“We recommend washing bath towels after every three uses, or at least once a week, to ensure truly clean towels,” said Kate Elks, Brooklinen director. “Brooklinen's bath offerings, including bath towels and sheets, hand towels, and washcloths, only differ in size, so you can care for them all the same way.”
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.
Once a Week: Ideal. Once Every Two Weeks: Totally Acceptable.
According to the NHS you should wash household linen, towels and underwear at a temperature of 60°C to prevent any germs spreading.
Some people advise 30˚C, saying anything hotter will make towels stiff and scratchy or fade their colour. Others believe hotter temperatures between 40˚C and 75˚C are the only way to kill bacteria. We recommend washing coloured towels at 40˚C and white towels between 60˚C and 75˚C.
Recommended Washing Instructions for Towels
The NHS also recommends washing shared towels at 60 degrees. This needs to be combined with a good detergent to effectively kill germs.
Is it okay to change your bed sheets once a month? While your specific sheet changing habits might vary a little bit depending on your lifestyle, your body, and your preferences, most experts agree you should change your sheets every week or every two weeks.
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.
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.
Reusing towels a few times is better for the environment and likely won't be a cause for alarm. But as soon as you notice any funky smells, it's definitely time for a wash, since this is an indication of fungal and bacterial growth, Mohammed said.
Experts recommend washing or changing sheets once a week. In this post we cover how best to do it, tips, and why it's good advice to follow.
"Since bathrooms are so prone to moisture, keeping excess towels in the room can be tricky as this can lead to mildew, mold, and smelly fabrics," Kathy Cohoon, of Two Maids, says. She adds that due to these factors, it's smart to switch out the towels you have in use quite often, too.
“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.
The optimal shower
Experts typically recommend showering several days a week. The decision is personal, but knowing your body and routine is key. Showering every day is not bad for you (yay!), and showering every other day or even a couple of times a week isn't either.
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.
When to wash. Rossi generally tells his patients they should wash their hair once or twice per week. But if you've had chemical treatments that can make your hair drier — such as bleach, perms or relaxers — you might want to wash it less than once weekly to avoid breaking or brittle hair or split ends, he said.
While you should wash your pillowcases every two weeks, at least, along with your sheets and other bedding, you can get away with leaving your actual pillow for longer.
The fabric manufacturer recommends a 30 degree cycle. They don't get dirty so a quick 15 minute wash should suffice. Obviously we don't condone using the washing machine for just one or two lightweight towels, for environmental and financial reasons.
This means that when you check into a hotel room, you can expect to be sleeping on freshly laundered sheets that have not been used by anyone else. However, some hotels may not change sheets daily if you are staying for multiple nights. Instead, they may change them every two or three days.
You may be thinking, can you get bed bugs from not washing your sheets? No—bed bugs have absolutely nothing to do with cleanliness levels. However, washing your sheets regularly gives you the opportunity to look for and remove any possible bed bug infestations.
So how often you should wash your pyjamas? Harpa recommends washing pyjamas after three to four nights of wearing them - but if you bathe or shower before bedtime, you can extend this period of wearing without washing to 5-7 nights, maximum.
Should we wash towels or underwear at higher temperatures? "Clothes washed at 30C and below will come out clean," says cleaning guru Stephanie Zia, "but dust mites, pet allergens, mould spores, pollen and bacteria will be completely removed only by heat – ie, at 60C plus.
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.