How to Wash Towels So They Stay Fluffy and Absorbent

Plus, learn how to banish musty odors for good.

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Updated on June 27, 2024

Caring for your towels seems simple enough. Just toss them in the wash and you're good to go, right? As it turns out, there's a bit more to it than that. For example, you need to consider fabric type and whether you're cleaning white or dark towels, which call for different temperature settings and ingredients.

To help you wash your towels the right way, we asked laundry and cleaning experts for their best tips. From washing and drying to folding, they shared how to maintain these essentials so they stay fluffy and absorbent for years to come—and also explained how to tackle musty odors and stubborn stains.

Maria Mooney, cleaning expert and brand director of Truly Free, a company that makes non-toxic cleaning products
The team from Garnet Hill, a home textile company

How to Wash Towels

Most towels should be washed in warm water in a regular cycle, but read the tag to be sure. "If the label stresses that you should separate your dark colors from your white colors, you better do that," says the team from Garnet Hill, a home textile company. "And each towel could differ depending on the fibers."

Speaking of those fibers: To avoid getting lint all over your clothes, wash towels separately from your garments.

Be sure to wash your towels before you use them; this will open up the fibers, says the team from Garnet Hill. "If the fibers aren't open, they won't be as absorbent," they say. New towels are also often coated in fabric softeners so they're nice and plush for shoppers—but these ingredients prevent towels from soaking up water. To get rid of that buildup, add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle during the initial wash.

Materials You'll Need

Color-safe bleach for colorful towels
Gentle laundry detergent
White vinegar
Non-chlorine bleach for white towels
Washing machine

How to Wash Colorful Towels

Use a cool to warm water setting (about 40 degrees Fahrenheit) when washing your dark-colored towels, says Maria Mooney, cleaning expert and brand director of Truly Free. This will help preserve the colors but still eliminate bacteria.
Add your detergent to your washing machine.
If you choose, add a color-safe bleach to remove strong stains without damaging the towels.
For an extra brightness boost, use half the recommended amount of detergent while washing and add 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar to the water during the rinse cycle, says Mooney.

It's best to wash colorful towels with similar shades to prevent bleeding, at least for the first few washes.

Never mix bleach and vinegar. On their own, bleach and vinegar are two effective household cleaning supplies, but they should never be used in tandem. Mixing the two together results in the formation of chlorine gas, which is best to avoid.

How to Wash White Towels

Use a hot water setting when washing white towels—it helps to maintain their brightness.
Add the recommended amount of detergent (follow the manufacturer's instructions) and a non-chlorine bleach with a natural fabric brightener to the washing machine, like Truly Free's OxyBoost, which contains sodium percarbonate, a technical-grade oxygen boost.

Be sure to avoid overloading your machine with towels when you wash them. This will not only prevent them from getting clean, but it could also damage your washing machine's drum and decrease its efficiency, says Mooney. As a result, your towels may inevitably need another wash to remove stains and odors.

In general, skip fabric softeners and dryer sheets when washing and drying bath towels to ensure they remain as absorbent as possible over time.

How Often to Wash Your Towels

The team at Garnet Hill suggests washing towels after every three or four uses—but frequency also comes down to personal preference, they add.

How to Get Smells and Stains Out of Towels

White vinegar is an all-natural towel stain remover—and it can eliminate that musty towel smell, too. To use this ingredient to your benefit, follow Mooney's advice: "Soak items in distilled white vinegar for three minutes before adding them to your washing machine," she says. Better yet, a vinegar soak will also make them feel soft and fresh once they are dry.

How to Dry Towels

"Always dry towels immediately after washing them," says Mooney. "If you leave your towels in the washer or lying around damp, they'll likely get a mildew smell, and you don't want that." After running your towels through the washing machine, follow these expert tips to dry them.

Remove your towels from the washing machine, shake them, and tumble dry on medium heat in the dryer.
Once dry, remove immediately (inhale that fresh scent!) and fold.
To avoid a musty smell, ensure your towels are completely dry before folding and storing.
If you're considering line drying your towels, be prepared for a not-so-soft result—line drying makes towel fibers stiff and scratchy.
To avoid wrinkled towels, pull them out of the dryer as soon as they are 100 percent dry and fold.

How to Fold Towels

Once you've dried your towels, it's time to put them away. If you plan on displaying them in your bathroom, follow Martha's tip, which she shared on her TV show in April 2008: "Fold towels so that the edges are hidden and the towels look fluffy and neat," she said. "Fold the towel in thirds lengthwise, and then hang it over a rod."

If you're planning on putting towels in your linen closet, follow these steps for folding your towels.

Fold the towels in half lengthwise.
Then, fold down one-third from the top.
Continue folding that portion onto the bottom third to form a rectangle.
Then, tuck them away in a dry storage area to prevent moisture buildup.

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