There’s nothing worse than scrubbing yourself clean in the shower and reaching for a towel only to be met with a slightly damp and musty smell coming from it. A type of fungus that thrives in damp and humid environments, mildew is most often the culprit, and it can still linger on towels even if you frequently wash them.
But instead of chucking them out and replacing them with new ones, you can simply add one item to your wash that effectively “fights” mildew. Julia Hunt often shares tips for taking care of the home and keeping it clean on her Instagram account, and in a recent post, she revealed that she uses tea tree oil to help stop towels from smelling musty by removing mildew.
Made by extracting the oil from the leaves of the tea tree, tea tree oil is used in a number of natural products used for cleaning thanks to its natural antibacterial and antifungal properties that fight germs.
While it’s a natural cleaner, it can be harmful if applied directly to skin or ingested, and should be kept out of reach of children and pets.
It’s also best to dilute it before applying it on fabrics, but Julia assures followers that its natural antibacterial properties means it effectively “fights mildew” that’s built up in towels, and you can simply add some to your detergent before throwing them in for a wash.
You can also try adding tea tree oil to a spray bottle with water, and spraying this directly onto towels before washing them as usual, letting it sit for a few minutes to fully absorb.
As mildew thrives in damp and humid environments, it’s always important to let your towels dry completely before folding them up and putting them away.
Julia warned followers that even folding them while they’re still slightly damp can “cause mildew and sour smells”, and if your bathroom isn’t well ventilated, you might want to consider leaving them out to dry elsewhere after having a shower.
To make sure your towels stay fluffy and fresh-smelling for longer, Julia shared a few extra steps that will help you get more out of them.
While tea tree oil removes mildew and nasty scents, she also recommended using less detergent as using too much can reduce their absorbency and make it easier for smells to linger.
Before throwing it in the wash with some tea tree oil, you could also try adding some baking powder, as this will help neutralise odours.
Tea tree oil is readily available at most health shops including Holland and Barret, where it’s sold for £7.99.