Stinky Towels Syndrome

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.

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 Whirlpool’s Calypso was the first HE top loader and it came out in 1998 and was withdrawn from the market in 2004 following a storm of lawsuits claiming it generated a huge amount of sludge and left clothes "stinking like dirty gym socks".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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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