Towel Washing Woes – Everything You Need To Know About Washing Towels

Wrapping yourself in a nice, soft, clean towel after a bath or shower is an amazing experience and one that everyone can enjoy. Clean, soft towels don’t just feel good though they do a very important job because they help keep your skin healthy.

After a bath or shower, your body can be exposed to bacteria very easily which is why soft, clean towels are so very important. However, this is where problems can develop because towels are not the easiest of things to get clean.

This isn’t a surprise really if you think about it is it? After all, towels are designed to soak up water which means when it comes to washing them and drying them you have to take a few extra steps. So, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about washing your towels, shall we?

How Often Should Your Towels Be Washed

So, first things first how often should you wash your towels? This will all really depend on a person to person basis but in general, you should try to wash your towels at least once a week, however, this only applies if you hang your towels up to dry.

You need to remember that every time you use a towel to dry your body after a shower or bath it will collect dead skin cells. Yes, no one really likes to think about that which is very understandable but hey it’s a fact of life, isn’t it? So, make sure you wash your towels regularly and even if you don’t want to wash them straight away make sure they are left hung up to dry.

Whatever the circumstances I would advise you to use the same towel no more than twice in a row because towels especially wet and dirty ones can easily attract bacteria. So, regular cleaning is essential if you want to stay healthy.

How To Wash Your Towels Safely

So, while towels might not be the easiest things to wash when you know how to safely wash them you can be sure your towels will last a lot longer. So, what do you need to do?

First of all, make sure you wash any towels on a high heat setting think around the 60-degree mark, although don’t be afraid to go a little higher for more stubborn stains if your washing machine can.

You should also (like always) be sure to use a high-quality laundry detergent and a fabric conditioner as well. Fabric conditioner is perfect for keeping your towels soft if you’re unsure how much to use then just consult the bottle.  Another important thing to remember is to remove your towels as soon as possible.

If you leave your towels in your washing machine for too long, then they can attract bacteria and other issues like mildew. One of the good things about towels though is that they can be dried effectively in both a tumble dryer or the more traditional air-drying method.

You could even alternate between the two if you like because a tumble dryer will help kill germs, while traditional drying will be more gentle. Once dry fold them gently and store in a safe place until you are ready to use them.

Washing New Towels

When you buy new towels you might be tempted to use them straight away, after all, they’re new, aren’t they? So, they should be nice and clean right? While your new towels might look clean to the naked eye it’s usually always a good idea to wash any new towels before you use them.

Now, this might sound a little strange, but towels can pick up germs and bacteria during transport so washing them before you use them will ensure they are clean. You don’t need to do anything special though you can simply follow the advice we set out above.

Coloured Towels and Washing With Clothes

Towels come in plenty of different colours and when washing them you should try stick to the same guidelines you would with coloured clothes. Keep darker towels together and keep lighter towels together, when it comes to pure white towels you could even use a special detergent to help them keep their colour.

By washing your towels grouped together by their colour you can help prevent colour bleeding and fading. Finally, one other common question many people have is whether they can wash towels with their clothes?

While you can do this, it isn’t advisable the fibers on towels are more delicate than those on most articles of clothing so it’s always best to wash them separately if you can. In an emergency, the odd wash with clothes should be OK but try not to make a habit of it.