Horrible Smell Warning as Expert Shows Why Towels Turn Musty When Heating On

Brits have been warned their towels could develop a “horrible smell” as the colder weather arrives and households switch their heating on. Towels that stayed fresh throughout the summer can begin to smell musty within days of temperatures dropping, with experts warning that bacteria can survive washing and multiply when fabrics take too long to dry. Bathroom specialists at Bathroom Fort have examined research into the cause of the unpleasant smell, which has been traced to a bacterium called Moraxella osloensis. Researchers at Japanese consumer goods company Kao, writing in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, found the bacteria in 75% of the smelly bath towels they tested and every smelly hand towel.