Smelly Towels

[AfricanQueen99]

I'm new(ish) to my house and the washing machine/dryer that came with it. The washing machine is a front-loading HE with one spot to put detergent, another to put "softener" and the last one for "bleach."

Here's the issue - my towels have a musty odor to them. I've tried washing in cold, warm and hot. I've tried using more or less detergent. I've tried adding vinegar to either the softener or bleach deposit (never both at the same time, though). Nothing helps.

Ideas?

I was looking around online and read that oxyclean might work and isn't caustic to my family (if that is not the case please tell me before I put any more thought into it). Would that work? Do I add it to the softener or the bleach deposit? How much?

Thanks.

[Malva]

I don't have any suggestion on how to get the smell out of towels but just wanted to say that alot of people have mold issues in the front-loader.

Personally, I only have great things to say about my front-loader. I've never had any issues whatsoever, and the clothes are so much cleaner than using a top-loader one.

Keeping the door ajar and the dispensing drawer slightly open when you're not using it should prevent mold issues from developing.

[Denvergirlie]

Have you tried running it with just vinegar to clean out the system with no clothing or maybe a load of rags in it? Might be left over residue in the machine that is giving it a musty smell. Also, make sure you clean very well around the door and those seals. The major downfall of front loaders is that this area becomes slimy and gross, there are countless threads on MDC about just this issue of mustiness.

OxyClean is an form of oxygen bleach, so it can go in the bleach section. It's based on hydrogen peroxide, Sodium percarbonate. It is a white particle powder, non-toxic no contamination, non-flammable, non-explosive, easy to get damp, and soluble in water. Additionally, it's environmentally safe, biodegradable, and leaves no harmful by-products or residues which can harm the environment.
Oxygen bleach is excellent for cleaning and removing organic stains (such as coffee, tea, wine, fruit juices, foods, sauces, grass and blood) from fabrics, plastics, fiberglass, porcelain, ceramics, wood, carpets, asphalt, concrete, etc. Oxygen bleach can be used in any place in or around the house that need to be destained and deodorized; it is efficient, safe and economical.

[lightheart]

Are your other clothes smelling also or just your towels, if you think it's the washer then do something to clean air it out. From your post ot sounds like it might be your towels themselves. Could you do a bucket soak or a tub soak of the towels with alot of vinegar for an afternoon then take the towels still drippy wet to the washing machine (in a bucket- may need to do a few trips) then wash them like you normally would.

[nighten]

A-ha! I know exactly what's wrong.

What kind of detergent are you using? Nearly all the mainstream ones (even the "free & clear" ones) contain optical brightening dyes now. These are designed to coat the fiber strands, and leave a purposeful residue that reacts to light and causes colors to appear brighter.

The problem is the residue provides an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, and the more absorbent something is, the more of the dyes it holds onto (so cloth diapers and towels are big culprits here).

And while a towel may smell clean out of the washer/dryer, once it's exposed to moisture, that released the bacteria smell, which for towels is musty. (For diapers it's ammonia -- it's because of the urine that activates the bacteria.)

Using more detergent will make this WORSE. Using vinegar will help in an ongoing fashion, but won't remove any residue already there. Oxiclean might help break up some of the residue but more than likely in a HE washer will bind to the existing residue and then you'll have more issues.

Get some blue Dawn liquid dish detergent -- it has an ingredient that breaks up the residue. I would add about a teaspoon to the wash water (dissolve it and add to the bleach dispenser, or squirt directly into the tub before adding towels). Add towels and wash on VERY hot. Rinse repeatedly until water is clear and no bubbles.

Then switch detergents! And never use a fabric softener with towels. That makes them less absorbent and more likely to get bacterial buildup.

For a front loader HE washer you're to use about half the recommended amount. For most mainstream detergents, that's actually about 1/4th the recommended amount (they recommend too much typically, because then you use more and buy more).

Some brands that are truly water soluble (meaning NO residue is left behind):

Planet
Charlie's Soap
Ecos Free & Clear
Arm & Hammer Essentials
Country Save
Maggie's Soap Nuts
Mountain Green
Nellie's
Seventh Gen Free & Clear (contains enzymes -- need to use with hot wash following to prevent skin issues)
Sun & Earth
Trade Joe's

If you can't find any of those online or in a store near you, PM me for more suggestions.

If you're already using one of the water soluble ones, and the problem started after you moved into your new place, then the washer itself has buildup. If that is the case, go get some Simple Green (auto dept, Target) and an old ratty towel. Add about a tablespoon of SG to the washer (again diluted into bleach dispenser or direct into tub) and toss in ratty towel. Run hot wash and one extra rinse to clean out the washer.

Good luck!

[AfricanQueen99]

malva - Generally speaking, I *love* the washing machine...just the towels bother me.

denver - You sold me on oxyclean.

lightheart - JUST the towels.

Renee - Holy cow! Will you marry me? It's Kirkland/Costco Free and Clear (ironically, I tried Ecos Free and Clear and didn't like it, but I might rethink that decision now). Come to think of it, this was happening at the last house because this is one of the main reasons I stopped CD'ing...I couldn't get the smell out and my kid was always extra rash-y on her vulva.

And I thought I was doing everything right by using quality detergent...keeping the door open when not in use...not overusing. Hmm. I'm off to get some Dawn (and a Starbucks with my I Voted sticker).

[nighten]

Just saw this (sorry -- I've ben distracted by the election). I'm not a huge fan of Ecos F&C to be honest. It doesn't seem to clean terribly well. My favorite is Charlie's Soap, the liquid. Some people have complained about skin irritations from its use but the reason that happens is Charlie's breaks down residue from previous detergents and products, both on clothing and in the washer itself. And that gunk gets redeposited on clothes, which can cause irritation.

If you switch to Charlie's, get some Simple Green and clean your washer first. (See above post for how-to.)

I have extremely sensitive skin and have never had issues with Charlie's.

Good luck, and sorry I couldn't be more helpful. I'm totally obsessive about the whole optical dye thing now, and very happy to share the info when given the chance.

[AfricanQueen99]

Thanks again, nighten...for the posts and the PM. I'll order Charlie's and see how it goes.