Towel Hygiene

We all have one staple in our bathrooms, it’s the towel. The human body possesses 19 million skin cells and 650 sweat glands, aside from that humans shed skin constantly. The dead skin cells make up the top 20 layers of your skin and the towel is the one material that comes in contact with all these body fluids and elements every day.

The truth is some of us just use our towels for long periods of time without considering the fact our towels may be harbouring harmful germs and bacteria. So in this blog post, we are going to talk about towels and how to properly care for them.

DON’T SHARE YOUR TOWELS

As mentioned previously, your towels can harbour germs, bacteria and dead skin cells all of which are invisible to the human eye. Using someone else’s towel to wipe yourself clean just means you’ve rubbed all their body fluids and germs all over yourself, which defeats the purpose of having a shower to get clean. You could make yourself susceptible to diseases like ringworm and staph infections. So it is advised to use your own towel and to ensure no one else shares it with you including your loved ones and close friends. Make no exceptions.

USE A SEPARATE TOWEL FOR YOUR FACE

Your face is the first thing people see when they look at you. So it’s important that the face is kept clean as much as possible. Using the same towel on your face as on your body can lead to the spreading of germs or bacteria from different parts of your body to your face. The face is very sensitive and prone to pimples and acne breakouts, so it’s important to use separate towels for your face and body in order to avoid cross-contamination.

WASH AND RINSE YOUR TOWEL OFTEN

This is something experts emphasize so make sure you wash your towels after three-five normal uses. This helps explain why hotels are always replacing used towels with old ones during housekeeping. Studies have shown that bacteria can survive regular detergent so the best way to wash your towels is in hot water with a detergent with activated oxygen bleach. You are also advised to add one cup of white vinegar with detergent to remove chemical debris and hard water that may be stuck in the fibres of the towel.

NEVER USE A DAMP TOWEL

If dry towels can harbour germs and bacteria, image what damp towels can harbour. A damp towel is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria so it’s advised that you put them in the dryer or hang them in a room with a lot of ventilation, or spread them under the sun rays to avoid the growth of bacteria and mould.

CHANGE YOUR TOWEL OFTEN

It is recommended that you should use towels made from cotton over other synthetic fibres, which are man-made. When it comes to towel usage, it is recommended that you launder your towels every week after use and replace them with new ones every 3 months.

 

We all need to stay safe and clean. These times have certainly made it clear that we should invest in developing good personal hygiene today, tomorrow and forever.