What do people get wrong about washing towels and towel smell?
This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.
"I washed it and it still smells" and "my towels have gone stiff" are complaints heard everywhere. In Japan's hot, humid climate they happen especially easily. This article sorts out a common misunderstanding about fabric softener, and what is known about the bacteria behind the smell (*Moraxella*).
What to base your decision on
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cause of the smell | Skin oil and dead skin that the wash did not remove are broken down by bacteria (*Moraxella* and others) while the towel is damp. This is the main cause of "damp-dry smell" (生乾き臭, namakawaki-shū) |
| Detergent | The stated dose. Too much leaves residue in the fibres, which feeds the bacteria |
| Fabric softener | Coats the fibres, so absorbency and cleaning both drop. If you use it, once every few washes, at the stated dose |
| Temperature | Hot water at 40–60°C (104–140°F) removes bacteria and skin oil more easily (check the care label). A soak in powdered oxygen bleach (酸素系漂白剤, sanso-kei hyōhakuzai) also works |
| Drying | Hang the wash as soon as it finishes (leaving it in the drum lets bacteria multiply). A tumble dryer (60°C or above) reduces bacteria |
| How to hang | Spread out, with air moving through. Shake the towel a few times before hanging to lift the pile |
| When to replace | Smell comes back after washing, no longer absorbs, fraying. A rough guide is 1–2 years (depends on how often it is used) |
- Research by detergent makers has shown that *Moraxella* breaks down skin oil and gives off the substance behind the "old dishcloth smell". It can be reduced by heat of 60°C or above, oxygen bleach, and thorough drying.
- Stiffness comes from the pile (the loops) lying flat and from detergent and skin oil left in the fibres. Softener makes a towel feel soft for a while, but the real fix is washing and rinsing properly.
- Most towel care labels (Japan uses the international JIS L0001 symbols) show a wash tub with a number (40 or 60) and a tumble-dry symbol. If the label says 60, a hot wash is allowed.
[Verify] The explanation of *Moraxella* is based on research published by detergent makers (Kao, Lion and others). Check the care symbols against the Consumer Affairs Agency's "Care labelling" page.
Misunderstanding 1｜Fabric softener makes towels clean
Softener has no cleaning power. Because it lowers absorbency and gets in the way of removing dirt, the guide for towels is once every few washes.
Misunderstanding 2｜More detergent will get rid of the smell
Too much detergent leaves residue after rinsing and makes things worse. The cause is the bacteria left behind, and the answer is heat, bleach and drying.
Misunderstanding 3｜Damp-dry smell goes away once the towel dries
The bacteria stay in the dry towel and smell again as soon as it gets wet. Reset the towel with a soak in oxygen bleach (40–50°C, 30 minutes to 1 hour) or a wash at 60°C.
Misunderstanding 4｜Towels can go in with the rest of the wash
Towels carry a lot of skin oil and dead skin, and can pass bacteria to other clothes. Washing towels together on their own in hot water is a method widely shared among people living in Japan.
Misunderstanding 5｜If the fluffiness will not come back, the towel is finished
Usually the pile is flattened or detergent is left in the fibres. It often comes back if you add a rinse, shake before hanging, or give it a short spell in the dryer. When a towel stops absorbing, it is at the end of its life.
---
Sources
- Consumer Affairs Agency, "Care labelling (from 20 August 2024)" [消費者庁「洗濯表示（令和6年8月20日以降）」]
https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/representation/household_goods/guide/wash_02.html
- Japan Soap and Detergent Association, "Laundry Q&A (damp-dry smell, fabric softener)" [日本石鹸洗剤工業会「洗濯のQ&A」]
https://jsda.org/w/index.html
- Kao consumer research, "The bacteria behind damp-dry smell in laundry (*Moraxella*)" [花王 生活者研究]
https://www.kao.com/jp/
⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.
About this article
What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.
This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.
Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.
Follow the care label and the maker's instructions for any garment, shoe or bag. For expensive or sentimental items, ask a specialist cleaner or repairer.
Sources
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