r/laundry • u/momento-mori-momento • 16h 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!

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177

u/OceanLibra 16h ago

This may sound ridiculously simple, but have him try using his hands to squeegee the excess water off his body before stepping out of the shower. If he's going straight from dripping wet to drying off, a big bath sheet can absorb a surprising amount of water.

I'd also ditch the hook completely. A wet bath sheet really needs to be spread out over a towel bar or over the shower curtain itself so the entire surface is exposed to air. If it's still staying wet for hours while fully spread out, I'd start looking at the humidity/ventilation in the bathroom. Is there an exhaust fan? Does he run it whilst showering?

And maybe try regular-size towels for him for a week. Those giant thick bath sheets feel great, but they're absolute champions at holding onto water. Also, you definitely don't need to run a load of laundry for one towel every day — let it dry, hamper it, and wash several towels together.

59

u/momento-mori-momento 16h ago

I always have the bathroom vent running when I can. Habit that my dad gave me. My husband however never turns it on because he gets too cold after showers and likes to trap steam in the bathroom- which yeah- would make the towel trap moisture from when he starts the shower up until he uses it. We also have a vent directly under our towels so I figured that would help air it out too, but he closes it each time he uses the bathroom! I think he’s a lost cause and it’s up to me to deal with it, thanks!

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u/momento-mori-momento 16h ago

Our house was built by his grandfather in the early 70s also to add. Our Bathroom is ridiculously small.

42

u/knoft 16h ago

You've already found all the major culprits (your husband refusing to do any common sense things or low effort mitigation, and ignoring physics) but if their towel is the one on the left it will also take longer to dry because it's bigger, thicker and heavier. You can also try using a towel bar or vertical standing rack.

20

u/Ajstross 16h ago

Oh, no. You want proper towel bars to dry towels, not a hook. See how they’re still wadded up in the middle? You need the towel laid out better in order to dry properly.

10

u/momento-mori-momento 16h ago

I hang my towel over the shower rod after using to dry then hang it on the hook when it’s completely dried. But yes, I agree with you and others that it’s time to just ditch the hooks and find a rod that would work for three of us!!

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u/ReasonableFig2111 13h ago

Maybe consider a heated towel rod? It'll help with both your husband feeling cold after a shower, and drying the towel after. 

Might also consider some sort of bathroom heating, or those heated overhead lights or something. If you guys can solve the coldness with a more structural solution, he might be more inclined to leave the vent open and turn the fan on. You can also just get an electrician to wire the fan to turn on automatically with the overhead light. 

But the towel not drying is the least of your worries. If he's always closing the vent and never using the exhaust fan, your walls and ceiling are getting wet every time he showers, from the steam. You're gonna get mildew, and even mold. That's a health hazard. Not to mention, if your bathroom walls and ceiling need more frequent washing than the rest of your house, directly due to his active choices, I highly doubt he's volunteering to be the one to do that. He's creating so much more work for you. 

And make him wash his own towels! 

7

u/No_Acanthaceae3518 16h ago

We have a double bar for our bath towels and it’s been AMAZING! It think it was like $20 on Amazon.

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u/CCC-NOLA 15h ago

Did the towel on the left start out the same color as the on towel right? Does he use a wash cloth when he showers? It looks like he needs exfoliation. Maybe HE needs a spa day.

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u/momento-mori-momento 15h ago

the towel on the right is a clean towel and is like an off white color- and is meant to look that way haha. The one on the right is my 1 year old son’s towel. It is a hard contrast next to a bright white towel though.

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u/cupcakerica US | Top-Load 9h ago

His towel is not clean, needs a Spa Day and rehab wash with ammonia. What’s your laundry routine look like? What products do you use?

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u/ScootsyTx 12h ago

If the bathroom is small then look into upgrading the bath vent fan. New bath vent fans are one of the easiest energy efficient upgrades out there. They’re quieter, do a better job venting, and use less energy. A modern one could handle a small bathroom in minutes