My bathroom towels smelled like a wet dog that had been napping in a basement. For weeks. I washed them three times with extra detergent. Made it worse, actually—the soap residue trapped more moisture, which trapped more bacteria, which made more smell. I was in a mildew feedback loop and did not know it.

The fix turned out to be cheap and fast. No special products. Here is what finally worked.

Vinegar First, Not Detergent

Put your musty towels in the washer. Do not add detergent. Pour one cup of white vinegar directly into the drum. Run a hot water cycle. Vinegar kills the mildew bacteria and dissolves built-up detergent residue at the same time. Your towels will come out smelling like nothing—which is exactly what you want.

Then Baking Soda

Run a second hot cycle. This time, add half a cup of baking soda to the drum—no detergent, no vinegar. Baking soda neutralizes any remaining acidic vinegar and deodorizes the fabric fibers. After this cycle, your towels should smell completely neutral.

Dry Them Completely—Actually Completely

The root cause of musty towels is moisture hanging around too long. Dry them on high heat until they are bone dry. If you pull a towel out and it feels even slightly damp or cool in the center, it is not done. That residual moisture will restart the bacteria party within hours.

Prevent It From Coming Back

Never leave wet towels in a pile. Hang them spread out, not bunched up. Wash towels every three to four uses max, and leave the washer door open between loads so the drum dries out. A musty washer will make musty towels no matter what you do.

My towels have smelled like nothing for six months now. “Nothing” is the best smell for a towel.