How to Remove Musty Smell from Towels for Good

That lingering, funky smell on your "clean" towels isn't just in your head. The truth is, a standard wash cycle often isn't enough to kill the bacteria and mildew that have made a home deep within the fibers. To truly get them fresh, you need a deep clean using hot water, vinegar, and baking soda in a couple of separate cycles. Most importantly, you have to get them bone-dry afterward to keep that musty scent from coming right back.

Understanding Why Towels Smell Musty

It’s one of the most frustrating laundry problems: you grab a fresh towel, bring it to your face, and are hit with that unmistakable sour, mildewy scent. What gives?

It all comes down to a little bit of biology. Your towels have essentially become a five-star resort for bacteria and mildew. Each time you dry off, you’re leaving behind moisture, body oils, and dead skin cells. In a warm, damp bathroom with little air circulation, this creates the perfect environment for these smelly microbes to thrive.

The Science Behind the Stink

The musty odor you’re smelling is the direct result of mold and bacteria feasting on the organic matter trapped in your towel’s fibers. Think it’s just your laundry room? Even professionally cleaned towels can have this problem. One study found that a shocking 93% of freshly laundered cloth towels from a hospital still contained potentially harmful bacteria, which shows just how stubborn these microbes can be.

Our modern laundry habits don't help, either. Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s really causing that musty smell in your towels.

Key Causes of Persistent Towel Odor

Cause	The Underlying Problem
Detergent & Softener Buildup	Waxy residue from these products can coat towel fibers, trapping moisture and grime deep inside where a normal wash can't reach.
Insufficient Drying	Even a slightly damp towel is an open invitation for mildew to start growing again, sometimes within just a few hours.
Overloaded Washer	When you cram too many towels in at once, they can't agitate freely, which means they don't get properly cleaned or rinsed.

This buildup creates a biofilm within the fabric that regular detergent just slides right over, which is why that smell seems to return again and again.

To truly fix the problem, you need to break down that film and kill the microbes causing the odor. It also helps to eliminate old musty smells at home to get rid of any environmental factors that might be contributing. The same logic applies to all your fabrics, which is why we have a whole guide on how to clean mildew smells from other clothes too.

The Definitive Towel Stripping Method

If your towels feel like they’re repelling water instead of absorbing it, or they hold onto that stubborn musty smell no matter what, it's time for a deep reset. We’re talking about stripping away years of built-up residue from detergents and fabric softeners.

The solution is simpler than you think and uses two powerhouse ingredients you already have: vinegar and baking soda. It’s a two-cycle process, but the payoff—truly clean, soft, and absorbent towels—is absolutely worth it.

The First Wash: Vinegar Power

First things first, grab only your musty towels and load them into the washing machine. Don't cram them in; they need room to move and rinse properly for this to work.

Set your washer to the hottest, longest cycle available. That hot water is key for breaking down the gunk and killing off the bacteria causing that funky smell. Instead of detergent, pour one to two cups of distilled white vinegar right into the drum. Let the full cycle run. The vinegar’s acidity will go to work, dissolving all the mineral deposits and waxy buildup that are trapping odors.

The Second Wash: Baking Soda Neutralizer

Once the vinegar cycle is finished, leave the wet towels right where they are. Now, sprinkle one half-cup of baking soda directly over them.

Run the exact same hot, long cycle again. No detergent, no vinegar—just baking soda and water. This step neutralizes any leftover odors and softens the towel fibers that the vinegar just stripped clean. Think of it as the final polish that leaves your towels feeling softer and smelling completely fresh.

Crucial Tip: Never, ever mix vinegar and baking soda in the same wash. They'll just fizzle and cancel each other out, making the whole process pointless. The magic is in using them back-to-back in separate cycles.

Finally, get those towels into the dryer immediately. Tumble dry them on high heat until they are completely bone-dry. Even a little dampness can invite the mustiness right back. This is how you reclaim your towels and get rid of that smell for good.

Building a Foundation of Powerful Clean

So, you’ve stripped your towels and hit the reset button. Now what? The real secret is preventing that musty buildup from creeping back in. This isn’t about just washing—it’s about adopting a smarter laundry ritual.

The new approach is simple: separate the act of deep cleaning from the art of adding fragrance. You need to achieve an exceptional clean first. This is where a high-performance, fragrance-free detergent becomes your most essential tool. Because at Active Scent, we believe in powerful cleaning with zero interference.

The Power of a Neutral Base

Think of your laundry like a painter’s canvas. You’d never start a masterpiece on a dirty surface, and the same logic applies here. A product like Active Scent's Odor-Free Laundry Detergent has been carefully formulated for a deep and effective clean without competing fragrances.

It’s the ultimate neutral base, created to perfectly complement our range of luxury scented fabric softeners. This creates an impeccably clean slate, ensuring your towels are perfectly prepped for the next step.

This strategy is a direct counter to the residue left by conventional detergents and softeners—a major culprit behind musty smells. When those residues trap moisture in the fibers, towels lose absorbency and start to smell stale.

A truly foundational clean does more than just solve the odor problem; it actually improves how your fabrics feel. By starting with a clean slate, you’ll notice better absorbency and softness. If you've been fighting a losing battle with stiff, scratchy towels, our guide on how to soften towels naturally is the perfect companion to this philosophy.

Once this powerful, odor-free foundation is set, your towels are ready to be elevated with a luxurious, lasting scent.

Elevating Your Laundry with Luxurious Fragrance

Now that your towels are truly, deeply clean—free from any hint of mustiness—it’s time for the final touch. This is where laundry stops being a chore and becomes a statement. It's about infusing your fabrics with a sophisticated fragrance that lasts, turning a simple household routine into a genuine sensory experience. Because at Active Scent, we believe LAUNDRY NEVER SMELLED SO GOOD!

