Latest news with #towels
CNET
4 days ago
- Health
- CNET
I Thought I Was Washing My Bath Towels Often Enough. I Was Dead Wrong
When it comes to cleaning our homes, bathrooms are at the top of the list. While we often clean the obvious parts of the bathroom, it's easy to overlook less visible dirty items -- like bath towels. Even though your bathroom towels may look clean -- after all, they're usually just drying off clean parts of your body -- they could be holding massive amounts of bacteria and germs. I'm often guilty of ignoring my bath towels. As long as they're dry and back in place, I rarely give them a second thought. But to keep myself and my housemates healthy, I'll make a point to wash them more regularly. Learn how often you should wash your bath towels to keep them in tip-top shape and the best temperature for getting the cleanest. Why do you need to clean your bath towels so often? When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing. LG's WashTower functions as one combined washer and dryer unit. LG When should you reuse or wash bathroom towels? Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be washed. That's "times" not "days." If you have many family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed on the third or fourth use. The condition of the person using the towel matters, too. If they're sick, toss it in the laundry after one use. If it's flu season, it's best for every family member to have their own towel -- even if they aren't exhibiting symptoms -- to prevent the potential spread of germs. How often you wash towels also depends on how they're dried after usage. If towels find themselves on the floor, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:04 / Duration 1:37 Loaded : 18.39% 0:04 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:33 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Supercharge your dryer by cleaning its vent What temperature is best for washing bath towels? The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns. And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don't. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.
CNET
7 days ago
- General
- CNET
Clean or Contaminated? The Best Time To Wash Your Bath Towels
Cleaning ourselves comes as a no-brainer for most. It is deeply ingrained in us that in order to eliminate germs, it's best to bathe or take a shower often. But that habitual mindset doesn't always translate when determining when we should wash our bath towels. There are ongoing debates about when's the best time to change your toothbrush and how often you should clean your bathroom, but no one really stresses the proper etiquette for clean bath towels. If you're intrigued like me, go down this rabbit hole to get to the bottom of this hunch. Trust me, if you believe you're washing your towels enough, reports would beg to differ. Why is proper towel maintenance important? When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing. Read More: Want to Clean Your Bathroom in 10 Minutes or Less? Here's How LG's WashTower will function as one combined washer and dryer unit. LG When should you reuse or wash? There are some variables regarding how often you should wash your towels. Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be tossed in the hamper. Now notice, I said "times" not "days." So if you have multiple family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed on the third or fourth use. Also, the condition of the person using the towel matters too. If they're sick, toss it in the laundry after one use. If it's flu season, it's best that every family member have their own towel -- even if they aren't exhibiting symptoms -- to prevent the potential spread of germs. How often you wash towels also depends on how they're dried after usage. If towels find themselves on the floor, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room. Downy brought in a dog to add some cuteness to its mystery-celebrity Super Bowl ads. Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET What temperature is best for washing? The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns. And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don't. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Doctor issues urgent warning against daily bathroom habit that can lead to illness and infection
