How often should you wash your sheets and towels?

Everyone seems to have a different opinion as to frequency towels and sheets must be washed . While many people might wonder whether days or weeks are better, in a survey conducted in the United Kingdom, almost half of single men They reported not washing sheets for four months straight.

It is quite clear that Four months is too long to stop, but what is the ideal frequency?

Bed linen and towels are very different and therefore need to be washed at different intervals. Although a week or two is usually enough for sheets, it’s best to wash towels every few days.

Anyway, Who doesn’t love the feel of a clean set of sheets or the smell of a freshly laundered towel?

When you dry off, you deposit thousands of skin cells and millions of microbes on the napkin. And since you use the towel to dry yourself after a shower or bath, your towel is usually damp.

You also deposit a lot of dead skin, germs, sweat and oils in your sheets every night. But unless you sleep a lot at night, your bedding won’t be wet after a night’s sleep.

Towels too They are made of thicker material than sheets and therefore tend to stay damp longer.

So what’s the problem with humidity? Wet towels are a breeding ground for bacteria and mold. Molds they particularly like humid environments . Although mold is not necessarily visible (significant growth would be required to see it), it can cause an unpleasant odor.

In addition to smells, exposure to these microbes on towels and sheets can cause asthma allergic or other skin irritations skin infections .

As for the bedding, It really depends on factors like whether you take a bath or shower right before bed. , or if you go to bed after a long sweaty day and take a shower in the morning. In the latter case, you will have to wash the sheets more regularly. Typically, once a week or every two weeks should be sufficient.

Ideally, towels should be washed more regularly, perhaps every few days, while the washcloth should be cleaned after each use. Because it is completely wet, it will stay that way longer and retain more skin cells and microbes.

Wash your towels at high temperatures (e.g. 65°C), as this will kill them many microbes . If you’re concerned about saving energy, you can use a lower temperature and add a cup of vinegar to the wash. The vinegar will kill germs and will prevent bad odors from developing .

Clean your washing machine regularly and dry the rubber pleat after each wash, as this is another place where germs like to grow.

What should you do if you wash your towels regularly but they still smell bad? One of the reasons for this problem could be that you left them in the washing machine too long after washing. Especially if it’s a hot wash cycle, the time they’re warm and humid will allow microbes to happily thrive. In laboratory conditions, The number of these bacteria can double every 30 minutes.

It is important hang the towel to dry after use and do not leave towels in the washing machine after the cycle is finished. If possible, hang towels and bedding in the sun. This will dry them quickly and completely and promote that pleasant smell of fresh, clean cotton. Using a dryer is a good alternative if the weather is bad, but outside and in the sun is always better if possible.

Additionally, even if you wash your towel, Do not throw a wet towel into the laundry basket, as the wet and dirty towel will be a perfect place for germs to breed. . When you start washing clothes, the towel and the rest of the clothes around it may have taken on a bad smell. And it can be difficult to get towels smelling fresh again.

Some companies sell towels “quick-dry” or “self-cleaning” towels and bedding. Quick-dry towels are made from synthetic materials woven in such a way that they dry quickly. This would help prevent the growth of microbes and bad odors that develop when towels are wet for long periods of time.

But the concept of self-cleaning products is more complicated. Most of these products contain nanosilver or even copper, antibacterial metals that kill microorganisms. Antibacterial compounds will stop the growth of bacteria and can be helpful in limiting odors and reducing how often you have to clean your sheets and towels.

However, They will not remove dirt such as oils, dander and sweat. While I would love the idea of ​​sheets and towels cleaning themselves, that’s not exactly what happens.

Additionally, overuse of antimicrobials like nanosilver can do microbes become resistant their.

* Rietie Venter Associate Professor, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia