Have you had trouble with stinky microfiber towels?

[negativitysucks]

If you add borax to your wash water, it will take out any residue of anything from your towels, like fabric softener, starch, sizing, etc.
To avoid fabric softener, you can add baking soda in the wash water and/or vinegar in the rinse water for the best results. Or buy a natural fabric softener with a soy base instead of the chemical base. If it's scented, it's likely a chemical base.
Front loaders smell because the door closes tightly and moisture doesn't evaporate like in a top loader. I solved this problem by making my bleach load the last load I wash on laundry day and leaving the door open slightly afterward for a day and that keeps residual odor away and not to deposit on the next load that goes in. I also owned a coin laundry and the front loaders never had this problem because they were used all the time and never allowed to ferment.
And another laundry hint. Liquid laundry detergent works best on food and oil type soiling while powdered works best on dirt and grass. If you only buy one kind of detergent, buy liquid and add borax when washing something that would require a powder.
I have a front loader, sparkling whites, bright colors, absorbent towels, no funky odors, and only do laundry once a week. This includes dog beds and gym clothes so I know I'm doing something right

 

[princessmeshelle]

even though it is an old thread, it's got some good tips! now i wanna go get me 100 gallons of vinegar and some of those dryer balls!

 

[AnnieBee]

If you add borax to your wash water, it will take out any residue of anything from your towels, like fabric softener, starch, sizing, etc.
To avoid fabric softener, you can add baking soda in the wash water and/or vinegar in the rinse water for the best results. Or buy a natural fabric softener with a soy base instead of the chemical base. If it's scented, it's likely a chemical base.
Front loaders smell because the door closes tightly and moisture doesn't evaporate like in a top loader. I solved this problem by making my bleach load the last load I wash on laundry day and leaving the door open slightly afterward for a day and that keeps residual odor away and not to deposit on the next load that goes in. I also owned a coin laundry and the front loaders never had this problem because they were used all the time and never allowed to ferment.
And another laundry hint. Liquid laundry detergent works best on food and oil type soiling while powdered works best on dirt and grass. If you only buy one kind of detergent, buy liquid and add borax when washing something that would require a powder.
I have a front loader, sparkling whites, bright colors, absorbent towels, no funky odors, and only do laundry once a week. This includes dog beds and gym clothes so I know I'm doing something right

This is great info! As is the whole thread. I have a front loader that I LOVE, and I have also always left the door open to air it.

But I have learned so much about borax and vinegar too!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Off topic - where had JenniferLynne been?

 

[kam]

Just reading the whole thread, I don't get the Dawn Soap thing.

What am I missing? I use it for my dishes and not laundry? Hopefully anything that I dry with my dish towels is already rinsed free of the soap...

How does Dawn stink up the laundry?

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Just reading the whole thread, I don't get the Dawn Soap thing.

What am I missing? I use it for my dishes and not laundry? Hopefully anything that I dry with my dish towels is already rinsed free of the soap...

How does Dawn stink up the laundry?

Using the microfiber dishclothes (not the towels) for washing dishes, and wiping up in the kitchen.

I've found that by boiling them in a pot of water w/ vinegar, I get rid of the smells, and it also makes them nice and soft again.

 

[byrd1956]

WE have potty mouths? lol. I do believe you're the one that was thinking that. lol
I MF my husband all the time (in my head) lol. QUOTE]

try vinegar!!!

My DH used vinegar to rinse his hair when we were dating; he swore that it made it softer.....
I have used it for a terrible sunburn and it definately takes away the sting....as long as you don't mind smelling like a walking salad!

 

[kam]

Using the microfiber dishclothes (not the towels) for washing dishes, and wiping up in the kitchen.

I've found that by boiling them in a pot of water w/ vinegar, I get rid of the smells, and it also makes them nice and soft again.

AH! Thanks for explaining that!

I thought you weren't supposed to use soap on Microfiber??

 

[baychef]

If you have hard water (not water with rocks in it but minerals!) white vinegar is wonderful to use with humidifiers and dishwashers too.

Love the MF ing your husbands...I sure it can apply to children too!!

My MF boyfriend wads up the dish cloth and leaves it on the sink. And I have explained the "why" of not doing it, etc. He is not trainable, however!!! SO I must admit that I too have MF'd him several times too!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

AH! Thanks for explaining that!

I thought you weren't supposed to use soap on Microfiber??

It's not that you can't - it's that it's not always necessary...like when washing windows, etc....

BUT I have found that it can be hard to get all of the soap out, which is why boiling them with a little bit of vinegar helps!

 

[Get_Pampered]

I vote for the vinegar too - use it ALL the time, and I mean ALL the time. It is a great natural fabric softener too.

Me too!! The stuff is amazing...and don't worry about all your stuff smelling like vinegar. There is no scent whatsoever once the stuff dries.

 

[Grandmarita]

This is a marvelous thread. My daughter-in-law told me this past summer that the lime green microfiber she had was stinky. I did not offer to replace it at the time because I was quick to believe the 3 boys in the family were to blame. At Christmas, I sent her a new set and have not heard any complaints. Now, at least, if I do, I will have a remedy for her to try. Thanks all you vinegar using folks for the numerous hints.

 

[KellyTheChef]

Just reading the whole thread, I don't get the Dawn Soap thing.

What am I missing? I use it for my dishes and not laundry? Hopefully anything that I dry with my dish towels is already rinsed free of the soap...

How does Dawn stink up the laundry?

Becky is right...I meant don't use Dawn soap when you are hand washing dishes and using your smaller MF cloths in the kitchen. Not sure if it just doesn't all rinse out as easily as Palmolive...or if it has different chemicals or what, but mine still don't stink and I switched to Palmolive well over a year ago.

 

[lauriesdoor]

"Love the MF ing your husbands...I sure it can apply to children too!!My MF boyfriend wads up the dish cloth and leaves it on the sink. And I have explained the "why" of not doing it, etc. He is not trainable, however!!! SO I must admit that I too have MF'd him several times too!![/QUOTE]"Thanks for that - my DH always leaves the sponge in the sink, sopping wet, as does his mother with her dish rag - she also folds up a wet dishtowel to keep things neat - and for some reason, they don't notice that horrible musty odor! I'm not the greatest housekeeper (clutter issues), but every time she's here I have to re-wash the dishes. Not sure if she's in such a rush, thinks my dishes aren;t worth cleaning well or her eyesight is really failing that badly!Sorry - hadn't meant to vent like that.

 

[vonfirmath]

This sounds very similar to what happens with microfiber inserts for cloth diapers -- after a time, they start to stink when barely wet at all.

One thing that is often suggested is to strip them (put Dawn in a laundry wash load) and then rinse, rinse, rinse. Because the problem has to do with not all the soap coming out in the wash.

 

[deanna_g]

This sounds very similar to what happens with microfiber inserts for cloth diapers -- after a time, they start to stink when barely wet at all.

One thing that is often suggested is to strip them (put Dawn in a laundry wash load) and then rinse, rinse, rinse. Because the problem has to do with not all the soap coming out in the wash.

Holy CROW! A fellow cloth diapering mama!!!! I use MF inserts in my dipes, too! (-: We're pockets users. I often rinse with vinegar. I've been using ours for 14.5 months and have only stripped them once. I try to strip them in my mom's top loader (I have a front loader) with hot water and a stock pot of boiling water poured on top. You should see the suds that come out of them!!!

Sorry for the OT post!