My towels smell so much better since I made a minimalist laundry change – there’s no mustiness, follow my rule of thumb
IF your towels come out of the machine smelling musty, a simple trick may help.
One woman showed her followers the cleaning rule she swears by for fresh-smelling laundry.
In her viral video, Jess (@jess_loves_2save) revealed the products she uses in her routine, and fabric softener was not among them.
She advised her audience to avoid using everything in the laundry aisle as too many items can damage your clothes and towels.
According to Jess, she reduced the number of items in her process and noticed her towels smelled “so much better.”
The laundry pro told her audience she noticed her detergent often became trapped in the tray, preventing her laundry from being cleaned properly.
As a result, she now adds half a scoop of OxiClean and two tablespoons of detergent directly into the drum.
Jess also carefully places her items into the drum to ensure the best cleaning.
She left the center of the machine clear, forming a “donut” of towels around it.
For her “rule of thumb,” she recommended filling “no more than two-thirds of the drum.”
“You need this opening so the clothes or towels have room to get clean,” she explained.
After loosely packing the towels, she used a quarter cup of white vinegar to sanitize them.
Jess advised her audience to place this in the fabric softener tray as it is only required during the rinse cycle.
Laundry experts at Weezie Towels backed up Jess’ machine loading tip.
They listed overloading your washing machine as one of the main reasons why your towels may be smelling musty after cleaning.
“Although it might be tempting to squeeze all the laundry in one load, an overcrowded washing machine can prevent your towels from being thoroughly cleaned and rinsed,” they said.
The professionals explained this mistake may be “leaving behind traces of mildew smell.”
Keep towels smelling fresh with these tips
Fresh Clean Laundromat has shared their useful tips to keep towels smelling fresh and fragrant and odor-free.
- Always hang towels up to dry after using them.
- Make sure towels are completely dry when they come out of the dryer.
- Do not fold and put away damp towels.
- Avoid using fabric softener on towels.
- Instead, add white vinegar to prevent build-up.
- Avoid using too much laundry detergent when washing towels
- Make sure you are measuring accurately, as build-up on the towels can begin to smell.
Source: Fresh Clean Laundromat
TikTok users shared their thoughts on Jess’ process in the comments section.
“I use OxiClean and Tide, that’s it. No fabric softener on my towels,” wrote one viewer.
“I never use softener or scent beads with bath towels. I also wash them in hot water,” said another follower.
“I learned in college to never overload, even if it meant paying for another load. And no fabric softener for any towels is a given,” commented a third person.
“I quit using fabric softener and started using less detergent and my clothes and towels are so much cleaner!” said another TikToker.
“I read that the pores of the clothing get clogged if you use too many products.”
