How to Wash Towels & Keep them Soft

How to Get the Musty Smell Out of Towels

Ever pulled your towels out of the dryer, held them up to your face, and found that they still smell musty, even after washing? Or stepped out of the shower to grab your towel and gotten a whiff of that mildew smell as you wrap it around you? You’re not alone. Smelly, musty towels are a common laundry problem.

That’s why ARM & HAMMER™ developed the Odor Blasters Fresh Burst™ formula. It’s specially formulated to counter common odors that can get trapped in clothing, including sweat, body odor, musty mildew odor, and damp clothes smell.

How does Odor Blasters work? Odor Blasters helps vanquish dirt and odors using the power of OxiClean™ stain fighters and ARM & HAMMER™ freshness to target musty-towel smells at their source.

Use ARM & HAMMER™ plus OxiClean™ Odor Blasters Fresh Burst™ and try these other tips for washing towels that will help the detergent remove dirt, oils, and odors.

What is the Best Temperature & Setting to Wash Towels?

You probably wash most clothes on warm or cool to save energy or extend their life, but towels are a notable exception. To help get odor out of towels, it’s best to wash them separately and using hot water.

Towels are thick and have many fibers to absorb water, dirt and residue in their everyday use. Hot water penetrates the fibers best and helps your detergent do its job. Check the label on your towels to see what temperature is recommended and use the hottest water allowed. Remember that if you have hard water, you may need to use additional detergent to get your towels clean.

Choose a cycle on your washing machine with an extra rinse when you are washing towels. Think, absorbent fabrics like towels can retain more detergent residue than other fabrics, so an additional rinse cycle helps ensure all of the soap, dirt and oil particles are washed away.

Basic Tips for Washing Towels to Help Remove Odors:

1. Wash towels separately in hot water.
2. Use a laundry detergent formulated to remove musty odors, such as ARM & HAMMER™ plus OxiClean™ Odor Blasters Fresh Burst.™
3. Use the correct amount and type of detergent for your machine.
4. Adjust your detergent amount for heavily soiled towels or if you have hard water.
5. Use an extra rinse cycle to ensure all detergent is rinsed from the towels.
6. Do not leave wet towels in your washer or dryer. Immediately move towels to the dryer after the washer stops and make sure to set enough time to dry or use an auto-sensing dry cycle to ensure towels are dried completely.
7. Wash towels every 3-4 days and at least once per week.
8. Wash new towels before using to remove the silicone coating they have in stores, which reduces absorbency.
9. Limit your fabric softener use to once or twice per month as it can create a waxy buildup on towels and reduce their absorbency.

Smelly, Musty Towels are No Match for Odor Blasters

Revive your towels and help get rid of the smelly, musty odor with ARM & HAMMER™ plus OxiClean™ Odor Blasters Fresh Burst™ laundry detergent. Continue washing your towels with Odor Blasters to help keep them smelling fresh.

Now you can go enjoy a luxurious bath and know that your towels will be clean and fresh-smelling when you emerge. Take that, musty odor and mildew smells!