People tend to keep their bath towel past its lifespan without noticing it’s time to replace it. Once a bath towel has reached its end, it will have less absorbancy and will be more difficult to clean properly and remain fresh. While replacement frequency is important, so is choosing the right towel and washing and caring for it correctly.
Bath towels should be replaced every 1 – 3 years. They should be washed every 3 days in hot water at 40° using your regular detergent with no fabric softener used. Always hang your towel to dry after use and don’t leave it on the floor to pick up bacteria or in a bag as it will produce a musty smell.
While purchasing good quality towels and caring for them may extend their lifespan, after repeated use and washing, a towel will lose its ability to stay fresh and will need to be replaced especially if you use the towel daily or multiple times per day.
Why can’t I get my bath towel to smell fresh after washing it?
As your bath towel gets older with use, it will be more difficult to get it as clean as it was when it was new. Over time the more you use and wash it, the towel fibers will lose their ability to absorb water, will fray and get closer to the end of its lifespan.
Plus your washing, drying and caring habits will impact how long your towels last and how effective they are at properly getting clean when they are washed.
This can be a particular problem for men since they tend to sweat sooner and with more volume than women. Men’s towels particularly can often smell bad as as result.
Keep in mind:
- The more detergent you use, the more likely it won’t wash out completely and can remain deep in the towel fibers, which can impact the smell and cleanliness. Be careful not to use too much detergent especially if you have a front load and/or High Efficiency washer.
- If you use fabric softener or dryer sheets, it can leave a film on the towels which can impact the absorbancy and your ability to get the towels clean. Avoid using either product with any towels.
- If you leave towels on the floor in a pile to dry, they can not only pick up floor bacteria but also not get completely dry which will cause the towels to smell musty. Always hang towels to dry or tumble them right away after washing.
If you leave your towel in a bag or on the floor where it can’t dry properly, this can also contribute to an old, musty smell.
Should I use fabric softener with bath towels?
Using fabric softener when washing bath towels is not recommended and can actually make them more difficult to wash and get clean. While fabric softener makes clothes smell nice after being washed, it leaves a waxy film on the towel fibers which can make the towel less able to absorb water when you’re using it to dry yourself.
The value of a bath towel is measured by its ability to dry you quickly, not rip or fray and that’s about it. If you’ve ever bought cheap towels you know how quickly they can fall apart after several uses. After even one use, you may also realize they aren’t very good at absorbing water and drying you off either.
Instead of using fabric softener, consider washing your bath towels with the following two-step method:
- Wash the towels in hot water and up to 1 cup of vinegar per load
- Wash the towels a second time in hot water and 1 cup of baking soda
Then air or tumble dry the towels right after washing is done.
Tips to keep your towels smelling fresh
While you will eventually have to replace your bath towels, there are some things you can do to keep them fresh and clean and possibly extend their lifespan.
- Wash towels in hot, 40° water with your regular detergent.
- Wash bath towels every 3 days especially if you shower daily.
- Wash bath towels separately from floor mats i.e. don’t mix them in the same load. Any mats that sit on the floor tend to hold a great deal of bacteria which you might pass onto other towels.
- Consider washing your bath towels with baking soda and vinegar as described above to kill bacteria and sanitize them.
- Don’t use fabric softener or fabric sheets as they can leave a chemical film on the towel fibers which reduces the towel’s absorbancy.
- Hang towels to air dry or tumble dry them immediately after washing is done.
Once you notice that your towel smells bad regularly after 1-2 days of use, it might be time to replace it.
Discarding your old bath towels when they are replaced
You might have difficulty throwing out your old bath towels if on the one hand you know they should be replaced but on the other hand think that they look like they still have some life in them.
The good news is that you don’t have to throw out old bath towels when it’s time to replace them. Instead, you can:
- Use them in a pool or at the beach when required.
- Mop up spills or to wipe floors.
- Dry your pets after bathing them.
- Use them as rags for cleaning up around the house.
- Donate them to an animal shelter for them to use.
But when you find that the bad smell returns a day or so after washing your towel, it’s probably time to replace it.
And if you still don’t want to discard your towel when necessary, remember that your old towel harbors dead skin, bacteria, fecal matter, hair and anything else your body had on it when you dried yourself with it.