How often should you wash a towel to avoid health risks?

Illustrative image,

Washing towels frequently at lower temperatures is better than washing them occasionally at higher temperatures.

author, Manish Pandey
scroll, BBC Newsbeat
September 12, 2023

We use it almost every day to dry our bodies after showering. Smaller versions are used more for hands and faces.

But, after all, when is it time to wash and change the set of towels in the bathroom?

A new survey of 2,200 UK adults suggests that people have never stopped to think more seriously about the issue.

Of those surveyed, 44% said they wash towels after using them for three months (or more).

But what does Sally Bloomfield, a home hygiene and infectious disease prevention expert, think about this?

“I was a bit shocked because I thought the towels were going to be clumpy, sweaty and very uncomfortable to use,” she told BBC Newsbeat.

Nearly one in five respondents said they wash their towels once a month, a quarter said they make that change once a week, and one in 20 choose to wash their towels every day after showering, according to data obtained by the bath company.

Why do we need to wash our towels?

Getting straight to the point about how long you should wear these pieces, Bloomfield says that’s a “reasonable frequency.” [para a troca] “It will be at least once a week.”

“Even though towels may look clean, they may pick up millions of germs over time, which can pose a significant health risk to anyone you live with.”

If you don’t wash your towels regularly, “the number of microorganisms on the towels increases,” she says, and when it’s time to wash them, “it’s very difficult to remove them” completely.

This is where things can get problematic.

Illustrative image,

Of those interviewed, 44% said they washed towels after three or more months of use

When we dry different areas of the body, the towel picks up microorganisms, such as those that live on our feet.

Bloomfield warns that most microscopic things on our skin may not be infectious, but if they get into cuts and abrasions, they can cause serious infections.

Who lives alone?

If you share a home with other people, you need to be more careful.

“Sometimes we carry microorganisms that may not cause us harm at the time, but if we pass them on to other people, they might get sick,” Bloomfield says.

Pathogens can be transmitted if you share towels, but also if you wash your items in the same set of other people’s clothes.

“So there is good evidence that infectious agents can be transmitted in this context.”

You may think that if you live alone, your risks are lower.

The logic makes sense, but Bloomfield advises, even in this case, not to use the same towel for more than two weeks.

Illustrative image,

Experts say that you should definitely wash your gym towel regularly

NHS consultant dermatologist Christina Psomadakis says she “encourages people to check their towels”.

“If you have facial and body acne or inflamed hair follicles, you may need to wash the towel more frequently.”

She says poor household hygiene, including clean towels, can be a contributing factor in the development of skin conditions.

“You have to take care of your hygiene. Otherwise, these diseases will continue to be a problem for you,” the doctor advises.

One towel for your face and one for the gym

If you like to exercise, you probably have a towel to wipe off the sweat.

If you’re using a towel specifically for this purpose, it’s important to wash it regularly, Bloomfield says.

“You accumulate sweat there, as well as removing skin cells and more bacteria from the towel.”

If you don’t, she says, the towel will become more “heavily soiled” and it will be difficult to clean the item in the wash.

Illustrative image,

Towels used during training accumulate sweat, dead cells and microorganisms

If you’re wondering whether you need one towel for your face and one for your body, Psomadakis says that’s definitely a good idea.

“Don’t forget that when you use a body towel, you are wiping areas that are not exposed to sunlight and contain bacteria associated with feces.”

“You may have different types of microorganisms on your towel and don’t want to keep them near your face,” she says.

Bloomfield recognizes that there are environmental and cost concerns associated with using washing machines, but she says it’s better to clean swimsuits regularly at low temperatures rather than high temperatures every now and then.

“Keep your microbiome to yourself,” she jokes.