You come home from work tired and then run to the shower for a warm, relaxing shower. After a few minutes you feel much better, turn off the shower and wrap yourself in a soft, fluffy towel to dry yourself off.
This feeling we have right after the shower is a delight, isn't it? Sometimes it even feels like the towel is giving us a hug.
We bet you also love to feel the touch of the soft and clean towel on your skin? But is she really that clean? Probably not.
Far from suggesting that you spend weeks using the same towel without washing (or do you?), It is quite possible that you are not changing your towels as often as you should.
The right frequency to wash your towels
How many days can you safely use the same towel without washing it? If you bet in a week, know that is not so. In fact, this deadline is not determined by days, but by the number of uses.
Also read: 10 Common Mistakes in Bath Towel Care
According to scientists, the correct interval to make the replacement of towels? be it bath, face or hand? It is of only three uses.
That's right: maybe you don't take three showers a day, but if you wash your hands more often than we expect (we hope so), the recommendation is to change the washcloth daily!
Why all this?
Changing bath towels every three uses may seem overkill, but does this recommendation have any reasons? and they are called fungi and bacteria.
Towels are ideal environments for the proliferation of microorganisms and for the accumulation of dead cells and body secretions such as genital fluids, saliva and blood (who has never been cut with a blade while bathing?). In addition, towels are also excellent for accumulating dust mites.
Just stop and think: Do towels provide a moist environment, are in contact with oxygen and exposed to the heat of the bathroom? all that microorganisms dream of having one day.
Read also: 5 cleaning tips to prevent colds and flu
And if you are wondering where these microorganisms come from, know that it is from your own body. We are covered by these tiny beings, and the baths, however neat they may be, cannot eliminate all these fungi and bacteria.
In addition, towels can become contaminated with the microorganisms of the bathroom itself. This, of course, not to mention sharing the towel with someone? In this case, the germ count increases even more.
Then, when we rub on the towel, they transfer to the tissue, along with dead skin cells. The result is dangerous conditions for our health, such as diseases caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli (urinary and intestinal infections) and Staphylococcus aureus (an opportunistic pathogen that can cause skin infections).
Towel Care
If it is possible to leave the towels completely dry between uses, you would not have to change them as often, but it is difficult to dry them completely when they are in the bathroom.
Some experts recommend that the towel be rinsed with water at 60 degrees Celsius to eliminate all microorganisms, but if this is not possible, a soap with oxygen-based bleaching agents should be used.
Also read: After how many uses should I wash each piece of clothing?
Alternatively, you can add a small amount of white vinegar to the wash of the towels, wash with normal soap and allow them to dry outdoors.
Also, it is important to never share towels with others, including hand towels and the foot-drying mat. A microorganism can be harmless to someone else in your family while being dangerous to you.
Finally, be sure: if the towel smells weird at the time you use it, wash it off immediately!
Your Towels Are Way Dirtier Than You Think & You Should Probably Wash Them More Often | TIME (April 2024)
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