How Often Should I Wash My Bath Towels?
You have probably stayed at a hotel that leaves a message encouraging you to reuse your towels to help save the environment. There is truth to this, as laundry uses electricity and lots of water. It is also cheaper to reuse towels. This same philosophy applies to washing towels at home, in that reusing a bath towel can save you money. But how many times should you reuse a bath towel before it's time to swap it out for a clean one?
The consensus is you should wash or swap out your bath towels every two to three uses. Never use a towel for longer than one week without washing it, as it will grow bacteria. The type of towel, what you use it for, and whether you are sick all impact how many times you can reuse a towel. Face towels and washcloths should be washed more frequently.
Reusing towels is a tricky practice. On one hand, it can help lower your water bill and also help you protect the environment. If, however, you reuse your towels too often, it can result in funky smells, bacteria growth, and even illness. Keep reading to understand the perfect number of times you should reuse a bath towel before swapping it out for a fresh one.
How Many Times Should You Reuse Your Bath Towels?
It is perfectly safe to reuse your bath towel more than once without washing it in most cases, and it can even save on your electric bill. But as a rule, you should only reuse it two or three times. After three days, most experts agree that you should swap it out for a fresh one. This will reduce the risk of bacteria growth or the dreaded smelly towel.
There are, however, many factors that can impact how long you should wait before you wash your bath towel. Below is a full list of considerations you should make when determining how many times you should reuse towels in your home.
Six Factors That Impact When You Should Wash Bath Towels
1. What You Use Them For
Bath towels are used for all sorts of purposes. Some are used to dry your body, and others, like washcloths, are used to scrub your body. There are also hand towels you keep in the bathroom to dry your hands and floor towels you may use to keep your floor dry.
Not all towels stay fresh for the same amount of time. Towels that touch your skin, especially your face and sensitive regions, should be washed more frequently. Consider what comes in contact with each towel when you are deciding whether or not it’s time to wash it.
2. The Towel Material
Just as there are many towel varieties, there are also tons of different materials used to make towels. Some materials are very soft on the skin but absorb and retain water for much longer. Other towels are thinner, and might not be the softest, but they dry very quickly.
The quicker your towels dry, the less likely they are to grow bacteria or mold. Therefore, a slow-drying towel is more susceptible to these harmful microbes and should be washed more frequently.
If you have white towels, you might want to wash them as soon as you notice any stains or marks. This means white towels will be washed more frequently than colored towels or ones with a print.
3. How You Hang Them To Dry
If you want your towel to dry quickly, and you do, then you need to give it space to breathe. How you hang your towels, and where you hang them to dry will impact how many times you can reuse a towel before it needs to be thrown in the washer.Â
The bathroom is the most logical place to dry your towels, since that is where you use them. However, if your bathroom has minimal space to hang towels and has poor circulation, you may consider hanging them in your bedroom or on a clothesline.Â
If you let the entire towel hang exposed on a rack, rather than allowing it to bunch up on a hook, then it will dry faster and more effectively.
4. The Humidity In Your HomeÂ
Another factor that can have a major impact on how often you should wash your bath towels is the humidity in your home. The higher the humidity inside your home, the longer it takes for towels to dry.
Your towels will dry faster if you use a dehumidifier, which is just one of many great uses for a dehumidifier. If you live in a humid but warm climate, consider hanging your bath towels out in the sun. The sun will kill some bacteria and dry your towels quickly, even with humidity.
5. The Smell Factor
Towels get smelly after a while. Sometimes it is the type of towel, and sometimes it’s how it’s hung, or how long you’ve been using it, but regardless of the reason, a smelly towel needs to be washed.
The good thing about a smelly towel is it is a great way of letting you know it is time to wash it and replace it with a clean one. A smelly towel is sometimes out of your control, but the best way to prevent a towel from getting a funky smell is to keep it as dry as possible. This means hanging it properly in a well-ventilated (ideally dry) space.
6. Sickness, Cuts, And Other Ailments
Lastly, you must understand that towels are a major spreader of germs that can cause colds, the flu, and other ailments. Since your nose, mouth, and eyes all touch your bath towel and washcloth, using them can easily spread any sickness you are have.
For this reason, you must always wash towels after each use while you are sick with an infectious illness. If you have any cut or open wounds, then you should always use a fresh towel to clean and dry off. Cuts and wounds are very susceptible to infection, so you must use the most sanitized towels you have.
Types Of Bathroom Towels And When You Should Wash Them
Hand Towel
Hand towels are used frequently, and if the world learned anything during the last pandemic, it’s that it’s important to keep your hands clean. Therefore, it’s a good idea to wash and replace your hand towels every two days.
Consider buying a stack of a dozen or so hand towels, so you can easily replace them, and never run low, even if you only do laundry once every two weeks. If you have company for the day, then use a fresh towel for company and change the hand towel when they leave.Â
Classic Bath Towel
The main bathroom towel people want to know how often they can reuse is the bath towel you dry yourself with. Bath towels should be washed after about three uses. Naturally, the factors in the above list will impact how long you should wait. No matter what, you should not use a towel for longer than a week, and more medical professionals agree on two to three days of use.
Wash Cloth
If you use a washcloth to scrub your body, then you know these towels rarely get dry and are in contact with some of the dirtier parts of your body. For this reason, it’s a good idea to replace your washcloth after each use with a new one.Â
This will go a long way in reducing bacteria buildup, as well as the spread of infection.
Face Cloth
Just like a washcloth, a face cloth is used to wash some of the most sensitive parts of your body. Your face is also where you can easily spread and transfer germs. Therefore, make sure you replace your face cloth after each use. In addition to being more sanitary, it will also help keep your face clean and free of clogged pores.
Floor Towel Or Bath Mat
If you use a towel to keep your bathroom floor dry, you must remember to swap it out regularly. It might not come into contact with the most vulnerable parts of your body, but being on the floor, it is likely to get dirtier than your other towels. As a rule, wash your floor towel as often as your bath towel.
Summing Up How Often You Should Wash Your Bath Towels
If you are wondering if it’s safe to reuse your bath towels, the answer is yes — usually. You can safely reuse a bath towel up to three times before you should wash it. Never wait longer than a week before swapping out your towel for a clean one. The type of towel, where you dry it, and the humidity in your home can all impact how frequently you should wash your bath towels.
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Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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