To maintain a fresh smell in a linen closet Justine advises, “Leave a box of soap, scented candle or handkerchief sprayed with essential oil on each shelf. If you prefer unscented, a slightly open box of bi-carb of soda will also do the trick.”
Damp clothing and dirty clothing that is packed together without proper airflow are breeding grounds for nasty-smelling bacteria, mildew or mold —all of which can contribute to bad odors that linger after the wash. To combat this, make sure your dirty clothes are dry before tossing them in a basket.
Despite our best efforts to keep them clean, towels often develop a less-than-fresh smell. One of the main causes of this is detergent build-up. Over time, soap residue accumulates in the fibres of the towels, stopping them from absorbing as much water as possible, and from drying as well as they could.
Let Linens Breathe
Give linens room to breathe and you'll find they stay fresher, longer. Line linen shelves with scented paper to help freshen the air, or tuck dryer sheets between towels and sheet sets. Sachets and small bowls of potpourri also may be added to your linen shelves to freshen the air.
Adding ½ cup of baking soda in your laundry is a great way to maintain your towels, linens, and sheets.
Fill a sink or bucket with hot water. Add 1 cup of vinegar and a tablespoon or so of dish soap to the water. Put your sheets in the water, and use your hands to swish the sheets around a bit. You just want to make sure they're completely saturated while they're soaking.
Washing towels with vinegar and baking soda can bring them back to life in just three steps: Wash towels in hot water and one cup vinegar. Don't add any detergent. Wash the towels a second time (without drying them) in hot water and one cup baking soda.
Clean towels with detergent and a splash of distilled white vinegar. (Note: Never mix vinegar and bleach, as this combination creates a dangerous chemical reaction.) Put them in the dryer immediately after the wash cycle ends. Shake each towel out on the way from the washer to the dryer.
Hotels use special cleaners and large capacity washers and dryers to make their sheets and towels extra clean. They also have detergents not available commercially. And we can't forget they iron sheets with an industrial iron. All those factor in to what makes your sheets and towels smell so good!
The main culprits are moisture, warmth, and lack of air circulation. This explains why your linens may start to smell after a few weeks of sitting in a damp area or being stored in an enclosed space like a linen closet.
If a towel continues to have a smell, it means that bacteria are still in your machine or on your towel. Run the washing machine again with bleach, or wash the towel a second time to remove the stubborn bacteria.
Do your bath towels smell musty? Bad news: that sour odor you smell when drying off from your shower is caused by microbes in your towels. Every time you use a towel, you transfer bacteria, viruses and dead skin cells (which are food for microbes) from your skin onto the towel.
Washing Towels with Vinegar
Use about half the recommended amount of detergent while washing and add ½ to 1 cup of white vinegar to the water during the rinse cycle. The vinegar helps set the colors and removes excess detergent residue.
The Watch-outs of Adding Vinegar and Baking Soda to Your Laundry. Although vinegar and baking soda are safe to use in both regular and HE washing machines, they are considerably less efficient than high-performance laundry detergents at delivering an outstanding and odorless clean.
Don't mix baking soda and vinegar.
If you do, it will cause a chemical reaction that will cancel both products' effects. It will result in creating carbon dioxide that is ineffective at cleaning and deodorizing clothes.
Why Vinegar and Baking Soda? Baking soda and vinegar both strip residue from fibers in the towels and vinegar is a natural fabric softener. This makes them ideal for getting the smells OUT!
Use a lavender and water spray to refresh your bedding and help with a good night's sleep. Simply combine 60ml distilled water and 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil in an empty spray bottle.
1. Baking Soda. Baking soda has been a trusty household staple for decades—and for good reason. Not only does baking soda regulate the PH levels of water, it also brightens and deodorizes, making it the perfect cleaning agent for clothing, bedding and towels.
If you don't use a scented detergent, a lightly perfumed fabric softener will help keep your sheets lightly fragranced. You can also try using fabric sprays to freshen your sheets in-between washes – perfect for a midweek freshen-up of your bedding.