We might think that because we’re clean when we dry ourselves off, our bath towels don’t pick up many germs. But according to an expert, that’s not the case. Bacteria and other microorganisms cling to towels and can contribute to the spread of germs—so here’s how often you should be washing yours and how to do it right. “From our testing,” he says, “you should change your face and bathroom towels every three days at least.” In a towel study Gerba did a few years back, he and his team found fecal bacteria on 80% of towels that hadn’t been washed for three days or longer—yuck. “Fecal bacteria that get in [towels] from hand-washing grow because of the moist conditions,” he adds. Not to mention the fact that bacteria and other germs can get sprayed in the air when you flush your toilet1 and stick around since many bathrooms are particularly moist. This also makes it difficult for towels to dry completely. You should also make sure your towels air dry completely between uses and have dried out before you throw them in the hamper. If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, you may want to wash your towels after every use to help your skin out and lessen irritation, says Gerba.