A doctor has warned against sharing towels with members of your family, revealing it can lead to infection and illness. Dr Hussain Ahmad, who works for click2pharmacy based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, said that the dampness from the shared towel can cause fungi to grow. If one person has an infection such as athlete's foot it can easily spread around the household and cause others to become infected. Speaking to Metro, Dr Ahmad added that sharing towels 'might seem harmless' but can cause infections to be 'passed on easily'. 'Even things like cold sores or warts can in theory be transmitted this way, though that's less common. 'The worst thing that could happen is you pass on an infection that keeps bouncing between you both, or ends up needing treatment. 'Fungal infections between toes or in the groin area are common with shared towels.' A furious woman recently went on the anonymous British parenting forum Mumsnet to vent about how her partner had used her pink bath towel after having a shower. A furious woman recently went on the anonymous British parenting forum Mumsnet to vent about how her partner had used her pink bath towel after having a shower She wrote: 'Am I being unreasonable to think my husband should use his own towel when showering/bathing? I've told him so many times to use his own towel. 'He just doesn't seem to get it. I only changed the towels this weekend and now he has used both of ours, so I'm going to have to get another clean towel tomorrow morning!' The woman then asked other Mumsnetters whether she was being unreasonable for getting angry with her husband - but many admitted that sharing towels is normal in their household. One person wrote: 'We have communal towels. I don't care who in the family is using it as long as it's hung up afterwards.' Another penned: 'Well after 40 years of towel sharing and not caught anything, I've risk assessed and happy to continue!' A third said: 'Well I never realised that people in a family household had their own towels. We just have shared towels. Are we the weird ones?' The NHS also warns against people using the same towel - especially if one person is ill and feeling under the weather, as germs can easily spread to healthy individuals. However, others could not believe that people were using each other's towels and were on the woman's side. The woman then asked other Mumsnetters whether she was being unreasonable for getting angry with her husband - but many admitted that sharing towels is normal in their household However, others could not believe that people were using each other's towels and were on the woman's side One wrote: 'That would really annoy me too because it's not hard just to reach for your own towel is it? 'My husband washes his hands in our bathroom and instead of using the provided hand towel uses my large bath towel that is hung on the bathroom door. 'When I use my towel it's always got lots of wet patches!' Another penned: 'That would annoy me too. 'Either keep your towel somewhere else or just get another towel out for yourself when you shower.' A third said: 'I would rather walk to the airing cupboard naked and dripping from the shower than use my [partner's] towel!! And I would hate it if he used mine. You're not [being unreasonable] at all.' A fourth commented: 'I found this out about my [husband] too and was horrified. I have a main towel and a hair towel. I don't use the hair towel on my body and feel it's 'clean' - I caught [my husband] with it round his waist and drying very thoroughly.'
CNET
26-05-2025
- Health
- CNET
I Used to Wait Weeks to Wash My Towel. Here's Why I Stopped
I've always known it's important to shower regularly, but for some reason, I never gave much thought to how often I should be washing my towels. It's one of those habits that just sort of happens: toss it in the laundry when it feels dirty. But I started wondering if I was actually doing it enough. We all know that it's important to bathe or take a shower often, but that habitual mindset doesn't always translate when determining how often we should be washing our towels. When's the best time to change your toothbrush and how often you should clean your bathroom are topics that are debated often, but no one really stresses the proper procedure for cleaning bath towels. If you're also unsure about how often you should be doing this chore, let's go down this rabbit hole together to get the answer. Even if you believe you're washing your towels enough, many reports may beg to differ. When should you reuse a towel or wash it? There are some variables regarding how often you should wash your towels. Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be tossed in the hamper. Now, notice that it says "times" not "days." So if you have multiple family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed after the third or fourth use, which for most households happens in a single day. Alina Bradford/CNET Also, the condition of the person using the towel matters. If they're sick, the towel needs to be tossed into the dirty laundry and replaced after every use. During cold and flu season, it's best that every family member have their own towel -- even if they aren't exhibiting symptoms -- to prevent the potential spread of germs. How often you wash towels also depends on how they're dried after usage. If towels end up on the floor after being used, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room. Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET Why is proper towel maintenance important? When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing. What temperature is best for washing towels? The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns. And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don't. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.
