How Often Should I Wash My Towel?

Towels are used daily for various different uses. We have towels for our faces, and towels for our hands. You can find towels across your house from the bathroom to the kitchen. The question is - do you know how often you're supposed to wash your towels? Take the quiz to find out!

Bath Towels

Although bath towels are products designed for frequent and intensive use, the towels you use after just a few showers may start to smell. Bath towels should be washed after every 3 to 4 uses. "Despite being used to dry a clean body, when you dry yourself, you’re transferring dead skin cells and this can become a breeding ground for bacteria." explains Verity Mann, Head of Testing at the GHI.

Also bath towels need to be allowed to dry before they are used again. So, remember to hang up your towel after each use.

Hand Towels

Since hand towels are used frequently, have an environment where bacteria can reproduce faster and more, and they are used by different people for various reasons, they should be laundered more frequently. Ideally you should be washing your hand towel every day. If someone is sick in your house or workplace they should be using their own hand towel to help stop the spread of bacteria.

Face Towel (Wash Cloth)

According to Healthline, if you're using a washcloth to remove makeup, wash your face or in the shower, it really should be washed after every use.

Tea Towels (Kitchen)

Tea towels are one of the most handy things in the kitchen and do everything from mopping up general spills to drying dishes, so of course they get dirty. Experts advise that tea towels should be changed every day, which is probably a shock for a lot of people.

Gym Towel

Verity Mann recommends washing gym towels after every workout. "Not only are your gym towels covered in sweat, but they can also come into contact with airborne bacteria and can be used to wipe down pieces of equipment,"

Factors that warrant more frequent washing

According to Healthline, there are some circumstances that call for washing your bath towels more frequently than twice a week:

Any towel that has body fluid on it should be washed after only one use.
Gym towels that sop up sweat or towels that stay damp in your gym bag for a few hours should be washed after one use.
Towels kept in a bathroom that’s usually damp and don’t dry fully should be washed after one use.
If you have eczema or sensitive skin, wash all of your towels after one use to prevent further irritation.

How Often Should I Wash My Towel?