WFMW: stinky towel solution

Ever had towels with that funky smell, even when they're freshly laundered? Yeah, me too. My kitchen dish cloths get that way sometimes, and more recently, the kids' bath towels seem to get that funky smell when they leave them on the floor. Yuck.

I tried all kinds of things-- hot water, bleach, soaking cycles,OxiClean-- and nothing seemed to make a difference. The towels would look clean, but the musty odor prevailed.

It turned out that the solution was right in my pantry. One day I stumbled across a tip online somewhere to use plain white vinegar instead of fabric softener. I just poured it in the fabric softener dispenser and washed the load as usual (no fabric softener). Since then, I've tried it several times with towels, and once with a load of funky-smelling dark clothes that someone (cough, cough) left in the washer overnight on a hot summer day. No odors, no funk- it's great!

Using vinegar to get rid of laundry funk definitely works for me... see what works for other folks and share your own tips at Works for Me Wednesday!