Antimicrobial treatments – Getting the smell out of a PackTowl

[Victor Lin]

I have a 2-year-old Cascade Designs PackTowl that I use as my only, everyday towel. I don’t own any other towels because I travel so much.

I can’t seem to get the smell out of it, despite hanging it to dry like I do with any normal towel.

After I wash it (I even added some anti-microbial Dettol to the wash) the towel is neutral in smell for only about three days. So I’m thinking that the actual physical structure of the towel fibers simply allow bacteria to breed much quicker than a normal towel does, which means (I think) an anti-bacterial treatment applied to the fibers is the only way to “fix” this, at least temporarily. Thoughts? Really, hanging it to dry after every use doesn’t work, unless it’s outside under a beating sun each time.

[Lester Moore]

Try a product called Mirazyme by McNett. It’s easy to use and non-toxic. Just make a dilute water solution of the MiraZyme, soak your gear it it, then air dry. It’s an enzyme-based cleaner that works well on my kayak gear that gets smelly after a while because of being wet for long periods of time.

Another thing that works well with other gear that gets smelly is soaking in OxiClean solution for a while before washing in a washer. Works well for grimy gear with body oil contamination.

As an actual preventative, I’ve tried a product called SurfaceAid that coats a durable chemical coating on fabrics that reduces bacterial growth and supposedly lasts through several washes. It’s not an traditional chemical antibacterial agent (which may be linked with health issues, including microbial resistance). The product works on a physical level rather than a chemical level – the coating actually pokes holes in bacterial cell walls, thus killing them. I’ve only used it a few times, but it seems to work OK so far.

[Victor Lin]

Thanks. The McNett and OxiClean simply kill the bacterial that’s already there, right? It doesn’t actually leave anything in the fiber that prevents new bacteria from growing, right?

I’ve soaked the towel in a solution of Dettol before:

http://www.houseofbeautyworld.com/delidi25oz.html?cmp=googleproducts&kw=delidi25oz&country=AUD&usd=1.43&gclid=CMqKnpf73MoCFQoQvQodjSAOQQ

Considering it’s an antiseptic, I believe that it managed to wipe out the bacteria in the towel, but the smell came back after a few days. Based on this, I reckon that McNett and OxiClean probably won’t be effective, right?

Best would be to get SurfaceAide?

[Lester Moore]

I’d try the McNett. It does not kill bacteria, neither does is clean by removing contaminants or dirt (at least not directly). It enzymatically breaks down bacterial residues in the fabric, which reduces odor and helps keep bacteria from growing. This is different than most other products, which simply clean (physically remove dirt) without chemically breaking the dirt down. It definitely works for my damp smelly kayak gear and hiking shirts.

[Cayenne Redmonk]

 

Get it damp.  Put it into a container.  Microwave until sterile.

 

[Victor Lin]

I’ve used the microwave technique on smelly kitchen sponges. It works, but they get smelly again after just a few days.

[Victor Lin]

<p>I’ve used the microwave technique on smelly kitchen sponges. It works, but they get smelly again after just a few days.</p>

[Billy Ray]

some bacteria is just really really really hard to kill.

Burn that sucker and buy a new one. Probably the easiest, and maybe the cheapest thing to do.

Billy

[Robb Watts]

I’m with Billy Ray: gasoline and a match.

[Peter H]

Hand wash in a 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water mix. Just swish it around and let it sit in there for 20 min. Rinse before drying in machine or hang, doesn’t matter.  It works on my crazy smelly stuff. Cheap, quick and easy. Worth a try, anyway.

 

[David Thomas]

This reminds me a lot of cellulose kitchen sponges – if you dry them quickly, they last longer.  And when they get funky, you can sorta revive them by send them through the dish-washer cycle (or the laundry, they are both hot water with a caustic detergent).  But the mildew comes back more quickly each time and at some point, you just need to toss it.

In the future, a larger pack towel wouldn’t get as wet per square foot and would therefore dry out sooner.

When I’m traveling, I sometimes do a “pre-dry” with a small cotton washcloth, hanker chef or a few paper towels so when I use my larger towel, it doesn’t get nearly as wet and I get drier.

[Author]

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