[Heart.Revolution]

My towels smell like mildew.

My bathroom does not getting proper ventilation. What can I do to make them smell fresher? Is there a special wash cycle that is better? Or should I add something to the washer other than detergent?

Any tips would be great! Thanks.

 

[Spastica]

You can use tea tree oil or lavender oil in the laundry, which kills mildew, and add baking soda (1/2 cup along with detergent, full cup to 1 1/2 cup if using baking soda alone). When putting the towels in the dryer, I make sure the towels are bone dry before folding and putting away in my laundry room. The baking soda does help with preventing the mildew smell and mildew in general.

I have same ventilation problems (no windows in the bathroom - and I have to keep the door closed most of the time so that my dog doesn't go and sleep in there. I have issues with thinking about the dog in bathroom muck).

I try to fold my towel in half once and spread it across the bar - I don't fold it like a normal towel (like 4 folds), so it will dry thoroughly.

I also keep the exhaust running 24/7 so that when I shower, the moisture gets sucked out of the bathroom.

I also keep the shower curtain halfway open while the bathroom is drying for about 4 hours.

At night, the dog sleeps in my room, so I keep the bathroom door open.

 

[Heart.Revolution]

Wow, it seems like we have similar bathrooms. I do not have a window either. I have a cat that is obsessed with wanting to drink out of the sink. I do not want her in there because I do not enjoy cat hair or cat butt on my counter top. She sits outside the door and howles forever, so annoying.

Thanks for the tips, I am going to try them right away!

 

[lauriem33]

Our towels get like that too and what's worked for us is washing them using white vinegar. I think I've tried both with and without our usual soap and if I remember correctly it works either way. I used probably 1 1/2-2 cups worth of vinegar in there poured in once the washer was full of water (I really wanted to be sure the smell would be gone). When they're done washing remove them immediately from the washer and either line dry outside (on a day with low humidity) or dry in the dryer using whatever setting gets them thoroughly dry. HTH