Scent That Tells a Story

We create powerful detergents fused with luxurious fragrances. Each product is designed to deliver a spark of joy, a touch of boldness, and a surge of confidence, all wrapped up in a powerful and EXCEPTIONAL product. We offer a bold tribute to the spirit of renowned fragrance houses. Inspired by iconic French houses like Dior, Mugler, Chanel, and Le Labo, our fragrances are bold, mysterious, hypnotic, and unforgettable olfactory statements. These scents don't just tell a story, they leave a lasting impression.

Imagine a towel scented with deep, earthy patchouli fused with the burning radiance of amber, while fiery pimento berries ignite the composition with spice and warmth. The fragrance is enveloped in the creamy depth of tonka bean and rich guaiac wood, while a touch of styrax adds a smoky elegance.

A Masterfully Crafted Experience

This approach turns the mundane act of grabbing a towel into something memorable. When you first learn how to remove musty smell from towels at the source, you’re essentially creating the perfect blank canvas. It allows these complex, layered scents to finally perform as they were intended, without competing with old odors.

At Active Scent, our lead perfumer and aroma designer masterfully master light and shadow, creating scents that are as enigmatic as they are energetic and refreshing. Inspired by the luxurious complexity of raw materials, we use premium, avant-garde, and sometimes exotic ingredients to olfactorily capture the essence of contemporary individuality. Each fragrance is composed of natural and ethically sourced ingredients, offering a refined and distinguished sensory experience. This is what laundry can—and should—smell like.

Everyday Habits for Permanently Fresh Towels

Stripping your towels is a huge win, but the real art is making sure that musty, damp smell never returns. The secret to permanently fresh towels isn’t some complicated laundry hack—it's all about adopting a few simple, consistent habits that stop mildew before it even has a chance to start.

Honestly, the most important change you can make is letting your towels dry completely after every single use. A damp towel balled up on the floor or stuffed in a hamper is a five-star resort for odor-causing bacteria. Always hang it up on a rack or hook, spread out as much as possible to get maximum air circulation. This one small step is your best defense.

Maintain Your Machine and Master Your Method

Sometimes, the problem isn't the towels—it's the washer itself. Over time, detergent residue and fabric softener gunk can build up in the drum and door seal, creating the perfect damp, smelly environment. That funk then transfers right back onto your "clean" laundry. A regular machine cleaning is non-negotiable.

Beyond the machine, your washing technique makes a huge difference. Stop cramming the washer full; towels need room to tumble and rinse properly. Using the right amount of a high-quality, residue-free detergent is also key. It ensures you’re actually cleaning them, not just coating them in a film that traps moisture and smells.

A clean machine is the foundation of clean laundry. If you suspect your washer is the culprit, our guide on how to remove odors from a washing machine provides a step-by-step solution to eliminate the source of the problem for good.

This isn’t just a personal pet peeve; it's a massive issue for industries like hospitality and fitness where towel demand is soaring. The global cotton towel market was valued at an incredible USD 4.48 billion in 2024 and is expected to climb to USD 7.24 billion by 2032. As more towels are used worldwide, knowing how to care for them properly becomes essential. You can discover more about these market trends on fortunebusinessinsights.com. Staying consistent with these simple habits will truly make all the difference.

Still Have Questions About Getting Rid of Towel Odor?

Even after you’ve nailed the basics, a few specific questions always pop up. It’s completely normal. Let’s tackle some of the most common ones I hear to make sure you get this right, every single time.

How Often Should I Really Be Washing My Towels?

This is the big one. To keep things truly fresh and hygienic, a bath towel should be washed after three uses. That’s the golden rule.

But—and this is a big but—if you live somewhere humid or your bathroom has poor ventilation, that rule changes. If your towel is still damp hours later, don’t wait. Wash it after just two uses to stop mildew before it even thinks about starting.

Does Water Temperature Actually Matter?

People often ask if a cold wash is good enough. For a regular, maintenance clean? Sure, warm water will do the job.

But if you're fighting a stubborn, musty smell that just won't quit, hot water is your best friend. It’s non-negotiable. That high heat is what kills the odor-causing bacteria and finally dissolves the gross, oily buildup that’s trapping those smells in the fibers.

Could My Washing Machine Be the Real Problem?

It’s a thought that crosses everyone’s mind, and the answer is a resounding yes.

Your washing machine can absolutely be the source of the musty smell. Front-loaders are especially notorious for this, with mildew building up in the rubber gasket around the door. That smell transfers directly to your laundry.

The fix is simple: run a cleaning cycle once a month using a machine cleaner or just hot water and vinegar. Even more important? Leave the washer door open after you’re done. Let it breathe. This single habit makes a world of difference.

Will Fabric Softener Make the Smell Worse?

This is where things get interesting. Traditional, waxy fabric softeners are a huge part of the problem. They coat your towel fibers, locking in moisture and bacteria while making them less absorbent over time. It's a recipe for permanent mustiness.

But that’s not the approach we’re taking here.

Our method is about creating a perfectly clean canvas first. Use a high-performance, odorless detergent to strip away every trace of buildup and old smells. Once your towels are truly, deeply clean, then you introduce a luxury scented softener as the final, artful touch. You’re not masking anything; you’re layering a sophisticated fragrance onto pristine fabric.

Active Scent’s fabric softeners, inspired by iconic French fragrance houses, were designed for precisely this moment—to turn a simple towel into a bold, unforgettable statement.

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Ready to transform your entire laundry ritual? Active Scent is the answer. Discover how our powerful, odor-free detergent and luxurious, perfume-inspired softeners can take your towels from musty to magnificent.

Explore the full collection here.