"Bath towels and hand towels should be laundered after every three uses," says Dr. Maender. "This helps remove the contaminants that can cause infections and reduce odor-causing bacteria." No one likes a funky-smelling towel, but potentially harmful microbes represent the important health concern.
As a general rule, it is recommended to wash towels every three to four uses. This practice ensures that towels remain clean, fresh, and free from bacteria and odors. However, individuals with certain skin conditions or allergies may choose to wash their towels more frequently.
Therefore, it is recommended to wash towels after every three to four uses to eliminate bacteria, dirt, dead skin cells, and allergens, ensuring optimal hygiene and minimising health risks.”
Bacterial Growth: Towels can harbor bacteria, especially when they are damp. Regular use without washing can lead to an accumulation of bacteria, which may cause skin infections or irritations.
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.
Most microbiologists and professionals in the field agree it's in your best interest to wash your towel after three uses. Of course, as long as you let it dry completely after each use, this will keep bacteria at a distance while also preventing your towels from getting worn out quicker due to over washing and drying.
Why do we even need to wash our towels? To cut to the chase for how long you should leave it, Dr Bloomfield says "a sensible amount would be at least once a week". "Despite the fact they may look clean, they'll have picked up millions of germs over time and could be a serious health hazard to whoever you live with."
According to a new survey, almost 1 in 10 Britons only wash their towels twice a year. Men are 5 times more likely than women to wash their towels only once a year or less.
Use warm to medium hot water on a normal washing cycle
However, the general rule of thumb is to put towels through a regular cycle at a medium-hot temperature, just hot enough to kill off any bacteria and remove loose towel fibres.
Almost one in five surveyed said they washed their towels once a month, a quarter said once a week and one in 20 chose to wash every day after a bath or shower, according to data from a shower company.
“As often as every two to three days of wear,” says Arias. This is for hygiene purposes but also because the elastic components stretch when you wear your bra, and washing it restores the shape.” The one exception to this rule is your sports bras. These should be washed after every use, says Pfister.
"Regular washing, or about once every one to two weeks, is recommended to maintain cleanliness and a healthy sleep environment," says Harris. Once a week if you don't use a top sheet. Once a month if you do.
As a rule of thumb, once a week or every two weeks should be fine. Towels should ideally be washed more regularly – perhaps every few days – while your facecloth should be cleaned after every use. Because it gets completely wet, it will be wet for a longer time, and retain more skin cells and microbes.
And when you dry yourself, the moisture from the towel combined with the bacteria that gets pulled from your body becomes a mix of infectious bacteria,” he says. “On day zero, when the towels are washed and still not used, you can still culture bacteria from the towel. On day one, the bacterial count increases.
If your pillow can be washed, it should be washed at least twice a year. If you eat in bed, have pets, or sweat a lot, you should wash pillows quarterly. Special pillows like body pillows or throw pillows should be cleaned every 3 to 6 months.
Whether you share a bath towel or not, it still needs to be washed after three uses. Bath towels can last a little longer than hand towels because you don't use them as often a day.
According to Annie Chiu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute, there's a clear guidance on when to make the swap. “Generally, you should change your towels every three to four uses,” she says. “This helps prevent the buildup of bacteria and odors.”
Towels are an essential tool in your daily cleansing routine. But if you don't care for them properly, they can become a vehicle for germs and debris. Wash your bath and hand towels at least once a week — more if you have a damaged skin barrier or live in an environment that keeps them from drying out completely.
Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle. A sanitizing cycle can also be used, but may not be recommended for every wash, depending on the towel fabric.
A week is normal. Towels dry quickly if hung correctly between use.
Hang your wet towels properly to ensure they dry completely between uses. Hanging too many, too close together can lead to mildewed, stinky towels. Wet towels need plenty of space to breathe. For best results, hang them individually, with as much surface area exposed to the air as possible.
The exact lifespan of your bath towels will depend on several factors, but generally, it's a good idea to replace them every two to five years. You might have to do it more or less often depending on how many towels you have in rotation, if you exercise frequently, and so on.
You can easily spread ringworm to others by sharing towels, hats, combs, and other personal items. The fungi can survive on objects for a long time.