“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.
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. You can of course change them more often.
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.
People should wash any bathroom towels after about two days of use, Gerba says, particularly if you have young children in the house. And not just any rinse will do. Bacteria can survive regular detergent, according to Gerba, so use hot water and a product with activated oxygen bleach to thoroughly clean towels.
“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.
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.
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.
Although many people pull their towels out of the package and pop them right into their linen closets, others prefer to launder them before the first use. In general, we encourage you to give them a quick wash and dry cycle. Below, we explain why you should wash new towels and how to do it the best way possible.
Fabric that stays wet can lead to mold and mildew stains. Learn how to get mold and mildew out of towels, sheets, and fabric and remove that musty mildew smell.
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.
While towels will never be completely germ free, the amount of bacteria can be limited with far more regular washing than probably you're doing now. Gerba says bathroom towels should be washed after about two days of use, especially if the household has young children in it.
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.
coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus can survive and persist for up to 16 days on a kitchen sponge and up to 13 days on microfiber towels.
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.
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.
Suggested Inventory – How Many Towels Do I Need? Adults: Four bath and two hand towels per week, plus two washcloths per day.
A good rule of thumb is to wash your jeans after every 3-10 wears, or when they start to smell. If you're regularly active in your jeans (think: manual work, anything where you work up a sweat), wash them every 3 wears, but if you're working at a desk, you can probably go through multiple wears without washing.
Hotels and laundries have a chemical called Potassium permanganate which is a very strong oxidizer that can kill everything and also remove stains effectively.
If you have blankets at the end of your bed that are seldom unrolled and used, then washing them every few months should work well. However, if a blanket is used daily or nightly, you may want to put it on a weekly or biweekly washing schedule.
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.
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.
According to the Sleep Foundation, a standard mattress should last between 6-8 years before you need to replace it (1). But a mattress's life span can depend on a number of factors – including how often it has been slept on, the kind of mattress it is, and whether it has been used with a mattress protector.
Typically, hotels wash their bedding once every week including various kinds of comforters, sheets, and pillows. However, they often swap out the pillowcases and linens between the guests. It's a common practice that the hotel comforters are rarely automatically changed – unless a guest requests it.
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.