What Is That Smell?

Our hints and tips this week deals with one of the least talked about problems in the home, bathroom odors. No, not those odors. We are talking about that sour smelling odor. We go sniffing around looking for the culprit only to discover it is those darn washcloths again. We did research; and found many different reasons for that sour smell including improper washing, overloading the washing machine, washing diapers with washcloths, and many others that allow bacteria to grow. Rather than focus on the cause, we wanted to find the dos and don’ts to eliminate the problem.


Don’t wash diapers with your towels and washcloths. The bacteria in diapers including E. coli are tough to kill; and require special washing. Don’t overload the washing machine; or use too low of a water setting. Both of these conditions tend not to clean your laundry properly. Don’t leave washcloths in a heap after bathing. A wet washcloth, especially left in a heap, creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.




A folded washcloth is a
breeding ground for bacteria!

  So, say you have done all of this and still have a problem? Of course you do; and so did we until we found out the reason why. Not only did we find the reason why; but we found a quick and easy solution. We don’t have babies; so it was not a diaper problem. We were doing proper washing machine loading and water levels. We hang up our washcloths and don’t leave them in a heap. So what was going on? As it turns out, the way you hang up your washcloth, is the solution! Here is what we did to end sour smelling washcloths.

Do wring out your washcloth after using. Don’t fold your washcloth and drape over a bar or hang from a hook. In fact we found even not folding, then draping your wash cloth over a bar still made for a sour smell. The tip here was to find a way that air could circulate around both sides of the wash cloth for a faster drying time eliminating the chance for bacteria to grow. So, what was the trick? What can we use to let the air circulate around the washcloth? We new it was impractical to put our washcloths in the dryer after we used them; and hanging a clothes line in the shower was just plain crazy.



Holes in the soap dish allow air
to flow under the washcloth.

 Like most inventions and ideas, we happened upon the solution by accident. We had an extra suction cup soap holder in the shower stall. After wringing out the washcloth we let it drape across the soap dish; and let the washcloth hang down. One other thing we did to improve on the idea was to place the soap dish toward the top of the shower stall on the opposite wall of the shower head. Moving the washcloth higher away from excess moisture; and providing better air circulation stopped the bacteria from forming thus eliminating that sour smell in the bathroom.



Good bye sour smelling washcloths!

 In conclusion: wash your towels and washcloths with the proper amount of detergent, correct water levels and load size. Don’t wash diapers with your regular laundry. Don’t leave a washcloth in a heap; and don’t drape over a rod or hang on a hook. Do wring out your washcloth well. Do drape over a soap dish or other like item so air can circulate freely around the washcloth. Do wash your washcloths and towels on a regular basis. Hubcaps and Gravy hopes these hints and tips work just as well for you as they did for us!