Washing your towels with a detergent that cleans deep like Defunkify will result in a funk-free towel for future use - but please, don't share towels (aka bacteria breeding receptacles) with your family members between washes! Secondly, sharing towels can lead to skin problems.
Bacteria spread through shared towels can enter the body through pores, cuts, sores, and wounds. These are some of the most common illnesses that arise from towels: The bacteria that causes staph infections grow quickly in damp conditions that towels cultivate.
Washing towels with clothes can transfer germs and bacteria between items in the wash. For sanitary reasons, you should always wash bath towels separately from clothing items. Putting towels in their own load also makes it easier to adjust the setting based on color.
While only 9% admit they wouldn't want to wash in front of each other, this drops even lower to 5% after four to five years together. And completing the top three is sharing bathroom towels, with 84% of partners willing to use one another's.
Don't just leave your wet towels lying around after use or hang them on a hook somewhere, or throw them into the washing machine. The host may have a rule of his own to wash the towels according to the type. Either throw your towel in the laundry basket or ask the host. Be careful not to use your imagination here.
How many towels do you need in your linen closet? A traditional linen closet for two people will have six bath towels, four hand towels and four washcloths, Dillinger says. This provides a sufficient number to have in a rotation – so you're not buying replacement towels too often – and keeps some handy for guests.
You can wash clothes with sheets and towels. But just as when you wash sheets and towels together or wash clothes with towels, pay attention to the washing labels so you don't wash the load at a hotter temperature than the lowest maximum indicated when taking all items into consideration.
Tierno recommend washing bath towels every two or three days. Hold out longer than that, and all those microorganisms will make your towel grungy. “You may not get sick after using a towel for two weeks, but that's not the point,” says Dr. Tierno.
Avoid splotchy colors or dingy whites by washing similarly colored towels together. Too many towels washed at once won't get clean, but too few means greater agitation for quicker wear and tear. Most front-loading washing machines can fit seven standard-size bath towels; top-loading washers can fit around nine or ten.
Dead skin cells, bacteria, and even sweat can accumulate quickly on your towels, so using a fresh one about every three days is a simple rule of thumb—for all kinds of towels. You can of course change them more often.
But bath towels host a variety of microorganisms that you might not welcome into your hygiene routine. Towels absorb a lot of water and remain damp for hours, which is the perfect breeding ground for unwanted germs. That's why towels should be washed every three uses.
“We recommend washing your bath towels once a week at least,” Wu says. However, depending on the size of your bath linen collection, you may need to wash towels more often, as it is advised to use them no more than two to three times before laundering.
The Ideal Number of Towels per Person
Keep three sets of towels for each individual who lives in your household—one in the wash, one in the closet, and one in use. This ensures there is always a towel in reserve for when you might need it.
When you dry yourself off with a towel after a shower, there comes a point where your towel will be wetter than you, meaning it cannot really take any more moisture off of you, but you are not completely dry yet. That's when your second towel comes in.
In many restaurant kitchens, each cook works with two side towels or stacks of side towels: some for dry work (as a pot holder) and others for wet work (wiping up the station). Wet towels conduct heat quickly, so you don't want to cross over and use a wet towel as a pot holder.
While sharing towels can be convenient and as Glennon points out the towels often do not have someone's name on them, it is ultimately not a good idea to dry off with another person's towel. Sharing towels can spread germs and bacteria, lead to skin problems, and be a violation of personal boundaries.
Ultimately, though, when a towel's threads begin to pull—or you notice a lingering odor, despite a careful wash—it's time to toss it; you can expect body and hand towels to last between two to five years depending on their quality. Wash cloths, on the other hand, should be replaced every one or two years, notes Winch.
To help your towels stay clean, smell fresh between washes, and last longer, follow this advice. Hang towels after each use and let them dry before tossing them into a hamper or laundry basket.
Towels should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric according to the care label. Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle.
Once a Week: Ideal. Once Every Two Weeks: Totally Acceptable.
Hot? Despite popular belief, washing your towels with cold water is the best way to keep them clean, soft and fluffy. Washing your towels in cold water will also help you save up to three-quarters of the energy you would have used had you chosen hot water.
When choosing a bath towel color, consider your personal style and the mood you want to create in your bathroom. Soft, muted colors such as lavender, light green, and baby blue create a calming atmosphere, while bright, bold colors like red and orange energize the space.
she wrote: “a bed requires only two sets of sheets, period – one to wash, and one to wear. the rule of twos applies to towels as well: two bath towels, two hand towels and two washcloths per family member. (have some extras for guests, but not too many.)”
Luxury bath towels can run close to $100—but you don't have to spend that much. You can find quality bath towel options that tick all our boxes for $40 or less. The key is knowing the difference between a low-cost, low-quality option and an affordable, high-quality one, which you now know thanks to our handy tips.