As a general rule, launder your bath towel (or swap in a clean one) at least once a week and your washcloth a couple times a week. Wash towels more frequently if you're sick to avoid reinfection.
The Cleaning Institute recommends washing bath towels after three uses. If you shower every day, that means laundry almost twice a week. Regular laundry is sufficient to clean towels and remove any germs that are starting to accumulate.
How often to wash bath towels, hand towels, washcloths and kitchen towels. Bath towels should be washed every three to five uses, and washcloths should be washed every one to three uses. Both should be hung to dry between uses. Hand towels should be changed every couple of days.
Towels should be washed in warm water to help kill bacteria and potential mould. Warm water is ideal for coloured towels, while hot water is best for white towels. However, hot water can decrease the life of your towels as it can weaken fibres, fade colours and contribute to shrinkage.
In order to avoid cross-contamination, it's optimum to wash bath and hand towels separately to kitchen towels. All towels should not be combined with clothes, bath mats or any other type of material for sanitary purposes.
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.
Do bath towels really ever get dirty? Most towels are made of 100 percent cotton. While it's true that after a shower you have eliminated most of the germs and dirt from your skin, the process of rubbing a towel against the body rubs off dead skin that sticks to the moist towel.
It may sound counterproductive, but a shower every day could be bad for your skin. Some dermatologists only recommend a shower every other day, or two to three times a week. Many people hit the shower at least once a day, either in the morning or at night before bed.
In one study (which has not yet been published) Gerba says he found that nearly 90% of bathroom towels were contaminated with coliform bacteria and about 14% carried E. coli. His published research has also found these bacteria on kitchen hand towels, and the numbers of E.
Do hang up your towels after each use to help them dry properly and prevent odor. After your shower or bath, hang your towel across a bar or shower rod so it can dry fully. This will help prevent bacterial growth and extend the time between washes.
“A good rule of thumb is two full sets of towels per person in your household,” Elks adds.
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.
Many doctors say a daily shower is fine for most people. (More than that could start to cause skin problems.) But for many people, two to three times a week is enough and may be even better to maintain good health. It depends in part on your lifestyle.
A good temperature for washing towels and sheets is 40 degrees, but a 60 degree wash will be better at killing germs. Changing your sheets and towels once a week can help to keep them fresh and clean**.
Add Baking Soda
Mix half a cup of baking soda along with a normal detergent dose for fluffier and cleaner towels. Baking soda also naturally eliminates musty and mildew smells that come from towels remaining damp for too long.
There's no hard and fast rule here, but to get that fluffy feeling when you step out of the shower, you'll want to replace your bath towels when they lose their absorbency — which experts say is about every two years.
Old towels, or towels that haven't been properly cleaned, can develop a musty smell that won't go away with a regular wash. When this happens, it's time to replace them. A dingy smell that returns to a seemingly clean towel as soon as it becomes wet is a sign it's harboring mildew or bacteria.
Kitchens should have at least two towels by the stove and two towels by the kitchen table for a total of four towels.
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.)”
Egyptian Cotton generally has longer and finer fibers than standard cotton. These weave together to create a soft but durable towel that remains fluffy for longer than a traditional cotton towel. In addition, Egyptian cotton is more porous, giving so it can absorb water efficiently.
You double-up when hanging them on hooks.
Using hooks to hang-dry towels between uses isn't that bad (though using a towel bar is better), but you should never hang more than one per hook. Moisture and debris could get trapped among the layers, which growing bacteria and mold just love.