Sour Smelling Towels?

Dr. Beth Dupree

August 23, 20060 found this helpful

I have had great success with adding 1 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle. Or 1 capful of odor ban. This smell is caused by leaving the washer lid down when not in use. And is also caused bu the buildup of fillers and perfumes from tide and bounce. The vinegar fixes this problem. Good luck.

paul

December 10, 20060 found this helpful

Musty smells from towels and clothing are caused by a mold that collects on the inside of your washer that is absorbed by the clothing. When a customer complains of a washer odor or mildew smell I tell them to order a product called "purewash" off the internet @ smellywasher.com.

I've had the same problem and it's not necessarily the washer. I have kids who love to leave or put damp/wet towels/clothes in the hamper and thus the sour smell. The only way I have been able to get rid of the smell is to soak them overnight in vinegar and cold water and then put them through a regular wash and they are fine.

Can anyone suggest getting this smell out. It's only on my dish rags. Nothing else picks up this smell. I change them regularly but after being washed a few times they seem to become sour? My bath towels and kitchen towels do not do this?

Thanks

SAT

July 9, 20100 found this helpful

Mold. mold, mold. Baking soda and vinegar are cheap solutions. Change your dishcloths everyday and air dry them completely before putting them in the laundry. Any other wet items in the laundry will contaminate anything else and mold spreads quickly. Make sure all family members dry items before tossing in hampers. Summer is worse. A gallon of vinegar and a cup of borax every 2-3 months to disinfect the clothes washer should be done anyway and should do the trick. Leave lid open when not in use.