How To Get Mildew Smell Out of Towels & Keep Them Smelling Fresh

How to Get Mildew Smell Out of Towels: 5 Methods That Actually Work

The fastest way to remove mildew smell from towels: Wash them on the hottest setting your towels can handle with one cup of white vinegar instead of detergent. Run a second cycle with half a cup of baking soda. Tumble dry completely on low. The vinegar kills odor-causing bacteria; the baking soda neutralizes lingering smell. For stubborn cases, soak towels in a vinegar-water solution for 30 minutes before washing.

That musty, sour smell in your towels isn’t just unpleasant—it’s bacteria. When towels stay damp for too long between uses, odor-causing microbes set up camp in the fibers. The good news: you can fix it. The better news: you can prevent it from happening again.

Here are five methods, ranked from easiest to most heavy-duty.

Method 1: The White Vinegar Wash (Best First Try)

What you need: White distilled vinegar, your washing machine.

Step 1. Load your musty towels into the washing machine. Don’t overcrowd—towels need room to agitate.

Step 2. Add one cup of white vinegar directly into the drum (not the detergent dispenser). Do NOT add detergent for this cycle.

Step 3. Run a full wash cycle on the hottest water setting your towels can handle.

Step 4. When the cycle finishes, leave the towels in the drum for a second cycle.

Step 5. Add half a cup of baking soda to the drum (still no detergent). Run another hot cycle.

Step 6. Tumble dry completely on low heat. Do not pull them out damp—that’s how this whole problem started.

Why it works: Vinegar is naturally acidic, which kills bacteria and dissolves detergent residue trapped in fibers. Baking soda is alkaline, which neutralizes remaining odors. Together, they reset your towels without harsh chemicals.

Method 2: The Baking Soda Soak (For Moderate Smell)

What you need: Baking soda, hot water, a bathtub or large basin.

Step 1. Fill a bathtub or large basin with hot water.

Step 2. Add one cup of baking soda. Stir until dissolved.

Step 3. Submerge your towels fully. Let them soak for 1–2 hours.

Step 4. Drain, wring out excess water, then wash normally with detergent.

Step 5. Dry completely on low heat.

Best for: Towels that smell a little off but aren’t at the “gym locker” stage yet.

Method 3: The Borax Boost (For Stubborn Odor)

What you need: Borax (20 Mule Team), your washing machine.

Step 1. Add half a cup of borax to the drum with your towels.

Step 2. Add your regular detergent (use the recommended amount—not more).

Step 3. Wash on hot.

Step 4. Dry completely.

Why it works: Borax is a natural mineral that boosts your detergent’s cleaning power and helps break down the biofilm bacteria create inside towel fibers. It’s especially effective when vinegar alone doesn’t fully solve the problem.

Method 4: The Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment (For White Towels)

What you need: 3% hydrogen peroxide (standard drugstore kind), washing machine.

Step 1. Add one cup of hydrogen peroxide to the drum.

Step 2. Wash on hot with no detergent.

Step 3. Follow with a normal wash cycle using detergent.

Step 4. Dry completely.

Important: Only use on white towels. Hydrogen peroxide can lighten colored fabrics.

Method 5: The Sanitize Cycle (If Your Machine Has One)

Many newer washing machines have a sanitize cycle that heats water to 150°F+. This temperature is high enough to kill most odor-causing bacteria on its own. Add your regular detergent, run the sanitize cycle, and dry completely. It’s the simplest option if your machine supports it.

Check your towel’s care label first—some fabrics can’t handle temperatures that high. Supima® cotton towels generally handle hot water well, but cold-to-warm wash with low-heat drying is recommended for routine care to maximize longevity.

Why Do Towels Smell Musty in the First Place?

The smell is bacteria and mildew. Here’s what’s happening:

Your towel absorbs water when you dry off. So far, so good.

The towel stays damp for hours. Traditional terry towels can take 6–8+ hours to air dry, especially in humid bathrooms.

Bacteria multiply in the moisture. Warm, damp fabric is an ideal environment for odor-causing microbes. Research suggests 90% of bathroom towels harbor coliform bacteria.

