How often should you wash towels: why it's important

We use bath towels every day, and bacteria remain on them, and after drying, an unpleasant odor may appear. Washing towels properly and on time will take care of our health.

The fabric is in close contact with our body and can cause various diseases due to dirt on it. Everyday Health has collected good reasons why you should keep your towels clean.

Elizabeth Scott, PhD and vice chair of the International Home Hygiene Forum, listed the pathogens that can be on dirty material - skin pathogens, fecal pathogens, bacterial, viral and fungal bacteria. All of these can cause diseases such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, eye conjunctivitis, and tinea capitis.

To avoid this, it is better to wash towels after two or three uses, and the safest thing to do is to take a new towel after each bath. You should dry it immediately after wiping yourself off, and preferably not in the bathroom, as this is a humid environment that favors the growth of bacteria.

"If you have open cuts or scratches on your body, have recently undergone surgery (including mole or skin cancer removal), or have a lot of eczema or general skin rashes, you should never reuse the same towel. Use a fresh towel after every shower until the skin heals," emphasized dermatologist Deirdre Hooper.

Towels should be washed in hot water with detergent. You can also add liquid bleach or activated oxygen laundry detergent to effectively remove dirt.

According to Kaylee Reynolds, PhD, if you don't wash your product often, you may develop a moldy odor that will transfer to your skin.

To keep your towels fresh and clean longer, you should wipe them from top to bottom, dry them properly, and not pile them up and bleach them if you get an unpleasant odor that indicates mold.

Also, wash the washing machine, as dirt and germs accumulate there.

Kitchen towels can be used for no more than three days. Because there is more dirt and bacteria there. Researchers claim that this can cause food poisoning, so they must be washed daily.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told you how to keep towels soft, even after a hundred times of washing. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram and Viber channels to keep up with the latest events.