How often do you wash towels? Probably not enough

If you change your towels every month, know that there are hundreds of millions of bacteria residing where you wipe your body. And it’s not just the ones you use when you get out of the shower: table or hand towels are also a true natural habitat for bacteria.

You’ve probably already taken a shower today. It’s also likely that you didn’t change the towel today.

In fact, about a third of people change the towels they clean themselves with every day just once a monthconcluded one. According to another, there are even those who admit to doing it only once a year.

A freshly laundered towel contains just 190,000 bacteria. Does it seem like a lot? Not really, compared to a towel after just one use. At this point, the towel becomes approximately 17 million bacteria. Yes, after a single use.

These bacteria are passed through our body which, even if washed, always contains them. As , some of them even come from water we use to wash the towels. Now, multiply, and realize how fast it is to reach billions of bacteria.

Furthermore, the gastroenteric infections resulting from SalmonellaNorovirus e E. coli “they are all transmissible through cloth”, also says the biology teacher Elizabeth Scott.

So, how often should we wash towels?

It depends, guarantees the specialist. For a normal hand towel, wash once a week may be enough.

However, if a person is sickFor example, you should use a towel just for you and change it every day, explains Scott.

And, of course, if you use the towels often they will stay moist throughout the day, which greatly increases the likelihood of disease proliferation. Therefore, if you use a towel often, you should pay attention to changing it very frequently.

According to Scott, a hot water washing (40º – 60ºC) and longer than most household fabrics is necessary when it comes to towels, and you may often have to add antimicrobial detergents.

If you wash them at lower temperatures, adding enzymes or bleach may help. Jean-Yves Maillard, professor of pharmaceutical microbiology, guarantees: “Domestic hygiene is all about prevention, and prevention is better than treatment.”