This is a question we hear a lot. It seems like everybody has a different opinion. Some people believe a towel should be used once before being thrown in the laundry basket. Others think that if you’re clean when you get out of the shower, then your towel will also be clean. Somewhere between these two realms must be the true answer.

What Happens To A Towel After You Use It

Let’s say in the best case scenario, you take a shower, wash your hair and body so you’re pretty much the cleanest you’ve ever been, and step out and wrap yourself in a freshly-laundered towel.

Now, we know this isn’t always how it goes. Sometimes your towel falls on the bathroom floor and you place it back on the hook. Other times you use that towel to wipe your mouth after brushing your teeth. Again, we’re going with the best case scenario of a fresh towel drying off a clean person.

But how clean are you?

Our bodies are covered with good and bad bacteria, and that is completely normal. However, unless you’re bathing in rubbing bleach - which we 100 percent do not suggest - you’re leaving the shower with only slightly fewer bacteria than you went in with.

Some of those bacteria transfer to your towel after you use it. When you hang up your towel to dry, it basically becomes a paradise for those bacteria who thrive in moist, warm environments. The bacteria will continue to grow and multiply until the towel is washed and dried.

While this bacteria most likely won’t make you sick, it can cause skin irritation or cause acne breakouts. To limit bacterial growth, be sure to use a rod to hang your towel rather than a hook, as rods help towels to air dry more easily.

What Do I Do If My Towels Smell Musty?

If you have frequently gone too long between towel washings, or accidentally left a damp towel in the dryer, you might notice a musty smell that won’t go away even after washing it.

To fix this, wash your towels with a half cup of baking soda. And while we want our towels to be soft and plush, fabric softener can actually ruin the absorbency of towels.

Will Washing My Towels Wear Them Out?

You might feel that frequently washing your towels will make them lose their softness and plushness more quickly. This is why we're so passionate about high-quality towels. Your towels are some of the hardest working materials in your household, so they should be sturdy enough to withstand daily use and regular washing.

Salbakos is proud to be a top-rated towel supplier that offers luxury Turkish cotton towels for homes, spas, and hotels. Shop our collection of Turkish bath towels today!