Stinky Towels Syndrome

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:27:45 GMT

For those of you who want to try the fast-dry Discovery Trekking towels that everyone is chatting about, I wanted to offer you a coupon code. We have some other coupon codes floating out there on the internet, but we updated our website recently and those codes aren't valid anymore. I've been contacted by a few of you, wondering why the old codes dont work. So, the following code is worth $5 off any purchase of $50. The code is 7PP5CFVG You can mix and match any sized towels, the large is best for swimming but we also have smaller towels for workout, and Extreme ultralite for backpacking and running (a new, even lighter version of our swim style fabric) This extreme ultralite was just recommended in the latest Backpacker Magazine "essential gear" guide...which is pretty high accolades. These towels are still not available in any east-coast stores (we're working on it!) They are available at many REI stores in the west, and in Canada through Team Aquatic supplies. They will be available through Amazon.com but not until about May 2010. Until then, you can certainly order from us www.discoverytrekking.com and use the coupon code. Any teams wishing volume discounts can call. Thanks! Leslie

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:36:29 GMT

Thought I might chime in to explain why these towels are so much different than any conventional towels (including microfiber or chamois) Most towels pull moisture inside the fibers. This is what makes a towel absorbant. Our towels use a moisture-management technology much like the wicking athletic shirts that keep you dry. They pull the moisture "around" the fibers instead of inside them. Then, they spread the moisture across the surface. This is why they dry 4 times faster than anything else. That alone will keep them from smelling moldy, but on top of that, each fiber has silver impregnated into it. Silver is one of the best antimicrobials...and it doesn't easily wash out. (Many "wicking" fabrics contain chemical antimicrobials that are not only bad for you, but wash out very quickly. This is why those athletic shirts stink so bad after a while). We use this silver technology in many other products besides the towels. In any event, this is why you don't need a whole bunch of towels at a meet. Just one or two is sufficient. We sell them to thousands of swimmers, but they are also really good for travel, camping, hiking, and home use. If you have any technical questions, please feel free to visit our website or call me personally. The only reason we are able to make such innovative products is the fact that we listen to what people need and/or want. Leslie

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

swimshark — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:01:19 GMT

Does it fully dry between uses ? Can you use the towels at the pool or gym ? The Wicker Warm-up towels fully dry between use. In fact I have the largest one and it dries in about an hour of laid out. I've had mine for a few years and love it. I use mine at the gym as well but not as much as a smaller towel.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

orca1946 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 07:36:32 GMT

Does it fully dry between uses ? Can you use the towels at the pool or gym ?

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:33:25 GMT

Hi, this is Leslie...I own the company that makes the amazing fast-dry wicking swim towels. I appreciate the great feedback everyone has given us on our unique towels. We have had the towels featured in over 50 magazine gear reviews now. This month, they are in the Backpacker magazine "essential gear guide" which is wonderful. We've also had them tested and reviewed by independent testers at BackPackGearTest.org. They were comparing the existing towels to an even lighter version we recently developed (hard to believe if you've ever seen how light our original towels are.) Both got extremely high ratings. I keep getting emails asking where they can be purchased (retail stores). The towels are now available at REI stores in the West, and hopefully will be in all of them by the end of 2010. We still do not have a major US swim supplier, and are currently looking for the right swim supply partner to make it easier for you to purchase. We have been approached by Amazon to sell them there as well, we are hoping to have them online through Amazon by April 2010. In the meantime, we still have them for sale on our site. In Canada, Team Aquatic Supplies carries them in their stores. Thanks for your support and suggestions. Leslie www.discoverytrekking.com

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:35:36 GMT

Wash them out in clean tap water, then dri them, put some baby powder on them, put them in the freezer. The freezer? :)

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:41:22 GMT

Wash them out in clean tap water, then dri them, put some baby powder on them, put them in the freezer. Anyone's latex caps start smelling kinda funky? I have a few that I've used for a while and they have a strange smell - there's not much you can do for it except buy a new cap I guess.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:58:55 GMT

Anyone's latex caps start smelling kinda funky? I have a few that I've used for a while and they have a strange smell - there's not much you can do for it except buy a new cap I guess.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:14:04 GMT

Stinky Towels and (HE) Washers - Not enough water! whirlpool-dueling-with-duet.blogspot.com/ mikes-duet.blogspot.com/ I don't have time to retype what I just spent typing for the last hour to loose it when I went to preview post. Just take a look at the blogs. Thanks, Joe T.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:23:21 GMT

