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Grrr! Smelly towels!

post #1 of 7
10/26/10 at 1:28pm
Thread Starter 
We have semi long term company and they keep leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor. As a result I have a couple that smell even after washing. What can I do to get the smell out? (Besides being a bathroom dictator.) I washed them in hot with detergent. I didn't think they would still stink like they do. If I use vinegar in the rinse will it hurt them? Baking Soda?
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post #2 of 7
10/26/10 at 3:04pm
If you get a sunny day, line dry 'em. Nothing like sun to kill bacteria.
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post #3 of 7
10/26/10 at 4:21pm
How many guests are staying there?

You could install a hanging rack and then assign each person a different color of towel. They are responsible for hanging them up after each use and doing their own laundry.

Seriously. This is a matter of two seconds to hang up a towel....it's not like you're sending them into the coal mines to toil and sweat for 12 hours. (Although the latter may sound tempting )

Sorry. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but it really is OK to set some firm rules in your own household. If they don't take care of their towel, they deal with their own stinky towel.

Bummer you're having to deal with this. If they're this bad with towels, I can't imagine what other kind of havoc their creating in your house!
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post #4 of 7
10/26/10 at 4:28pm
I've used vinegar and hot water (I normally wash in cold) with some success. But I think my favorite is Bio-Kleen Bac-Out. That stuff is awesome! It gets smells out!

And maybe you could gently explain to your guests since they are long term that they are not staying in a hotel and you would appreciate them hanging up towels (and pitching in on other little things that must be bugging you by now).
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post #5 of 7
10/27/10 at 1:42pm
Thread Starter 
The worst offender is a twelve year old boy. He throws all the towels on the floor. Our bathroom is small, so if it isn't on the one rack it's on the shower curtain. If it's in his way down it goes. There are currently us and their four, so eight people. We are hoping they will be moving into their place very shortly. We did buy another set of hangers for towels this weekend, but I really doubt it'll stop him. His mom sometimes cleans up after him or corrects him, but not very often. My best tactic is get the smell out of my towels, and make sure they reach for their own towels to trash.
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post #6 of 7
10/27/10 at 3:21pm
The product is very difficult to find now but I swear but liquid febreze. The type that you pour directly into the laundry. I know some folks on here may not like it but that stuff works wonders on towels. We live in AZ and honestly towels can get stinky instantly.

http://www.amazon.com/Febreze-Laundr.../dp/B001KYWCQK
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post #7 of 7
10/27/10 at 7:40pm
The best success I have had is to run them through the washer with detergent and a half cup of baking soda, and then run them through again with detergent and a half cup of vinegar. It gets them smelling really fresh and all fluffy.
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