Stinky washer. Stinky clothes.

UGH! I did it again. I forgot my load of towels in the washing machine .. for two days. Now they (and the washing machine) stink. Am I the only one who does this? If not, I found a tip for making that little annoyance go away. According to an article in my Redbook magazine, you can get the smell out. Here's how;

Rewash the towels on the longest setting and at the hottest possible temperature using your regular detergent plus a detergent booster, like OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover (oxiclean.com). At the rinse cycle, Redbook says you can add 1 oz. of white distilled vinegar to attack the mold and mildew, without harming the fabric.

Then, throw the towels into the dryer with a fabric softener sheet and dry them completely - or the smell will come back the next time they get a little damp.

If you're washing machine still has a funky smell (YES, IT DOES!), run an empty cycle on the hotwater setting and add a 3/4 cup of chlorine beach to disinfect the washer and kill any leftover bacteria.

(Redbook cites it's source of information as Steve Boorstein, author of The Clothing Doctor's 99 Secrets to Cleaning and Clothing Care.)

Have a happy day!