[BrianR]

I notice that little attention is paid to drying the towel.

Sure, wash your towels. Well. I have white towels so I bleach then a bit. But then I hang them on a clothesline. Something about hanging in the sun for a few hours sterilises them and makes them smell really good. Saves on electricity too. I line-dry certain large items like blankets an thick items like towels on the line.

Also, hang up your towels without folding them so they dry after each use. Folding it to look nice on the rod or whatever or, worse yet, throwing it in a lump on the floor will cause odors and mildew quickly.