The smell builds over time. Each use-and-hang cycle adds more bacteria. By the time you wash the towel, the biofilm is embedded in the fibers.

This is also why the problem is worse in humid climates, bathrooms without good ventilation, and households where towels get folded or bunched up on hooks instead of spread flat to dry.

How to Prevent Musty Towels From Happening Again

Fixing the smell is step one. Here’s how to make sure it doesn’t come back:

1. Hang towels fully spread after every use. Don’t bunch them on a hook. Spread them on a towel bar so air circulates on both sides. This is the single biggest thing you can do.

2. Wash towels every 3–4 uses. Waiting longer gives bacteria too much runway. Hot water is better for killing bacteria, but cold water works fine for routine washes if you dry thoroughly.

3. Skip the fabric softener. Fabric softener coats cotton fibers with a waxy residue that traps moisture and bacteria inside the fiber. It also reduces absorbency. Use wool dryer balls instead—they soften naturally and speed up drying.

4. Don’t leave wet towels in the washer. Even 30 minutes in a damp washing machine can restart the mildew cycle. Move towels to the dryer promptly.

5. Use the right amount of detergent. More detergent doesn’t mean cleaner. Excess detergent builds up in fibers and creates a sticky residue where bacteria thrive. Follow the recommended amount on the label.

6. Consider a faster-drying towel. The root cause of musty towels is staying damp too long. Quick-drying towels—like those made with an open waffle weave—dry in roughly half the time of traditional terry, cutting the window for bacteria growth significantly. This is especially important in humid climates or bathrooms without great airflow.

When to Just Replace Your Towels

If you’ve tried all five methods and the smell keeps coming back within a day or two, the mildew may be too deeply embedded in the fibers to remove. This happens most often with older terry towels (2+ years) that have accumulated detergent residue and bacteria over hundreds of wash cycles.

When it’s time to replace, look for towels designed to resist the problem in the first place: quick-drying construction (waffle weave or performance terry), premium long-staple cotton that doesn’t trap residue, and OEKO-TEX® certification confirming no chemical coatings. A towel that dries in 2–3 hours instead of 6–8 is a towel that rarely develops mildew smell.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use bleach to remove mildew smell from towels?

You can, but we’d recommend vinegar first. Bleach works on white towels but will damage colored ones, and over time it weakens cotton fibers. Vinegar is gentler, cheaper, and works on all colors.

Why do my towels smell musty even after washing?

Two likely causes: you’re using too much detergent (residue builds up and traps bacteria), or the towels aren’t drying fully between uses. Try the vinegar method above to reset, then follow the prevention tips—especially hanging towels spread flat and skipping fabric softener.

Does hot water kill mildew in towels?

Hot water (130°F+) kills most bacteria and mildew. For routine washes, cold or warm water is fine if you dry thoroughly. For odor removal, hot water combined with vinegar or baking soda is the most effective approach.

How often should I wash towels to prevent mildew?

Every 3–4 uses is the general recommendation. If you live in a humid climate or your bathroom has poor ventilation, every 2–3 uses is safer. Quick-drying towels can go slightly longer because they spend less time damp.

Do quick-drying towels actually prevent musty smell?

They significantly reduce it. The musty smell is caused by bacteria that thrive in damp conditions. A towel that dries in 2–3 hours gives bacteria far less time to multiply compared to one that stays wet for 6–8 hours. It’s not magic—you still need to wash them—but the problem is dramatically reduced.

Is the mildew smell in towels harmful?

It’s not ideal. The bacteria causing the smell can potentially irritate skin, worsen acne, and transfer germs. Research has found coliform bacteria on 90% of bathroom towels, and E. coli on 14%. Keeping towels dry and clean between uses is a basic hygiene practice worth taking seriously.

Can I use essential oils to mask the smell?

You can add a few drops of tea tree or lavender oil to a dryer cycle for a pleasant scent, but it’s masking, not solving. The bacteria are still there. Fix the root cause first (vinegar wash + proper drying), then add essential oils as a bonus if you like.