Just How Dirty IS Your Towel?

Warning: May Induce Shame!

Towels. They’re warm, soft, fluffy and ready when you need them most, hanging on a hook in the bathroom. Or else they’re damp, smelling gross and musty, there somehow exists no in-between.

Adult life is rife with confusing questions like 'how often should I wash my towels?' While there are no hard and fast rules about towel ownership, science indicates there IS a limit to what you should put your towels through and how much time should pass between washes.

Humans have over 19 million skin cells, the top 20 layers of skin are already dead. During the process of cell turnover known as desquamation these layers shed naturally. After a shower, the action of towelling yourself dry exfoliates the dead skin onto the wet towel.  

Combine this dead skin with the average 650 million sweat glands per body and that’s a lot of stinky bodily waste to mop up everyday! Towels are effective at what they do, that is absorb water and dry your skin. But left unwashed, they can become breeding grounds for germs.   

Dirty towels can spread viruses, bacteria and fungi. MRSA and other staph infections thrive in the warm damp fibres of a towel. Infection, disease, E. coli and ringworm all enjoy the humid conditions in a bathroom where temperatures are high and the atmosphere is often dark.

In one study from 2019, microbiologist Charles Gerba of Arizona U found 90% of towels tested were contaminated with faecal bacteria, and 14% were found to be carrying E. Coli. "Many people don’t wash their hands thoroughly" he says.  

"So when they dry their hands on a towel, they’re rubbing bacteria into a place it’s likely to grow.“ Gross. To make matters worse, sharing towels risks spreading these microbes between couples, families or team mates. Your Towels Are Way Dirtier Than You Think !

If you can’t wash your towels more regularly but want to avoid contamination, make sure the towel dries out completely between uses. This will prevent bacteria growing and keep your towel clean enough for one more use. After 3 days, your towel is not clean and it is not hygienic.

If your towels start to smell, you’ve definitely left it too long between washes. Some bacteria can survive regular detergent, Gerba advises, so use hot water and oxygenated bleach to ensure your towels are sanitary. So, what is the magic number of uses before washing a towel?

"After about two days, if you dry your face on a hand towel, you’re probably getting more E. coli on your face than if you stuck your head in a toilet and flushed it,” Gerba says.

If that image doesn't make you want to gather your towels and run to the laundrette, nothing will!