Daily? Twice a week? Until it starts to stink? How often do you wash your towels? 

Bath towels get dirty quickly, even when they look clean. Everytime you wipe your body dry, you transfer dead skin cells, sebum and bacteria onto it. Then there’s all the moisture that towels hold onto, creating the perfect habitat or more bacteria, mold, mildew and other nasty stuff. 

Using a dirty towel can cause acne, skin rashes, infections and other health problems. It can also cause or worsen body odor. If you want a hygienic and fresh towel, here is a quick guide on how often to wash your towel. 

How Often Should You Launder Your Towel?

Count the number of uses, not the number of days. That’s the rule of thumb when it comes to keeping your towel clean. 

Because towels get dirty quickly, experts recommend washing them after every three uses. Assuming you shower twice a day, you need to clean your towel every other day. Any longer than that and you’ll just be wiping yourself with a cesspool of bacteria and germs. 

When To Wash Your Towel More Frequently 

For most people, laundering your towel after every three uses is enough to keep it clean and hygienic. But in some cases, it’s necessary to clean your towel more often, sometimes after each use. 

• Gym towels hold a lot of dirt, sweat, oils and bacteria. Throw yours in the wash after each use. 
• If you have sensitive skin and are prone to acne, eczema and other skin problems, don't use a towel more than once or twice before washing it. We also recommend getting the Tegan towel for those with sensitive skin. It’s designed with hygiene and skin health as a priority. 
• If you don't have a place to fully dry your towel between washes, meaning it stays damp all the time, wash it after each use. Otherwise, it will quickly accumulate bacteria, mold and germs. 
• If your towel has any body fluid like blood, wash it immediately. 

How to Keep Your Towel Fresh

We have an entire post on how to keep your bath towels fresh. The most important thing is airing out your towels after each use. 

Moisture is the biggest enemy of hygiene and freshness. It invites all sorts of nasty stuff onto your towel. So you want your towel to dry as soon as possible after you use it. 

That’s why it’s a bad idea to hang your towel in a bathroom that’s always damp. If possible, hang it outside or somewhere airy. 

When it comes time to launder the towel, add a bit of vinegar to the rinse cycle. It drives away any musty and funky smells. By the way, do not use fabric softener. Not only will it reduce the water absorbency of the towel, it can actually make your towel smell worse by trapping odors inside the fibers.

You don't need to use bleach or wash your towel in very hot water to kill germs and bacteria. Using hot water and bleach too often will reduce the lifespan of your towel. Regular laundry detergent is enough to rid your towel of bacteria, oils and other stuff. 

Final Thoughts

You don't need to wash your towel everyday. As long as you air it after each wash, you can use it three times before laundering it. 

But for gym towels, people with sensitive skin, towels with body fluid and towels that never get dry, it’s best to wash them after each use.