The towel in the bathroom stays fresh and clean for a long time? – Not even close. Disgusting secretions, bacteria, fungi and more collect in it after a short time. Here’s how often you should wash your towel.
How often change the towel? That depends on the purpose
Already after the first use there is a lot going on on your towel: bacteria, fungi, dandruff, salivary secretion, anal secretion, urine secretion. There are also many other germs from the bathroom that can get onto the cloth. Last but not least, a small splash from the toilet. If you’re wondering when to wash your towel, you need to differentiate between what kind of towels you’re talking about—bath towels, hand drying towels, and so on. The consumer advice center advises washing towels at 60 degrees in general – then more germs are removed than with a 40-degree wash cycle.
How often you should wash the different towels:
Bath Towel: On average, it’s a good idea to change your bath towel after you’ve used it 3-5 times. Let it dry well every time after you use it.
Hand towels: You should also change these towels every few days. Especially if you use the towel several times a day or even with other people. If you are away from home a lot, you can also extend this period.
Washcloths: Washcloths are often used intensively, for example to cleanse the face or to remove make-up. Therefore, you should change them daily or simply after each use.
Sports towel: The same rules apply here as for the shower towel. If you forget a damp sports towel in a sports bag, you should change it afterwards.
“A damp towel starts to live at some point”: Drying is important
The microbiologist Philip Tierno from the New York “School of Medicine” advised in the “Welt”: “After each use, the bath towel should dry completely.” According to the expert, the microorganisms that form in damp towels can otherwise quickly end up on our skin.
There is no need to fear damage to health, but it is still not good for the skin to use a damp towel: “A damp towel starts to live at some point,” explains Tierno. The result: pimples and other impurities can appear.
