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Washing bath towel HOW often?
Diet & Health / 3:34 PM - Sunday December 16, 2007

washing bath towel HOW often?

Can anyone give me the reason(s) or a good reason as to WHY a lot of people wash their bath towel once a week or more often?
I know, mildew if it stays wet, but I live in a desert and it evaporates very quickly. I also use Dial antibacterial soap (keeps bacterial infections out of private regions, ladies, I've NEVER had one!!!) so I feel very clean when coming out of the shower.
I do a 'sniff test' and if it still smells like fabric softener or smells like nothing, then its good to go. I wash mine like every 2 weeks and occasionally I've washed it once a month.

Are there common-knowlege reasons I don't know about as to why people wash them more often?
Usually mildew smells, so if my towel smells nice/clean, isn't it so?

I am a young bachelorette, been living on my own 4 years.

- Asked by discotrash, A Career Woman, Female, 29-35, Las Vegas, Other Profession

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i do mine every 2 weeks. i figure towels are just there to dry you once you have cleaned so thats fine. (some one is bound to say im incredibally gross now)

- Response by psychoticbabe1, A Thinker, Female, 26-28, Other Profession

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Yes, some molds & mildew smell as they develop, but not all (highly dangerous black mold has NO odor), and bacteria USUALLY has no smell until it's too late. The fact that you live in the desert, probably does help with the some mildew issues, but remember that mildew will not always have a smell until it is fully formed. The desert not eradicate the formation of bacteria (if that were true, no one who lived there would ever become ill or infected with anything!!)...
I work in a physician's clinic, and tell everyone that bacteria do not need moist warm areas to multiply or thrive, it is simply better for them to do so, and some can live on dry surfaces for up to several days.

Also remember that when you dry off with that towel, even if you exfoliate with sandpaper, microscopic pieces of skin are embedded into the towel, and this is what bacteria & mildew eat.
Just like you would not eat off of your kitchen counter directly, you should not assume that "no smell" means that it is clean.
I suggest washing in hot water (borax or bleach as needed) every 2-3 days.
Same goes for sheets/bedding----body oil & skin particles get imbedded, and become dust mites favorite snack!!

- Response by iowaczechartist, A Thinker, Female, 36-45

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I live in Illinois, So I have to wash it every 3 days. We have too much moisture in the air for them to dry. But I see you point. I am not sure why people wash them alot other then it smells. Thats a big thing to notice when you dry off. Good factor...

- Response by ratbrat98, A Creative, Female, 29-35, Student

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you're lucky. I wash mine all the time even though I have soft water. I just feel weird using them over and over.

- Response by busyb704, A Thinker, Female, 46-55, Other Profession

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I live in S.W. Florida & need to change the towels every other day or else they start to smell moldy. Which is to say I do a hell of a lot of laundry in a week.

- Response by italiangypsy, A Thinker, Female, Who Cares?, Philadelphia, Other Profession

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I know people who use a towel once and wash it, I don't get that, I use my two towels for week, so does everyone else in the family, you get out of the shower clean, so the towel has clean water on it, you hang it up and it dries, so why wash it after one use?? Same with bed sheets, they get washed once a week.

- Response by screambeams, A Cool Mom, Female, 46-55, Other Profession

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When you get out of the shower, you are certainly cleaner than when you got in, but you are by no means sanitized. You would have to sit in a tub of literally boiling water for that.
When you towel off, you rub bits of dead skin off onto the towel. Bacteria *love* dead skin, so your towel becomes an all you can eat buffet for them. Wash after *every* use. Even if it dries completely between uses.

- Response by An Alternative Girl, Female, 36-45, Science / Engineering

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