You’ve been washing your towels wrong – when you find out the truth you’ll get a real ick
WE'VE all wondered how long we can really stretch out towel wash day.
They're a nightmare to dry outside in unpredictable British weather and if you're lucky enough to have a tumble dryer, it'll cost you a pretty penny to dry them in there.
Our bathroom is the second most used room in the home after the kitchen.
And its damp warm environment means you should do everything possible to keep germs at bay.
It's therefore no surprise that experts are urging people to chuck their towels in the washing machine ASAP.
Despite their fluffy feeling, they hold a lot more bacteria than we realise.
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We should also be washing them after a maximum of every three uses on a 40 degree wash.
Washing towels - including hand, body and face ones - after every use is the best way to stop bacteria breeding.
Making sure they're properly dried before folding and storing is also key to towel hygiene.
Microbiologist Jason Tetro has even dubbed towels the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
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He noted in his book The Germ Files notes how hand, bath and kitchen towels can cause skin infections when not washed regularly enough.
The NHS outlines three main ways that germs are spread by towels.
These are towels being used by more than one person, someone handling towels after touching dirty laundry and germs spreading during the process of being washed.
For example, using a towel after somebody with Impetigo and not thoroughly washing it before can spread the disease to your skin.
spoke to the American Cleaning Institute’s Jessica Ek on how to keep towels - including tea towels and washcloths - hygienic.
To stop cross contamination, Ek advised not to mix towels or bathroom cleaning cloths “with those used to clean food preparation surfaces or dishes”.
This could cause the bacteria from one to spread to the other and wreak havoc on your health.
Furthermore, Ek suggested washing towels and washcloths every few washes.
She added: "If you’re sick or have a skin infection, you may need to wash it more frequently.
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"If you clean up raw chicken juices, that towel should be washed immediately.
“If you only use it as a drying towel, you may not need to put it in the laundry for several days."