Dr Bloomfield says if you're using a towel to wipe sweat, it's important to wash it regularly. "You're raising sweat, shedding skin cells from the surface of your body and more bacteria on to the towel." She says if you don't, it will become more "heavily contaminated" and then harder to decontaminate in the wash.
Not only will your towels start to stink, excessive microorganisms can increase the spread of rashes like athlete's foot and impetigo, aggravate eczema and acne, and potentially increase the likelihood of contracting a staph infection. Also? If they remain damp and unwashed long enough, they can grow mold.
Washing after every 3-4 uses is enough to keep them hygienic, according to our experts at the GHI. But, 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 lots of airborne bacteria.
Although the microbes that grow on our towels may not be harmful, we should still be washing our towels a lot more. Under normal circumstances, The Cleaning Institute recommends that you wash your bathroom towel every 3-5 times they are used, not every 3-5 days.
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 longer the towel stays damp, the longer the yeasts, bacteria, molds and viruses remain alive and stay active,” explains Dr. Vij. “They can cause an outbreak of, or spread, fungal infections like athlete's foot, ringworm and jock itch — and viral infections like warts,” he continues.
The American Cleaning Institute recommends washing your bath towel every three to five uses and hanging it up to dry in between. This helps stave off germs and contaminants that can cause serious infections.
In fact, studies have shown that towels can harbor bacteria such as Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli, both of which are commonly found on human skin and in the gut. If you go too long without washing your towel, these microbes can form biofilms that are difficult to remove and may even dull the towel's appearance.
How Do You Refresh Towels in the Washing Machine? Sometimes towels tend to get a light mildew smell. To refresh towels in the washing machine, let them run through a complete wash cycle using no detergent or bleach. Instead, add one cup of distilled white vinegar into the washing machine before starting the wash cycle.
The American Cleaning Institute recommends washing towels every three or four uses. But surveys show that most people reuse them at least five times, apparently without any serious consequences. Read more: How long does a shower have to be, to use the same amount of water as a bath?
"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.
Eichholz agrees, and states that hot water is actually not good for your towels, as it damages the fibers over time. “We recommend washing your towels in cold water—we promise it kills just as much bacteria as the hot water,” she 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. On day five of use, your towel contains so much bacteria, which I'm sure some of you can smell.
As long as you take care of them, good bath towels will last years before needing replacement. There's no set time for towel life spans — how long they last will depend on their quality and maintenance. You should buy new bath towels when yours become worn, unabsorbent and scratchy.
Washing your towels before their first use is really important. New towels often contain excess lint and other fibres that can shed and cause irritation or discomfort. By giving them a quick wash before using them, you can minimise the number of loose fibres - keeping your towels soft and ready to use.
"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.
But according to Sydney-based dermatologist Shreya Andric it's best to change your towel every three days to avoid irritating your skin or potentially cause infections. “If you shower more than once a day, then you might want to wash it more frequently,” she said.
Mold is typically green, black, or white, and can look thick and fluffy.
A few washes with a gentle detergent will remove the silicone coating and break-in your new towels (see below for towel care guidelines). But you can speed up the break-in period with this simple three-step process that cleans away the silicone coating, and leaves towels feeling soft and absorbent.
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.
If you love using your washcloth for showers, then Dr. Schlessinger recommends reserving it for use on the body. “The best way to wash your body with a washcloth is by using a gentle touch, don't scrub your skin too hard and avoid rubbing body acne or other skin irritations,” Dr.
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."
Dirty towels can carry a huge variety of microbes, and they've even been linked to spreading infectious disease. You can't keep your towels 100% germ-free, experts say, but you can limit the grossest ones by washing your towels—only way more often than you probably do now.
We know that bacteria is an underlying cause of breakouts - and damp, dirty towels are a breeding ground for bacteria! If you rub your face with a dirty towel, this bacteria can transfer and collect in your pores. And the same goes for a dirty pillowcase!