How Often You Should Wash Your Towels
Think your bath towel is clean? Think again, with one expert revealing the brutal reason why we should be changing our towel more often.
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It’s safe to say that the warm Aussie climate means that a daily shower (at minimum) is an absolute necessity to stay clean.
But how often should we be cleaning the first thing we reach for when we finish our shower? The gross truth is we all probably need to be changing our bathroom towel to a clean one more often than we realise.
With long periods of drought sadly normal in many parts of the country, most Aussies pride themselves on conserving water, so it’s not uncommon for many of us to go a week using the same towel in the bathroom.
But according to Sydney-based dermatologist Dr Shreya Andric it’s best to change your towel every three days to avoid irritating your skin or potentially cause infections.
“If you shower more than once a day, then you might want to wash it more frequently,” she said.
The reason? Well water isn’t the only thing that’s transferred onto your towel after lathering yourself in shampoo and soap. “Dead skin cells, bacteria and sweat” are also VIPs on the guest list.
“Towels absorb a lot of water and remain damp for hours, which can be an excellent breeding ground for bacteria,” Dr Andric said.
And if you want to, ahem, ask for a friend how long you can use the same towel in the bathroom before it does more harm than good, Dr Andric said two weeks is probably the longest you can use a towel before the germ party gets out of hand.
IS IT BAD TO USE THE SAME TOWEL FOR YOUR FACE AND BODY?
Dr Andric suggested using a different towel for your face and body, “especially if you are prone to acne to minimise transfer of bacteria”.
Otherwise, you will end up spreading the oils, fungi and bacteria from your hair, butt and other areas onto your face (and vice versa). Gross.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO WASH TOWELS?
While it may leave your towels feeling soft and smelling great, keeping your laundry conditioner stowed away is one of the best things you can do for your towels (and your skin).
“Use hot water to kill off any bacteria (preferably 60 degrees Celsius)” and “avoid fabric softener as this will reduce the absorbency of the towels”, Dr Andric said.
BEST QUICK-DRY TOWELS
So, when should you throw in the towel for good and buy a new set?
“Bath towels can last years, especially if you have multiple that you rotate through. They should be replaced if they have a smell that won’t go with washing (ew!) or if they are no longer absorbent,” Dr Andric said.
For anyone who needs to stock up, here are a few absorbent and fast drying towels to add to your shopping list.
Sheridan Quick Dry Luxury Towel Set, $149.99 at Myer
What You Need To Know
Keep it classic with this lightweight bath towel from Sheridan. It’s made using fine cotton yarns in a high density weave, which is said to help the fabric absorb and dry fast. So, you and your towel won’t be left feeling damp.
“I was pessimistic about these because they seemed quite thin compared to other Sheridan towels but these are actually great. They dry quickly and they maintain their softness. Would recommend these,” a customer posted on the Myer website, giving it a five-star review.
This Quick Dry Luxury Towel range also offers bath sheets, face washers, hand towels and bath mats.
Linen House Nara Cotton Bamboo Bath Towel, $39.99 at Myer
What You Need To Know
The 550GSM bamboo and cotton blend of these Linen House bath towels means they’re designed to be a little heavier, giving you great absorbency and a nice luxurious feel, but still lightweight and thin enough to ensure the fabric dries quickly.
“I was looking at several different brands of towels, but am so glad I went ahead with these!” a reviewer posted.
“These towels are so soft, light and fast drying. Beautiful colour, too.”
The Nara bath towels come in clay, green, blue, charcoal and white. You can also find the same style as a bath sheet, face washer, hand towel and bath mat.
Royal Splendour Eight Piece Towel Set, $109.99 (down from $200) at Canningvale
What You Need To Know
Made from 100 per cent long-staple combed cotton, the set is ideal if you want to dedicate a separate towel for different parts of your body. This includes two bath towels, two bath sheets, two face washers and two hand towels. Otherwise, the towels are available to purchase individually.
While these Canningvale towels are heavy weight, reviewers say they still don’t take long to dry.
“Fantastic towels – so soft and absorbent. Best towels I’ve ever owned. (T) hey dry me so thoroughly after my shower,” a happy reviewer wrote.
Sheridan Living Textures Bath Towel, $39.95 at Sheridan
What You Need To Know
Looking for the perfect gift (or just love anything personalised)? Get your hands on these Sheridan towels. They’re made using Hygro technology, a spinning technique that collects water faster to improve absorbency and ensure the fabric still has that luxe soft feel.
Reviewers love the fluffy feel and agree these are “great quality” and “long lasting” towels that dry quickly and “don’t get smelly in a small enclosed bathroom”.
“Amazing addition to our bathroom. These towels are lovely and soft, dry well and are a great size. Love the colour!” praised one customer.
Country Road Kiko Australian Cotton Bath Towel, $49.95 at The Iconic
What You Need To Know
Instantly chic up your bathroom with Country Road’s stylish grid patterned bath towels, made from 100 per cent Australian cotton. You can alternatively opt for a bath sheet if you want more coverage, or get a bath mat to match. Different colours include charcoal marle, olive and spruce.
“Soft high quality towels! Looks so good in my bathroom,” a shopper wrote, rating it five stars.
Navara Bamboo Solid Cotton Bath Towel, $49.99 at Adairs
What You Need To Know
Similar to the Linen House Nara bath towel, this is made with a cotton bamboo blend for natural antibacterial properties and excellent absorbency.
Along with 10 different colours to choose from, these Adairs bath towels also come as bath sheets, face washers, hand towels and bath mats also available.
Five-star rating Adairs customers have described the towels as “soft and absorbent”.
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