How to Remove the Stale Smell Out of Your Towels Before Holiday Guests Arrive
- LemonFresh
- Nov 15
- 3 min read
Holiday hosting season is coming — which means fresh linens, clean bathrooms, and getting that stale smell out of your towels before guests arrive. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to remove the stale smell from your towels using tried-and-true cleaning mixtures our Lemon Fresh family uses in real life.
It’s Not You… It’s the Towels
First, let’s get this right: you are not a dirt magnet.
Your towels aren’t gross because you’re doing something wrong — towels naturally absorb:
body oils
lotions
detergent buildup
hard water minerals
bacteria trapped in the fibres
Over time, it all creates that stale, musty, locker-room smell that just won’t go away, no matter how often you wash.
The good news? A deep clean resets them completely. And you can choose the recipe that matches your cleaning style — eco-friendly, fragrance-free, or powerful and traditional. All tried-and-true recipes used by our Lemon Fresh family.
Borax + Gentle Laundry Soap
Ingredients:
½ cup Borax
A splash (1–2 tbsp) of gentle or vegan laundry soap
Hot water
How to do it:
Fill your bathtub with the hottest water you can get.
Add Borax and your gentle laundry soap — stir to dissolve.
Toss in your towels, face cloths, and dish towels.
Let them soak for 6–8 hours, stirring once every hour.
Drain (brace yourself for the BROWN water and floaties — it’s shocking).
Squeeze out the water and wash as normal with a little Borax + soap.
Dry completely.
Your towels will smell brand new — soft, fresh, deodorized, and fully reset.
Borax + Powdered Tide (For Those Who Love Their Tide)
Ingredients:
½ cup Borax
¼ cup Powdered Tide
Hot water
How to do it:
Fill your bathtub with the hottest water you can get.
Add Borax and your gentle laundry soap — stir to dissolve.
Toss in your towels, face cloths, and dish towels.
Let them soak for 6–8 hours, stirring once every hour.
Drain (brace yourself for the BROWN water and floaties — it’s shocking).
Squeeze out the water and wash as normal with a little Borax + soap.
Dry completely.
This one is perfect for people who swear by Tide and want a deep, powerful deodorizing clean.
White Vinegar + Baking Soda (The Natural Reset)
Ingredients:
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup baking soda
Hot water
Instructions:
Wash your towels on hot with just vinegar — no detergent.
Wash them a second time with just baking soda.
Dry thoroughly.
This removes detergent residue and kills odor naturally.
OxiClean + Hot Water (Brightens + Deodorizes)
Ingredients:
½–1 scoop OxiClean
Hot water
Instructions: Soak your towels for 4–6 hours in hot water + OxiClean, then wash normally. This helps with stains + odor + dinginess, especially for white towels.
Final Care Tips (So You Don’t Have to Remove Smelly Towels Anytime Soon)
✨ Always dry towels completely
✨ Don’t use too much detergent — it causes buildup
✨ Avoid too much softener (it traps smells)
✨ Hang towels fully open after every shower
✨ Do a quick vinegar or Borax wash in the washing machine once a month
Need a Fresh Start All Over Your House?
If you want your home looking (and smelling) its absolute best at anytime of the year, we're here to help!
Whether it’s:
bathrooms
kitchens
floors
baseboards
dusting (including the stuff no one sees but you know is there 😉)
—we’ve got you covered.
Behind every sparkling home is one of our incredible team members — hardworking, detail-focused, and genuinely proud of the work they do.
At Lemon Fresh Cleaning, we’re more than just a service — we’re a team you can trust. From deep cleans to move-outs, we show up with positive attitudes, strong work ethic, and a passion for making homes shine.
We’re proud of the crew we’ve built, and it shows in every clean.
🌎𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠.𝐜𝐚 (to see how we shine✨)
📍Proudly serving Cochrane & Surrounding Areas
📞 (𝟒𝟎𝟑) 909-8330 Message or call us to chat about options for your home
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