be able to get at least 5 or 6 days of use out of them before we washed them and now about 3 days into using them they smell musty and gross. I guess I just use the cup of white vinegar in my wash???

I wondered the same thing about how to use vinegar in our new front loadong machine (I had really been trying to get away from using chemicals with our old washer and dryer, and the vinegar and baking soda had worked wonders on keeping clothes fresh). With our new front loader, I'm not sure if I am SUPPOSE to do this, but I pour a cup (or more) of vinegar into the soap dispenser spot, then add my soap (I use the Ecos brand from Costco...love it.). I also put a few towels in the washing machine, then pour about a cup of baking soda on top of the towels, then add the rest of the clothes (I don't know if the baking soda will just fall through the holes if I pour it in first.)
I guess it makes more sense to add the vinegar to the rinse cycle and put it in the "fabric softener dispenser" spot, but I haven't had any problems with my method yet, and I love the way my clothes smell. If bigger towels smell musty, I pour vinegar right on the towel and put it in the washer for a while.

THe only thing that this technique doesn't work for is those SUPER strong smelling dish cloths that get wadded up in the sink or in the corner of the laundry basket and left for a day or 2 (I HATE that smell!). For that, I pour some bleach water in the kitchen sink and let those soak for a bit, then throw them in with a bleach load.

I have heard people complain of "musty" smells from front loading machines due to a minor mildew build up in that front rubber ring. I've heard that leaving the door open a crack when not in use and using "natural/earth friendly" detergent seems to minimize this problem. We do both of these things and have had no issues.

I miss being able to "soak" items all day long in our top loading machine (my only complaint with our new front loader).

good luck,

 

[sskem96]

For stinky towels, or anything else with an odor for that matter, I just add about 1/2 cup of baking soda to the regular wash cycle. It takes care of most stuff. For really bad odors (like when the cats get stupid and pee on something) I add Febreeze Laundry Odor Eliminator instead of the baking soda. I hate the smell of the spray febreeze (I think I associate it with the bad smells that it's supposed to get rid of), but the laundry one doesn't smell like that, and it totally gets rid of any odors. You might find it by the laundry detergent instead of with the regular febreeze. You have to let it sit for 30 minutes before running the load.