Those "oxy" detergents are pretty good at getting out odors. Not sure how they trap the oxygen in the detergent, but it seems to work. Maybe diluted hydrogen peroxide would work for small jobs such as running shoes? Europeans have been using high efficiency front load washers for decades. I've never heard of any massive outbreaks of staph anywhere in Europe, and I haven't seen vast numbers of people running around in dirty clothes when visiting England, France, Germany, or Croatia. The washers you see in Europe are standard front loading washers that have been around for about 60 years. They filled at least ½ full of water during the wash and rinse cycle and work quite well. Although they were very successful, they are also so expensive that they were used mostly for the commercial market. However the so called “High Efficiency” (HE) washers were developed in the U.S. and first entered the world market in 1998. HE machines use about 15 gallons (or less) for the entire wash/rinse cycle and they are the ones with the mold/mildew problem. HE washers were developed by U.S. appliance makers in response to the California drought and water shortage from 1987 to 1991. Whirlpool’s Calypso was the first HE top loader and it came out in 1998 and was withdrawn from the market in 2004 following a storm of lawsuits claiming it generated a huge amount of sludge and left clothes "stinking like dirty gym socks". The main problem was that the Calypso didn’t use enough water to wash clothes and also purge residue from the machine. I was the expert witness for the law firm that handled the complaints from buyers of the Calypso machines in California and a federal judge consolidated all the suits into one national class action and a settlement was achieved in 2006. However, the other brands of HE front and top loaders (involving nearly 50 companies) still have the same problem as the Calypso (they don't use enough water to thoroughly wash or rinse) and there are going to be literally waves of new lawsuits over these machines also.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:31:17 GMT

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:52:17 GMT

Where is your support that "gyms & health clubs use HE washers and it's a sure bet that’s the source of the newest strain of staph?" I'm not asking for seven more links to discussion forums about stinky clothes. I'd like medical information, not your conjecture. Front loading HE washers are now the industry standard in commercial establishments. To determine if a gym or health club is using a potentially problematic HE washer, just take a look in the laundry room. If the washer is a front loader with window in the door you can see what’s going inside when it’s on the “wash” cycle. I’ve seen quite few of them and there’s hardly enough water in them during the wash cycle to really get the towels clean. :confused: In fact, I am thinking of having the San Francisco Health Department take samples and cultures from the residue (something that looks like wet dryer lint) in the washers at gyms and laundromats. I bet they are in fact the source of staph. The same thing is probably true with the so called "Noro Virus" on cruise ships. www.cdc.gov/.../norovirus-qa.htm I bet the bacteria is being spread through passenger's clothes that have been "washed" in HE machines in the ship's laundry. Dolphin 2

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:57:21 GMT

Please stop. What evidence do you have to support this? It's a sure bet??? You have to stop throwing stuff out there like it's official with no supporting evidence. We have actual doctors on this forum, maybe they can weigh in on this and let us know the truth. Is there some mutant Maytag Staph bug that you know about unique to front loading HE washers? I'm in the market for new washer and dryer so I read your link. It does not support your assertion, in fact it flat out disagrees with you. It says "Most front-loaders offer superior performance and efficiency." It also says "Today most top-loaders only get a good washing score, and some had the lowest scores we’ve seen in years. " It appears the decision of your HOA is a bad one. I can't take it any more. The Whirlpool “Calypso” was the first HE washer marketed in the U.S. and it had a major problem with leaving dirt and residue in clothes. Here’s more Info about problems with other brands of HE washers: www.thriftyfun.com/tf000711.tip.html www.frontloadwasherclassaction.com/ www.apartmenttherapy.com/.../mold-and-mildew-in-the-washeroc-register-4408-047349 consumerist.com/.../sears-front loading-washer-leaves-clothes-stinky-328946.php www.handymanwire.com/.../showflat.php www.fixya.com/.../t289881-washer_smells_bad http://www.lgstinks.com/ www.epinions.com/content_164289678980 www.epinions.com/.../display_~reviews There’s a ton of additional info about problems with HE washers and their propensity to act as an incubator for mold and mildew (and proabably staph) due to inefficient washing capability. :doh: Dolphin 2

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:45:54 GMT

Adding a splash of bleach helps as well. Even if it's for colors, a small amount of bleach does not seem to have any ill effect on the colors.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:41:32 GMT

I still use very hot water for towels & sheets...I may be old fashioned but it just works better, I don't care what kind of special cold water detergent people use, hot water is more effective killing germs.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:54:50 GMT

