Why towels smell
Why your towels smell. What the studies found.
Three causes, the research behind each, and how MIORA removes all three.
No polyester · No softeners · 100% cotton
The research
Three problems. What the research found. What we did.
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Problem 01
Polyester holds odor.
Washing doesn’t get it out.
The research
Even after washing
Researchers compared worn shirts: polyester smelled stronger than cotton, even after washing. In lab tests polyester also held more skin oil, which odor bacteria feed on.
Callewaert et al., Applied & Environmental Microbiology 2014; McQueen et al., IJCST 2014 (clothing studies); Møllebjerg et al., Microbiology Spectrum 2021; Abdul-Bari et al., Textile Research Journal 2020 (lab studies)
The MIORA fix
100% cotton. Zero polyester.
Odor washes out of cotton more easily than polyester.
No polyester
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Problem 02
It never fully dries.
Damp towels grow the bacteria that smell.
The research
87%
Damp fabric grows odor bacteria. One of them, Moraxella osloensis, turned up in 87% of bad-smelling laundry samples.
Kubota et al., Applied & Environmental Microbiology 2012; Van Herreweghen et al., Microorganisms 2020
The MIORA fix
Two of every size.
One dries while you use the other. No damp, no musty smell.
Rotate & dry
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Problem 03
Softener coats the fibers.
Coated towels absorb less water.
The research
Less absorbent
Liquid fabric softener coats cotton fibers and makes towels absorb less water, so they stay wet longer.
Igarashi & Nakamura, Journal of Oleo Science 2021
The MIORA fix
Zero softeners.
Uncoated cotton soaks up water and dries out clean.
Water-washed only
Why towels smell
Now you know why. Here’s the fix.
No polyester. No softeners. Enough to rotate.
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