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This is how often you should be washing your towels

According to science.
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There’s nothing quite like draping a fresh, fluffy towel around yourself after a shower or bath. But then after a few uses, the towel begins to smell a bit funky which begs the question: how often should towels be washed?

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Sometimes life gets hectic, so you think, ‘I’ll change it tomorrow’. Tomorrow becomes the following day, and so on. You’ve now moved into dangerous, smelly towel territory and you’re beginning to smell like…your towel. Stop! Rewind! 

So at what stage should you have changed your towel?

How often should you wash bath towels?

According to the New York University School of Medicine, bath towels should be changed after three uses – and that’s only if you can dry the towel completely after each use. So do note, this is based on number of uses, not days. If you shower twice a day, you should change your towel every second day. If you shower once a day, then change your towel every third day.

Golden retriever draped with white bath towel
(Credit: Getty) (Credit: Getty)

Damp towels are a breeding ground for microbes (which causes that undesirable odour emanating from your towel). Other delights that are wiped off onto your towel include cellular debris that live on the surface of your skin. And it’s the cellular debris that feeds the microbes.

How often should you wash hand towels?

Hand towels should be changed every two to three days, as they are generally found in high-traffic areas such as the kitchen and bathroom. Additionally, multiple individuals in the home use these towels, so even more reason to change them on a regular basis.

Hand towel on bathroom vanity
(Credit: Getty) (Credit: Getty)

Tip: If you find your older towels are a bit smelly – even after a wash – try washing it in the hottest water setting recommended on the washing instructions with one or two cups of white vinegar. Then, give the towels another wash with your regular washing detergent.

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