Anyone have a towel that doesn't wash up nice and fresh? I've got a swimming towel that frankly smeels terrible now, even right after the wash. It smells stagnant, Mrs Stud won't even give it to the Dog LOL. I thought perhaps the machine isn't rinsing thoroughly but nothing else smells, clothes are fine and smell great. I'm forced to believe that it is something to do with the water at the YMCA...perhaps even after showering I am sweating chlorine or other things into the towel. Does anyone else have this issue or any thoughts. :rofl: Are you washing your towels in a so called “High Efficiency” (HE) washer? If so, that is probably the cause of your problem: www.consumerreports.org/.../0607_wash_ov_1.htm HE washers don’t use enough water to get clothes clean and rinse the final residue out. I know that a lot of gyms & health clubs use HE washers and it's a sure bet that’s the source of the newest strain of staph. :notworking: I'm an officer on the homeowners association at our condo complex and when we replaced our old laundry machines, we decided against HE washers and bought conventional Speed Queen commercial top loaders (the type that actually fills with water and use an agitator that twists back & forth). My suggestion is just bring your own towel and make sure it’s washed in a conventional top loader that uses enough water to get the job done –not an HE type. Dolphin 2

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

aquageek — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:30:11 GMT

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

aquageek — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:12:45 GMT

I know that a lot of gyms & health clubs use HE washers and it's a sure bet that’s the source of the newest strain of staph. Please stop. What evidence do you have to support this? It's a sure bet??? You have to stop throwing stuff out there like it's official with no supporting evidence. We have actual doctors on this forum, maybe they can weigh in on this and let us know the truth. Is there some mutant Maytag Staph bug that you know about unique to front loading HE washers? I'm in the market for new washer and dryer so I read your link. It does not support your assertion, in fact it flat out disagrees with you. It says "Most front-loaders offer superior performance and efficiency." It also says "Today most top-loaders only get a good washing score, and some had the lowest scores we’ve seen in years. " It appears the decision of your HOA is a bad one. I can't take it any more.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:02:26 GMT

Chem Dry Carpet Cleaning is one of the top carpet cleaning companies in the world. They use a carbonated solution to clean your carpets. It does work.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:52:29 GMT

Yeah, but carbonation, in and of itself, cleans nothing! I have no idea, but I know that vinegar and baking soda used separately do take out odors. I figured if I combined them they could possibly do double duty and make fun carbonation as well. I love science experiments! This happened when a particularly FOUL jersey of Husband's would not de-stink. I didn't want to use bleach on the jersey fabric because I didn't know what the results would be, so I tried baking soda. No go. Then I soaked it in vinegar in the sink and just threw some baking soda in there for fun. Worked like a charm, although the vinegar could have worked separately.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:21:44 GMT

The icon you used is called "confused" and it seems particularly apropos to me. How do you know how much water it takes to wash clothes? I think your posts on this subject are complete and utter drivel. I've heard cases where certain front-load washers had problems of not draining properly causing mold to grow, but that's a design flaw of those particular machines, not front-load, HE washing machines in general. Hey Nelson From laboratory tests, the minimum "Water Factor" for a workable washing machine is 1.9 gallons per cubic foot. HE front loaders (and some HE top loaders) are about 1.4 (or even less) which is way too low to get a full load clean. By the way, I was one of the expert witnesses who helped launch the successful lawsuit against Whirlpool (over their Calypso HE washer) which resulted in a $5 Million payout to buyers and a withdrawl of the machine from the market in 2004. I can tell you for a fact there's a lot of "Do-Do stuck to the ceiling" regarding the mold/mildew problem with these new HE washers (and also their probable connection to staph) and more lawsuits are on the way. Incidentally, I took a trip to a large scrap metal recycling plant at the Port Of Oakland (with one of those monstrous shredding machines that can grind up a whole car in 15 seconds) and right there in the pile is an almost new HE front loader waiting to be dropped on the conveyor to the shredder. The plant operator says they're getting about 2 or 3 of them a week. Given the rate they're being junked, HE washers aren't turning out to be very environmentally friendly. Dolphin 2

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:05:38 GMT

Just out of curiosity, what does the vinegar/baking soda combination do since the baking soda should neutralize the acetic acid in the vinegar? Chris, Mr. Chemistry, a little help here since I only had to have two semesters of Freshman Chemistry. Dropping acid for two semesters doesn't count as "taking Chemistry" at least not in academic terms bud... ;)

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

aquageek — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:57:39 GMT

By the way, I was one of the expert witnesses who helped launch the successful lawsuit against Whirlpool (over their Calypso HE washer) which resulted in a $5 Million payout to buyers and a withdrawl of the machine from the market in 2004. Please cite the specific case in which you were qualified as the expert witness. Don't send us a link to a letter to the editor but tell us the case and when you were deposed.

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:53:21 GMT

Combination makes a great cleaning solution. It is a Chemdry Carpet Cleaning solution. It makes lots of bubbles. Here is the concept soda and acid make carbonation www.chemdry.com/.../the-power-of-carbonation

RE: Stinky Towels Syndrome

Former Member — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:40:47 GMT

As the person who de-stinks hockey clothing from the Husband and Son, I can say the cheapest way to get any stink out is by using hot water and baking soda (in addition to the detergent). I also soak really stinky jerseys in vinegar, baking soda and water in the sink before washing.