The face cloth I use gets smelly after a month or two, even with regular laundering. I've discovered a method to elimnate the smell. Soak your wash cloth in hot water with a little added white vinegar (no soap). Rinse then soak in hot water with a little.added baking soda (no soap) Rinse. Your wash cloth is now fresh as a daisy.
Smelly Face Cloths
- Thread starter TinyTim
- Start date
Curiosity is killing me. But - with regular laundering - how is it that your face cloth gets smelly? Such that it would warrant a cleaning with vinegar? Again, just curious as I don't think I can ever recall having an issue with a regularly laundered face cloth? Are you using it to clean your razor, blades, etc?
Maybe try beating the cloth on a different rock? (Sorry, couldn't resist).
sometimes I have to work a little harder to get those pesky red swirls and spots out completely
Do you dry them properly? Bacteria need moisture, if the towels/cloths are dry, they shouldn't smell.
- Thread starter
- #7
Beats me. I use the longer face cloths that West Coast Shaving sells and only use them when shaving (no razor cleaning, brush wiping, or other cleaning tasks. I dry them by hanging them up between uses. My guess is that the shave soap is not entirely rinsed out each time, and the cumulative effect is a smelly wash cloth. I'm surprised that no one else reports having this problem.
Do you make sure the face cloth is dried properly after laundering? If not, that might be the reason why it gets smelly.
Just a warning about vinegar and baking soda: make sure you wash them off the cloth properly before using it on your face - otherwise small nicks and cuts will burn like crazy!
Just a warning about vinegar and baking soda: make sure you wash them off the cloth properly before using it on your face - otherwise small nicks and cuts will burn like crazy!
- Thread starter
- #9
Good advice. Thanks.
Wary of venturing too far into "TMI" Land...exactly what is the smell you're experiencing?
I knew that question was coming sooner or later....
I only use face cloths once and then I wash them, which makes them fresh every time.
Folks, if you can't respond respectfully, please don't post. Restrain yourself. It's what we do when we are face to face and it's what we expect even from behind a monitor connected to a cable. thank you.
OP:
The only time I've had sour smelling clothes, towels, whatever out of the washer is when I've left them sitting too long in the washer after they had spun "dry". They aren't really dry so they go "sour". The new side loading washing machines have a similar issue I've read.
I'm not sure if this applies to your case.
What are the towels made from?
-jim
OP:
The only time I've had sour smelling clothes, towels, whatever out of the washer is when I've left them sitting too long in the washer after they had spun "dry". They aren't really dry so they go "sour". The new side loading washing machines have a similar issue I've read.
I'm not sure if this applies to your case.
What are the towels made from?
-jim
Seriously? In revisiting the posts above, I don't see anyone being disrespectful. Most have asked what practices might be utilized which might cause a face towel to smell. But being disrespectful? With all due respect, I disagree.
I believe the offending post was deleted.
The force is strong with this one.
- Thread starter
- #17
Thanks for your comments, Jim. And yes, gentlemen, I use my face cloth on my face only and wash it in the regular laundry. It tends to smell sour over time. The face cloth is long-staple cotton, Egyptian or Pima, from West Coast Shaving.
You might add some bleach to your wash cycle. To one poster's comment about side (front?) loading washers smelling funny...consider the "tub cleaning" cycle if your washer has one.
If only your face cloth smells sour, I'm stumped.
Hopefully it was humor and not meant to be mean.
i'm with you on this one, I know its nothing you are doing wrong and I doubt you smell like a badger - I too wash my face clothes very frequently, but I notice that they can smell sour over time, and I wouldn't call to question my hygiene habits as they are quite good (as evidenced by the fact that SWMBO doesn't complain...) I do use them to wipe up the excess water from the counter after I've finished shaving, and I wonder if that had something to do with it. Anyways, thanks for the tip to de-funk them, I'm going to give it a try.
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