Just by smelling a piece of clothing or carefully inspecting it for stains, we can determine if it can be washed or used again.
But how do we know when it’s time to wash our towels in the washing machine? When the cloth used to dry the body is perfectly clean after a shower, how often should we wash it?
For example, a recent survey of 2,200 adults in the UK found that no one was too sure. 44% said they do it every three months or more.
The BBC asked Dr Sally Bloomfield, an expert in home hygiene and infectious disease prevention, what she thinks of this time.
“I was a bit surprised because you would expect towels to be rough, full of sweat and very uncomfortable to use,” she told the BBC.
About one in five people said they washed once a month, 25% once a week and one in 20 people washed after every bath or shower.
Why do towels have to be washed?
To simply address the frequency issue, Bloomfield says “a reasonable time frame is at least once a week.”
“Even though they look clean, over time they have accumulated millions of bacteria that can cause serious health hazards to the people you live with.”
Experts say that if you don’t wash your towels regularly, “the number of microorganisms on your towels will increase,” and when you do decide to wash them, “it will be difficult to get rid of them all.”
This is when things can go wrong. When we dry different parts of our body, towels become contaminated with microorganisms, such as those found on our feet, that cause athlete’s foot.
Most of the microorganisms that live on our skin may not be contagious, but if they enter through a cut or break in the skin, “they can cause infection, and that can have serious consequences,” Bloombeard said.
Is this also true if you live alone?
You should be more careful if you live with other people. “Sometimes, we may have microorganisms that don’t make us sick at the time, but if we pass them on to another person, they will,” the expert commented.
“If you share a towel with someone else or wash the towel in the same washing machine as their belongings, germs can be transferred to another person.”
You may think that the risk is lower if you live alone. That’s true, but even in this case, Bloomfield advises, you shouldn’t “wait more than 15 days.”
NHS dermatologist Cristina Psomadakis said she would encourage people to check how often they wash their towels.
“If you suffer from facial or body acne or hair follicle inflammation, we want you to wash your towels frequently.”
Poor household hygiene, including towels, can be a factor in skin problems. “You have to address these sanitation issues or things will continue to be a problem for you.”
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