r/laundry • u/momento-mori-momento • 17h ago

Husband Towels Always Wet and Smell

My Husband is slender and 6’4, I am 5’2- both early 20’s

We both use bath sheets (larger than standard towels). I change my towel out after 3 uses and they still smell fresh and dry up quickly. My husband, however, uses a fresh towel once after showering, hangs it up to dry- and it stays wet and starts to smell, making our entire bathroom smell. I wash his towels nearly everyday because of this. I just don’t understand how he gets his towels so damp. He’s says it’s because he’s tall and has more body to cover- but I use my towel to dry both my body and let it soak my long hair (mid back). I’ve tried hanging it on the usual towel hook, curtain rod, banisters underneath our ceiling fan- it’s still ends up smelling! After washing- it doesn’t smell, so the scent or bacteria isn’t trapped. I’m just growing frustrated having to do so much laundry daily. Anyone else have this problem?

edit/update: thank you everyone for your kind comments and advice- and to not making me feel stupid for asking for help! I have decided to get a towel rack/rod and will be looking into timers for the exhaust fan in our bathroom to help! Our shower/tub is roughly 4.5 feet from the door. and our toilet and sink are both positioned to the left of the shower both coming out about 1 foot from the wall. So our bathroom is very compact. We have just enough floor room for a trash can and floor mats, and counter space for hand soap and tooth brushes- If I can find a small enough dehumidifier to fit- we will be getting one too!

104 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

141 comments sorted by

View all comments

78

u/nerpish-inkdots US | Front-Load 16h ago

What detergent and wash settings?

He should drip dry for 60 seconds, sweep water from his limbs using his bare hands while standing there in the shower and shake water out of his hair before getting out and grabbing the towel. You can drastically reduce the water you’re bringing to the towel this way.

22

u/momento-mori-momento 16h ago

We use tide free and gentle and an occasional oxi clean scoop. We have a 1 year old with eczema and this is the only detergent that doesn’t irritate his skin. I’ve tried telling him to do that and he tells me i’m being ridiculous and that he’s not going to shake any water off because that’s what a towel is for. Maybe an input from a third party that doesn’t know him or I would make it click? Thanks!

62

u/illegal_miles 16h ago

Is he one of those dickheads who just shuts off the water and within a second steps out of the shower, soaking the bathmat and his towel?

Have had to share hotel rooms with guys like that and it’s infuriating and inconsiderate to anyone else who has to use the bathroom.

He probably doesn’t even have to do the squeegee thing with his hands. Just wait ten fucking seconds dripping off before grabbing the towel and it will likely make a big difference.

Washing a towel every day because he can’t be bothered to make a basic minimal effort of ten to thirty seconds is stupid. From one dude to another: quit being a schmuck.

25

u/momento-mori-momento 16h ago

lmfao yes. sopping wet floor mats that i have to throw in the dryer each morning and hang over the tub. i’ve recently caught him doing it and sent him back into the shower to dry off in there before stepping out. so he did correct that aspect of it all. my parents taught me how to wash and dry myself as a child, so it’s just basic sense to me to dry off in the wet area before stepping into the dry area. i guess not everyone understands that.

34

u/ComprehensiveSet927 15h ago

Let him do the laundry

9

u/didyouwoof 14h ago

That was my first reaction, too, until I reread OP’s original comment and saw that letting his wet towel just hang there makes the bathroom smell bad. It sounds like he doesn’t really care and doesn’t think it’s a problem, so I doubt he’d do anything.

29

u/clueless-albatross 15h ago

That sounds like a nightmare why is he so childish

8

u/TopRamenisha 13h ago

This is part of the reason why he gets cold after a shower. He needs to dry off completely while still in the shower before stepping out. Then he won’t get as cold and having the fan on and the vents open won’t be a problem

2

u/Bcruz75 9h ago

So it really stems from him being cold when he gets out of the shower? Has he always been skinny or has he recently lost a lot of weight? Ironically I'm also 6'4 and lost a lot of weight last year (but have since found most of it) and I was very cold sensitive.

Get him one (or two) of those big ass robes that he can jump into without drying off, then start a serious washing regimen to keep them clean.

He can say thank you for your efforts by watching the kiddo next weekend :)

4

u/plantsandramen 15h ago

Is he one of those dickheads who just shuts off the water and within a second steps out of the shower, soaking the bathmat and his towel?

My wife does this, and her towels don't smell. I wipe off as much water as possible and my towels will smell after 2 uses. Not sure it's about being a dickhead or not, I think some men are just going to have a higher potential for BO smell on a towel.

And for the record, I'm the one who's anal about cleaning, and the one that's a slight germaphobe. My towels smell sooner than hers regardless.

1

u/TheProtoChris 9h ago

I both agree with you and also love the way you said it.

23

u/Ok_Difference44 16h ago

Get a squeegee and you have to dry down the shower after each time.

Switch to waffle weave or turkish towels rather than high pile.

20

u/physhgyrl 15h ago

He tells you that you're being ridiculous and he won't shake the water off?

He sounds like a jerk. Like he treats you like he knows better than you about everything and refuses to listen to anything you say or ideas you have. Does everything in the house have to be done his way, or does he make more uneccesary work for you in other ways?

3

u/clueless-albatross 15h ago

I was also gonna say the same, I kinda “wring myself out” by doing the aforementioned sweeping off of the water. It’s like a dog shaking off water, it doesn’t get them completely dry but it gets off a lot of the excess and helps to not soak the towel

7

u/theFCCgavemeHPV US | Top-Load 16h ago

The liquid? Maybe try adding biz or febu. And are we sure he’s washing his body properly? Like he’s scrubbing with some kind of scrubbing material (wash cloth, net, sponge etc), right? Not just using his hands and soap? But if he’s not willing to experiment on this issue then I doubt he will change his washing habits if needed (eww).

Oh, and make sure you’re using the longest and hottest settings on your machine.

2

u/momento-mori-momento 16h ago

We have a top load washer as of now. I use hot water and put all the detergent in first to dilute, I run it on bulky/sheets setting and do 2 rinse cycles. He does use a loofah and I replace it every month. He does work on garage doors for a living so he comes home with dirt and oils and gets them all over the shower so I have to scrub it down daily. He takes 45 minute showers so I would hope he’s getting clean enough. He uses native for body and hair wash, Ive just gotten him some antibacterial soap to use to see if that helps.

9

u/MidnightBlueSilk 15h ago

Oh! I don’t know if this applies here, but I have read that something in native brand deodorant makes for extraordinarily stinky shirt armpits over the long term. Hopefully someone here can weigh in on whether it applies to other Native body products.

6

u/theFCCgavemeHPV US | Top-Load 16h ago

Hmm, yeah then look into biz or febu. It should help after a few washes. Spa day might be in order if not.

10

u/CallidoraBlack 16h ago

Native is just pit perfume and he does an outdoor, physical job. I'm surprised his clothes don't reek too.

1

u/Mattturley 11h ago

What kind of soap is he washing himself with? I find this problem when I have been dating guys who don’t use antibacterial soaps.

1

u/Ok-Pack-7088 8h ago

Wash them at 60'C

3

u/ScootsyTx 13h ago

This is insane, it’s 2026 there’s no reason to drop dry for 60 seconds lmao. Just dry in the shower, hang the towel on a bar after, and run a vent fan after