With bed sheets, towels are something that daily touches our most intimate body parts. Yet, we tend to simply hang them to dry after use, not paying much attention to them until we notice an unpleasant odor. The question arises: How frequently should you actually change your towels?
Why is it important to frequently change the towels you use after showering?
The very nature of how towels are used brings them into close contact with every part of the body, literally from head to toe. The list of microorganisms that towels can become contaminated with is extensive, and they can increase the risk of infection. These include:
- Skin pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA)
- Fecal pathogens (E. coli, C. diff, and norovirus)
- Bacterial and viral pathogens that cause conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Fungi (causing athlete’s foot and ringworm).
How often should you change towels?
The best practice is to change towels after each use, but you can stretch it to a maximum of two to three uses, provided they are fully dried between uses. Properly drying the towel after wiping is crucial as it helps kill potential microbes and prevents their growth.
Towel drying also depends on the climate you live in. In dry climates, towels may dry quickly, while in more humid climates, they may never fully dry. Additionally, the bathroom tends to be more humid than other rooms in your home. Therefore, drying towels outside the bathroom can be beneficial. All these factors can affect how often you need to wash your towels.
There are a few cases where daily towel changes are necessary, such as if you have open cuts or scratches on your body, have recently had surgery (including mole or skin cancer removal), or have eczema or a rash. In these cases, your skin barrier is compromised, and you should be more cautious.
Use a clean towel after each shower until your skin heals. Also, if you’re prone to abscesses – pus-filled pockets caused by infection that are red, raised, and painful – do not reuse towels. Doing so could spread the infection or contribute to new infections.
The proper way to wash and dry towels
Wash towels in hot water with detergent and dry them at a high temperature. This will eliminate any fungi and mold. Ideally, choose detergents with enzymes, specifically designed to break down dirt and kill bacteria. These detergents often have labels indicating they contain stain-fighting enzymes.
If you have sensitive skin, a new product may cause irritation, so if you notice any, discontinue its use. Detergents without colors and fragrances but containing enzymes in their formulation can also be gentler on the skin.
Another option is to add liquid bleach or a laundry product with oxygen bleach. All of these products enhance the effectiveness of the washing process. Additionally, it’s helpful to wash and dry your hands after handling dirty laundry.
What could happen if you don’t change towels twice a week?
Not everyone who infrequently changes towels will experience issues, but if a towel has a mildew smell, that odor can transfer to your skin, and if you’re allergic to mold, it could trigger allergy symptoms or contribute to them.
As mentioned, during wiping, you can transfer pathogens from the towel to your body, regardless of whether they are “your” bacteria. The risk of transmitting an illness through a towel also depends on how long the pathogen can survive and whether it will actually transfer to your body. The risk of contamination is generally lower than with hard surfaces such as doorknobs and wet floors.
For some people, using the same towel for too long can cause skin problems. If you don’t suffer from skin infections, your towel washing habits are likely optimal for you.
How to “extend” the time between towel washings
Here are some tips to keep in mind if you want your towels to stay fresh and clean for longer:
- Wipe yourself from head to toe.
- Hang used towels to dry, ensuring they are fully spread out and not bunched up.
- Allow towels to dry thoroughly.
- Avoid sharing towels.
- If you notice a mildew smell, wash them with the addition of bleach.
- If the mildew smell persists even after bleach and high-temperature drying, replace the towels. It’s unlikely that you can fully clean them in that case.
- Clean your washing machine, which can accumulate biofilm that transfers to towels. Do this by adding bleach to an empty cycle, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Change all your towels at the same intervals as bath towels.
Kitchen towels should also be changed frequently as they can become heavily soiled. One study found coliform bacteria on 89% of tested kitchen towels, and E. coli bacteria on 25% of samples. In that study, towels washed within three days had less E. coli compared to those in use for more than four days. Other research shows that around half of kitchen towels harbor bacteria, and those used for multiple purposes such as dish drying and hand wiping had higher microbial counts. Additionally, researchers have suggested that these towels can contribute to food poisoning. Change kitchen towels often, even daily, especially if used for wiping surfaces where spills occur. Furthermore, assign each towel a specific purpose. This includes having a designated towel for dish drying and a separate one for hand wiping.
