How often should I wash my bath towels? 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.
Can I reuse a towel after one use? It's OK to reuse a towel a few times before you wash and dry -- and it's better for the environment, too.
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.
It may surprise you to learn that bath towels should be washed after every 3-4 uses to keep them hygienic, according to our experts at the GHI. And for towels used at the gym, we recommend washing after every use; not only are your gym towels covered in sweat, but they can also come into contact with airborne bacteria.
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.
Towels: 2 Years
If you want to increase their lifespan, consider rotating multiple sets and neatly hang towels to dry between each use.
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.
The Ideal Number of Towels per Person
Our rule of three for stocking up on sheets also applies to towels. 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.
“The longer towels stay damp, the longer the yeasts, bacteria, molds and viruses remain alive and stay active,” explains dermatologist Alok Vij, MD. “They can cause an outbreak of toenail fungus, athlete's foot, jock itch and warts, or cause these skin conditions to spread,” he says.
Bath Towels Need to Be Broken-In
But you may not have known that your new bath towel has a "break in" period before it reaches maximum softness and absorbency. In fact, it can take as many as three full wash cyclesfor your bath towel to feel great and absorb water the way it was designed to.
How many towels do you need in your bathroom? In a normal week, most families will use about two sets of towels per person, with each set consisting of a bath towel, a hand towel and a washcloth. This will vary based on how often you choose to launder your towels.
If you have a strenuous job where your skin is in contact with sweat, dirt, and the outside world, showering every day may make sense to keep your skin barrier intact. But if you don't have this daily routine, showering less frequently—say, a couple of times a week—makes more sense.
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.
On top of being unsanitary, sharing towels also opens you up to new potential illnesses or conditions. Your body is used to its own germs, and they are generally harmless to you unless you have a medical condition or illness.
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.
Use 1/2 cup of 5 percent white vinegar during your wash cycle. Vinegar helps remove odors and strips away detergent buildup to make your towels as fluffy and fresh as the day you bought them. For a top-loading machine, simply raise the lid and pour in the vinegar.
That said, anyone who reuses their towels could possibly get folliculitis, which looks similar to acne, says Amy Kassouf, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic. This condition occurs when you develop a bacterial infection in a hair follicle, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Wash your microfiber towel after every 3 times you use it. It's also important to keep the towel dry when it's not in use. Check if it's getting damp while hanging in your bathroom. If it is, you may need to wash it after every time you use it.
With that said, if you want to avoid as much bacteria, fungi, and mold growth as possible, it's best to change your washcloth daily, Dr. Vij and Dr. Tierno say.
Clean your bathroom once a week as a good rule of thumb.
Washing your bed sheets about once a week ensures they always stay fresh. Plan to add this task to your weekly cleaning schedule to help reinforce the habit. Keep in mind that you don't necessarily need to wash sheets the same day as you strip your bed.
When towels are too old, they are no longer effective. They don't dry you thoroughly and are likely home to unseen germs and bacteria. How do you know when you should be replacing towels? In general, experts advise you should get new ones every two years.
Why do we even need to change our bedsheets? To cut to the chase, Dr Browning says we should be changing our sheets once a week, or every two weeks at the most. Hygiene is a big factor, and one of the reasons is sweat. If you've ever tried sleeping in a heatwave, you'll know how difficult it can be.