How Often Should You Wash Your Bath Towels?

There’s nothing like a good bath or shower. You lather up, rinse off and step out feeling clean, refreshed and energized. But if you grab a dirty towel, all of that time spent rub-a-dub-dubbing goes right out the window.

Yes, your towels need pampering, too. After all, they have a pretty rough life. But how often do they need pampering, exactly? And what happens if you forget for a few days or (no judgment) weeks?

In a world without water bills, busy schedules and an environment that needs protecting, using a new towel every day would be ideal. But that’s not the world we live in. We need a more practical approach.

So, we asked dermatologist Alok Vij, MD. The verdict: As a general rule, you should launder your bath towel (or swap in a clean one) at least once a week. The same goes for hand towels.

And your washcloth? That needs replacing more often — at least a couple times a week.

Why changing bath towels is important

It’s not something we like to think about. But the fact is that germs, spores and particles of all sorts live on every surface we come in contact with, including — as a 2023 case study demonstrated — clean towels.

The human body also plays host to a wide range of organisms, some of which can make us sick. When we rub ourselves down with a towel, we transfer all that yucky stuff to the fabric. We also deposit the moisture, dead skin cells and other debris those creepy crawlies rely on to grow, multiply, and, most importantly, adapt to the conditions of the textile. They ultimately create a microbial community that, as a 2023 article in Scientific Reports found, is unique from the ones that form on our clothes or bed linens.

“The longer the towel stays damp, the longer the yeasts, bacteria, molds and viruses remain alive and stay active,” explains Dr. Vij.

“They can cause an outbreak of, or spread, fungal infections like athlete’s foot, ringworm and jock itch — and viral infections like warts,” he continues. “ Dirty towels can similarly cause a flare-up of eczema or atopic dermatitis.”

Towels can also become repositories for all sorts of allergens, especially if you keep your windows open.

Not gross enough for you? Strap in, because it’s about to get way worse.

When you dry off your nether regions, microscopic fecal particles and your assorted bodily fluids also make their way onto your towel. When you reuse it, you risk being exposed to infectious diseases like pink eye (conjunctivitis), medication-resistant staph (MRSA), norovirus, E. coli and more.

More towel tips

If you’re suddenly questioning your cleanliness, don’t worry. Dr. Vij offers some towel tactics that will instantly improve your post-shower hygiene.

Follow washing recommendations

There’s no such thing as a perfectly clean towel, but these basic laundry principles will get you pretty close:

• Use the towel setting. Most washing machines have a specific setting dedicated to cleaning and sanitizing towels. If yours doesn’t, choose a setting that uses warm or hot water. The same goes for drying: If your dryer doesn’t have a towel setting, opt for a long, high-heat setting.
• Use bleach if your towel smells. If your towel’s got a funky aroma, that’s a sure sign that there’s bacteria, mold or both multiplying in the fabric. Bleach (both the regular kind and the color-safe variety) contains hypochlorite, which disinfects and deodorizes by breaking or altering the proteins that give those goobers their structure. Not a fan of bleach? Vinegar is another great cleaning product you can use to sanitize your laundry.
• Don’t overdo it. What do you add to the machine when you do your laundry? Detergent, sure. But what else? If you’re also using a stain remover, fabric softener and scent beads, you might be doing more harm than good. The residue from all those products is going to build up on your towel, which actually makes them more hospitable to germs.
• Always wash towels before using them. There’s nothing quite like the feel of a brand-new towel. So soft! So fluffy! But here’s the thing: They get that way by being treated with chemicals. Avoid irritating your skin by running new towels through the laundry before adding them to your rotation.
• Remember to sanitize your washing machine. Your washing machine tackles some pretty gnarly grime. Show it some love by running a self-clean cycle as often as the user’s manual dictates — or more, if you wash items with lots of debris, like pet hair.

Use a towel bar

As we’ve established, damp towels are a breeding ground for germs. So, hang your wet towel spread out on a towel bar (rather than from a hook) so it can dry thoroughly between uses.

Wash according to climate

When the air’s heavy with moisture, it makes it harder for your towels to dry. Launder your towels more often — two to three times weekly — if the humidity in your house is high.

This is particularly important, Dr. Vij says, during the summer months. And more important still if you don’t have air conditioning!

Wash gym towels more often

You’ve probably noticed that the gym towels that regulars carry from machine to machine don’t look like the towels you have hanging on your rack at home. “Microfiber towels dry faster than cotton, so they’re better for the gym,” Dr. Vij explains.

If you shower at the gym and your damp bath towel sits in your bag or locker for hours afterward, use a clean one daily.

“Workout towels get pretty disgusting — they’re stinky and smelly and full of bacteria,” he adds.

Sharing is OK … sometimes

You know that saying, “sharing is caring”? It really needs an asterisk. Because — at least when it comes to towels — sharing is only caring under certain circumstances.

You can share towels with a spouse or partner (you share bed sheets, after all) as long as neither of you:

• Has a skin condition such as warts or eczema.
• Is sick. (We’ll return to this in a bit.)

Children typically (let’s be honest!) have poor hand hygiene. They’re also more likely to have cuts, scrapes and skin conditions. So, it’s best to give them their own towels.

As for washcloths, it’s every man, woman and child for themselves — meaning don’t share, Dr. Vij advises.

If you’re sick

Wash towels more frequently if you’re sick to avoid reinfection. Ditto if you have any injuries or skin conditions that lead to a damaged skin barrier, from cuts and surgical incisions to rashes, sores and abscesses.

Choose your towels wisely

Now that you realize you need to pay more attention to your towels, maybe you need to go shopping? That way you’ll always have a clean one within reach.

As far as fabric choice goes, plush towels with a high thread count are fine. (And they feel so good on your skin!) But keep in mind these towels take longer to dry. There are more quick-dry towel options on the market nowadays than ever before, made in a variety of ways with an ever-widening array of textiles. So, shop around and find the one that works best for you!

If the towel stinks, don’t use it

Always make sure your towel passes the smell test. A stinky whiff? Time for a fresh towel.

If your towel’s always stinky, no matter how much you wash it, it’s time to let it go. That, or reserve it for already-messy tasks, like drying your puppy’s paws after a romp in the mud.

The bottom line

Towels are an essential tool in your daily cleansing routine. But if you don’t care for them properly, they can become a vehicle for germs and debris. Wash your bath and hand towels at least once a week — more if you have a damaged skin barrier or live in an environment that keeps them from drying out completely. You need to launder your washcloths and gym towels even more often.

By following the washing instructions, sanitizing your washing machine and staying mindful about the who and when of sharing your towels, you can keep your personal hygiene from going down the drain.