CNA
14-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
Do you wash your bath towel often? Experts in Singapore found germs ‘too numerous to count'
Muhammad Sherefudin fared worst. He uses his towel twice a day but throws it in the wash only when it starts to smell. His sample turned out to be rife with bacteria, mould and yeast. Like Tan, he never thought it would be 'this bad', and they are probably not alone in that. A Talking Point poll of over 1,200 viewers found 11 per cent of them changed their towels once a month or longer, 14 per cent did so every two weeks, while half of them said they wash theirs weekly. How often one's towel is washed, however, is only part of the story. Some 43 per cent of respondents also said they leave their towels inside the bathroom, where there is high humidity and poor ventilation. Elizabeth Purwadinata, for example, washes her towel weekly but leaves it to dry on a bathroom rack, which yielded the group's third-highest bacterial count. Kai Leow, another weekly washer, was similarly dismayed that his towel was riddled with yeast microbes. Forty-eight per cent of respondents, meanwhile, hung their towels elsewhere. Take Hillary Ho — she lets her towel dry in a room with the windows open, and it goes through the wash every three or four days. It was the cleanest of the lot. But why do towels harbour so many microbes in the first place, when you have already scrubbed and rinsed yourself? 'We're covered (with) bacteria naturally, and the typical shampoos or soap don't remove all the bacteria,' says James Ho from the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University. '(Then) the bacteria stick to the towel, and they grow.' What exactly could be festering in your bath linen, and how hazardous can a germ-laden towel be? Here is the experts' advice on how to keep your towels clean for a clean bill of health. WATCH: How often should you wash your bath towels? More often than you think! (22:36) A RANGE OF INFECTIONS Unwashed towels can harbour a host of bacteria, including pseudomonas, which is known to cause skin infections such as hot tub folliculitis and green nail syndrome, warns dermatologist Angeline Yong. Pseudomonas can even enter the respiratory tract or the bloodstream and potentially result in more serious infections. Individuals with compromised skin barriers — such as those with eczema or atopic dermatitis — are vulnerable owing to their skin's reduced ability to act as a protective barrier. 'The skin barrier … is like a pavement,' says the dermatologic surgeon. 'If there are multiple cracks because of dry skin … (you're) much more likely to get an infection.' Young children with sensitive skin, elderly people and those with weakened immune systems, including those with diabetes, may also face higher risks. Poor towel hygiene may contribute to the spread of bacteria and infection. For example, using the same towel for one's body and face can result in the transfer of Escherichia coli bacteria to the facial region, Yong says. Damp towels left unwashed for too long may also develop mould, which can trigger allergic reactions when inhaled. Skin contact with mould may lead to irritation too. Yeast, another potential concern, can cause infections such as candidiasis, commonly observed in infants with diaper rash and adults who are incontinent and wear adult diapers. In immunocompromised individuals, yeast can also affect the oral cavity, resulting in oral candidiasis. WASH OFTEN MEANS TWICE WEEKLY The more often a towel is used, the more bacteria and fungi it tends to accumulate — largely because frequent use prevents it from drying completely between uses, says Malini Thyagesan, who led the lab experiment at Republic Polytechnic. What also matters is how often the towel gets washed, the senior lecturer and her team found. 'A towel that's well washed often, we're talking about (once every) three to four days, … would have lesser amounts of microbes,' she says. Temperature fluctuations can also fuel microbial growth. Mould tends to flourish between 16°C and 26°C, while yeast prefers slightly warmer conditions. So, toggling the air-conditioner on and off can create a favourable environment for both to thrive on towels. Few people take advantage of one of the best natural disinfectants: sunlight. Only 8 per cent of respondents in Talking Point's poll dried their towels outdoors. The impact can be significant, as Ho demonstrated in an experiment with two used towels — one that was left to dry in the bathroom, the other in direct sunlight. He found that the first towel had 600 bacterial colonies after 24 hours, while the sun-dried towel had half that number. So, the senior research fellow recommends drying towels in a well-ventilated area with exposure to sunlight. The difference shows up even under the same roof. While Elizabeth's towel had one of the highest bacterial counts, her son's towel (used once a day and washed weekly) had one of the lowest counts — being dried after use in a well-ventilated utility room with some sunlight. For homes without a balcony or much sunlight, Ho suggests drying towels under a ceiling fan. 'Ventilation is the key,' he emphasises. When it comes to towel material, there are several types, including cotton, microfibre, bamboo and antimicrobial options, which Malini's team put to the test to see how each resisted microbial growth. Cotton did worst, owing to its high absorbency and slow drying time. 'If it doesn't get dried well enough, then the bacteria are going to proliferate,' she says. Microfibre performed slightly better but not as well as the bamboo towel, which had 'just some fungus' and no detectable bacteria. The antimicrobial towel, with a coating that suppresses microbial activity, showed similarly good results. No material, however, is foolproof. 'Antimicrobial doesn't mean that it totally eliminates (microbes),' Malini cautions. 'The key … is (to wash our towels) often so that we start with a clean slate.'
