Find out how often you really need to change your towels to keep them fresh and germ-free.
How can abath towelbe dirty if you just took a bath or shower and dried off?
Isnt it just absorbing clean water from your skin?
Credit: Jamie Grill/Getty Images
So, just how often should you change your bath towel?
Bathing removes dirt and germs, but not all of them.
The possibility of contamination from these microbes grows expeditiously if towels are shared between family members.
Thats whyhand towelsshould be changed even more frequently than bath towels.
Wash clothes should be cleaned after every use and hand towels every one to two days.
Environmental factors:Excessive heat and humidity in a bathroom causes bacteria to grow more quickly on towels.
If the towel still feels damp when you grab it after the next shower, choose a fresh towel.
Do not add a commercial fabric softener that can trap contaminants in the fibers.
Tumbling towels in an automatic dryer will help sanitize towels and kill microorganisms.
Or, use natures sanitizer, the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Hanging flat is better than over a hook because more surface is exposed to fresh air.
To keep them bacteria-free, choose a well-ventilated, dry spot.
The weave can also come into play.
Waffle weave towels dry more quickly than a thick, looped terry cloth.
Of course, any towel that has signs of mold or soil should be washed immediately.
Sci Rep.2023; 13: 7611.
Published online 2023 May 10. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-34501-4
