As adults, we naively thought we had the basic life skills sussed. How to make a roast dinner, filing a tax return and how often to wash our towels were all areas we thought we'd pretty much nailed.
*Thought* so, anyway. In fact, we've been left questioning everything after reading an online debate on the latter: how often you should wash your towels.
Kicked off on female Facebook forum GIRLSMOUTH, one curious poster asked: "How long do you use your towel before washing and replacing it with a clean one????," clarifying: "I mean the towel you use when you come out the shower."
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We have to admit, the responses left us a bit shocked, with many saying they wash theirs after each wash.
Like, eh?! We're clean when we get out of the shower, so doesn't daily washes seem... excessive? Or is washing every time normal and no one thought to tell us? Are we simply filthy for washing ours once weekly?
"We wash our towels after every single use," wrote one person.
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"I change body towel every use... the hair towel every other wash," agreed another.
"Wash after every use," concurred a third; "Every time I use it," chimed in a fourth; "Every use mine get washed," a fifth added.
Some had far more reasonable responses to the question, with one saying: "Like once a week, you get out the shower clean so it's not like you're making the towel well dirty."
"Probably 4 or 5 showers try not to wash it too much as I want it to stay floofy," another said.
Anyway, in a bid to settle the debate, we contacted Dr Ross Perry, GP and Medical Director of Cosmedics, for the low down on the optimum amount of towel-washing we should be doing.
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Thankfully, the hygiene expert's response simmered some of our doubts - he reckons once or twice a week, people! Our happy place has been restored.
"For most people towels are generally washed around once a week, with hand towels being washed more frequently," Dr Ross Perry tells Tyla.
"There's some general rules of advice from leading authorities stating that bath towels should in actual fact be washed every 3 to 5 uses, so around twice a week, particularly if it's also being used as a hand towel.
"Towels needs to be washed on a high temperature and should be dried completely in between washes."
Dr Ross also had some advice for washing towels during the pandemic:
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"When it comes to how often we wash our towels, there have been mixed messages as to how long coronavirus could potentially live on textiles and surfaces."
He goes on: "Firstly there are no set rules but you should just be sensible when it comes to how frequently you're washing clothes, bedding and towels.
"If you're starting to have visitors to your home, think about using paper towels which can be disposed of afterwards."
So there you have it: it's best to wash your bath towels once or twice a week. Debate settled.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels