The right time to wash your bath towel is a mystery to many people. It’s just drying off your clean body so it really doesn’t get too dirty right? Wrong. Although it is used to dry your clean body it does still get dirty. It gets dirty and damp, and “a damp towel is growing” according to Philip Tierno, professor of pathology and microbiology at NYU School of Medicine. When a towel is used there are skin particles and bacteria that may get absorbed by the towel. If the towel doesn’t get properly hung out to dry, that’s when bacteria can start to grow. If a towel isn’t hung up to dry it’s most likely clumped up in a ball, damp, and dark. A haven for bacteria. So if you do dry your towel properly, the best time to wash it is after about 3 uses. It’s important to make the distinction between 3 uses and 3 days. However, if you begin to smell an odor resonating from your towel, it may be a good idea to throw it in the wash. Typically, when there is an odor coming from your towel, that means bacteria has started to form and multiply. Not really something you want to put on your clean body.

To recap, wash your bath towel every 3 uses to maximize cleanliness and avoid unwanted bacteria forming on it. When finished using your towel, make sure it is hung up properly so ample airflow can reach it to dry it out before your next use. If your towel is starting to have a funky odor, time for a wash. The bacteria growing on your towel are usually harmless but it is still important to avoid waiting too long to wash it. Drying your clean body with a bacteria-ridden towel basically, reverses the bathing process.