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You think when you come out clean from the shower you don’t get dirty on the towel you use? Mistake. Towels absorb a lot of water and stay moist for hours, which is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. So how often should you wash and replace your towels?
- The best way to prevent the growth of germs on a towel is to dry it completely between uses and wash it frequently
- The Cleaning Institute, an American organization of cleaning products manufacturers, recommends washing bath towels after three uses
- There are circumstances that call for even more towel washing
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
There are 19 million skin cells and 650 sweat glands in each piece of your body. Dead cells make up the top 20 layers of the skin. Some of these cells run off in the shower, but many end up on a bath towel each day.
How often do I wash my towels?
The best way to prevent germs from growing on a towel is to dry it completely between use and wash it frequently.
Cleaning Institute – an American organization associating manufacturers of cleaning products, also dealing with education in this area – recommends washing bath towels after three uses. If you take a shower every day, that means it washing them twice a week. Regular washing is enough to clean the towels and remove any bacteria or fungi that accumulate on them.
When should towels be washed even more often?
There are circumstances that call for even more towel washing. Here they are:
- Any towel they are on body fluidsshould be washed after just one use.
- Sports towels, absorbent towels or towels that remain damp in the punch bag for several hours should be washed after one use.
- Towels kept in the bathroom, in which the air is usually humid and the towels do not have a chance to dry completely, should be washed after one use.
- If you have eczema or sensitive skin, wash all towels after one use to prevent further irritation. In the case of eczema, we especially recommend the Bioherba hemp face towel, which is resistant to bacteria and mold, and dries quickly.
The best way to wash towels
To keep the towels in the best hygienic condition:
- Do not put wet towels directly into the laundry basket, dry them beforehand.
- Follow the instructions on the laundry detergent package for best performance – adjust the temperature and water level.
- Consider using a fabric softener or adding vinegar – it will help kill unwanted bacteria in the washing machine.
- Do not overload the washing machine with towels. A machine that is too full means the towels won’t get enough detergent, water, or exercise to wash themselves.
- Experts reveal how often to wash bedding and sheets
How often should you replace your towels with new ones?
The condition of a bath towel depends, of course, on its quality, but also on how you care for it. Always read the tag on a bath towel and follow the washing instructions. This way you will be able to use it longer. With good care, the towel should last for a very long time.
- Also read: Safe and healthy washing – 10 rules you need to remember
What if you gave up on washing towels at all?
Unfortunately dirty towels can carry fungi and bacteria. The consequences of using a dirty towel are skin irritation and the possible spread of infection – the bacteria that cause staphylococcal infections are spreading on towels and bedding.
Also, you should never share a towel with someone you don’t know or with someone who is sick. If you use the towel more than the three times between washes, nothing will happen, but washing more often means healthier skin.
Washing your towels frequently – and always letting them dry before tossing them in the laundry basket – will keep unwanted bacteria and fungus from growing.
We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time, we asked Orina Krajewska what, according to her, a holistic approach to health is. How to combine the three aspects – body, spirit and mind to enjoy balance and good health? You will hear about this and many other aspects of the topic in the latest episode of our podcast.