How to Clean Towels Properly | Stop Stiff & Smelly Towels

For the full breakdown, see our best Cleaning Towels guide.

Towels that come out stiff, smell musty, or barely absorb water are almost always the victim of routine laundry mistakes. The fix isn’t a special product — it’s a few specific changes to how you wash and dry them. Here is the straightforward method that keeps towels fluffy, absorbent, and fresh through dozens of wash cycles.

Washing Towels: Water Temperature and Cycle Settings

Wash towels in the warmest water temperature that the care label on each towel permits. Most cotton bath towels handle warm water on a regular cycle without trouble. White towels can take a hot water setting, which helps keep them bright. Martha Stewart’s laundry guidance recommends hot water for white loads, while colored towels should stay in warm water to prevent fading.

Wash towels separately from clothing and bed linens. Towels shed lint during the wash, and colors from other garments can bleed onto light-colored towels. For a truly clean load, keep the cycle dedicated to towels only.

The Right Detergent Amount and What to Skip

Use the standard amount of detergent recommended on the bottle — using too much leaves residue that makes towels feel stiff and look dingy. Two additives change the outcome significantly:

• No fabric softener. Fabric softener coats cotton fibers with a waxy film that repels water. Over time, this is the single biggest reason towels stop absorbing. Skip it every time.
• White vinegar in the rinse cycle. Adding ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle every few washes helps strip detergent residue and brightens whites, per Martha Stewart. Do not use vinegar if your washer manual explicitly prohibits it.

Bleaching is safe only on white towels that are labeled bleach-safe. For colored towels, use oxygen bleach or color-safe bleach if disinfecting is the goal.

Drying Towels: Heat, Timing, and Airflow

Towels must be fully dry before folding or storing — any lingering moisture invites mildew and that sour smell. The New York Times Wirecutter guide recommends tumbling towels on low heat and removing them from the dryer as soon as they are dry. Shake each towel out before it goes in to separate the fibers, which improves fluffiness.

Air drying on a clothesline works well and saves energy. If you combine methods — line dry until damp, then finish in the dryer — they come out softer than line drying alone. In storage, keep towels in a cabinet or linen closet to block dust.

Between washes, hang each towel fully stretched out on a bar, not bunched on a hook. Hooks trap moisture deep in the folds; a bar lets air circulate and keeps the towel dry until the next use.

How Often Should You Wash Towels?

Change bath towels at least once a week. Many households wash them after every two to three uses, and hand towels every two days or so. The important rule is never to toss a damp towel into the hamper — let it dry fully open first, or wash it immediately to prevent mildew from setting in while it waits.