How To Remove Mildew Smell From Towels + The Best Mold & Mildew Resistant Towels

If you were to ask people on the street what one item in their house typically smells the most like mold or mildew you likely would get towels as the response 80% of the time. Clothing would come in second.

No one wants their towels to smell like mildew and they certainly don’t want them to grow mold. That mildew smell tends to make its way from the towel into the air and onto your body. Every dry yourself off with a stinky towel and then sniff your arm? Yeah – not a very pleasant scent am I right?

Dr. Mehmet Oz and NSF International, an independent organization that checks product safety, tested 31 towels that had been used for either one, seven or 14 days. Significant amounts of bacteria were present on all of the towels tested, including those used for only one day, and significant yeast microbes were present on more than half of the towels. Mold was present on nearly half of the towels, and some even held significant amounts of E. coli.  

Towels, not unexpectedly, tended to get dirtier the longer they went without washing. NSF concluded that for every seven days a towel was used, the amount of microorganisms almost doubled. Let’s not get started on hand towels. Those are just petri dishes.

Why is this and what can you do about it?

Why Do Towels Get Mold and Mildew?

Would you like to make a guess? Hopefully this is a no-brainer. As you recall, mold and mildew love moisture and towels provide plenty of that!

Most of us shower or take a bath and then hang our towel to dry in the bathroom. Some of us may even make the mistake of throwing the wet towel into the laundry basket or onto the floor. (Don’t Do This Ever!)

When your wet towel hangs around in the bathroom not only does it increase the moisture in the air causing the humidity to rise but it simply doesn’t allow the towel to dry in a reasonable amount of time. You have taken a wet towel, added moisture, and then given it an impossible task of drying quickly. Enter mildew.

Even worse is when the towel ends up in ball on the floor or in a laundry basket. You just completely stripped it of its ability to dry.

If your towel is left damp for more than 12 hours it runs the risk of developing that mildew smell. Leave it for 24 hours? You might get actual mold on the towel.

How Can You Prevent Towels From Getting Moldy?

After bathing, hang your wet towel to dry outside or wash it immediately. Yep – it is as simple as that. There is no other magic trick when it comes to preventing towels from getting mildew or mold.

There are a LOT of ways to prevent bathroom mold however. You will want to check those out. Also, be sure to learn how to get rid of mold in the toilet as well as mold in the shower.

How Can You Remove Mold Or Get The Mildew Smell Out Of Towels?

If your towels have actual mold on them I implore you to just throw them out. There is no reason to risk transferring mold spores to other towels, clothing, or items in your home. Towels are a relatively cheap thing to replace and there is no real benefit to trying to clean moldy towels.

If your towels smell like mildew then you certainly can do a couple of things to get rid of the mildew smell.

Method 1 – Superstratum Everyday Cleaner

I know what you are thinking… I am adding a hypochlorous cleaner to my laundry? Trust me on this one. Not only does Superstratum Everyday Cleaner target and remove biofilm, mold spores, and mycotoxins, it takes out some really funky odors too. It is also very easy to use!

1. Select a heavy duty warm or hot wash cycle with a presoak.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of Everyday Cleaner into the wash basin along with Dirty Labs Laundry Detergent.**
3. Add your towels.
4. Add 1/2 cup of Everyday Cleaner to the bleach compartment.
5. Press start.
6. Dry your towels in the dryer without fabric softener. It is ok to use dryer balls. These are my favorite and they are super cute!

Method 2 –  Remove The Mildew Smell With EC3 Laundry Additive

Why not start with this? In my experience, the EC3 laundry additive is great at killing mold spores (find out how here) and it does a really good job of getting out mildew smells but, it sometimes take 2-3 washings before the smell is out. Having said that, it is good to use EC3 laundry additive in every load of laundry. This helps remove any rogue mold spores and does keep my laundry smelling fresh and feeling soft.

1. Put your smelly towels in the washing machine and add 1 cup of EC3 laundry additive along with Dirty Labs Laundry Detergent**. Under normal conditions you would not add this much EC3 laundry additive to a load of laundry.
2. Wash the towels on high temperature.
3. Dry your towels in the dryer without fabric softener. It is ok to use dryer balls.

** Dirty Labs in combination with the Superstratum Everyday Cleaner OR EC3 laundry additive creates a powerhouse of cleaning.

Method 3 – Citrisafe Remedy Laundry Detergent

If you want an all-in-one option (as opposed to using a laundry additive plus detergent) Remedy Laundry Detergent does take some pretty funky smells out and this is a solid option for getting mildew smells out of towels.

1. Place your moldy towels in the washing machine and allow the basin to fill with warm water.
2. Stop the cycle, add the recommended amount of Remedy and let the towels soak for 30 minutes.
3. Continue cycle.
4. Dry your towels in the dryer without fabric softener. It is ok to use dryer balls.

What if you are worried about mold spores ON your towels because you had mold growth in your bathroom or elsewhere in your house? That’s an entirely different post but you’re in luck! I wrote all about how to remove mold from clothing and fabric so give that a read.

Why Do You Suggest Dryer Balls and Not Fabric Softener?

Read my post about mold in washing machines. In short, mold LOVES fabric softener build up which all washing machines inevitably get. Fabric softener coats your clothes and comes off in the wash. Don’t believe me? Look it up. I assure you this is a thing that happens.

Are There Mold And Mildew Resistant Towels?

Oh yes! I couldn’t imagine life without these. They are a game changer.

There are several different types of mold and mildew resistant towels on the market. Some rely on the type of fabric (think bamboo) while others use patented technology to keep mold and mildew off of towels.

One technology or fabric isn’t necessarily better than the other. The two brands of towels I am recommending work well so really it is a matter of personal preference when it comes to material, size, color, and level of fluffiness.

My Favorite Mold And Mildew Resistant Towels

I put these towels through their paces! They have held up for several years now and have been solid performers!