Your bath towel may need washing sooner than you think
Laundry experts told NBC Selected that bath towels should be washed after two to five uses and replaced when odor, stains or thinning stick around.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The towel hanging in your bathroom can go from cozy to questionable in just a few uses, according to laundry experts cited by NBC Selected.
Frej Lewenhaupt, co-founder and CEO of the clothing care company Steamery, told NBC Selected that bath towels should be swapped out and washed after every two to five uses. The goal, he said, is to stop towels from getting too dirty between washes.
The bigger issue is what happens while a towel sits damp. Lewenhaupt said towels need to dry fully after each shower or bath because lingering moisture can encourage bacteria and mildew, which can bring on bad smells.
His practical fix is low-drama: keep two towels in rotation. Alternating between them gives each one more time to dry before it is used again, according to Lewenhaupt.
How many towels should be in play?
NBC Selected reported that households should have at least two clean towels available during the week, especially for people who shower more than once a day.
That does not mean every towel has to go straight into the wash after a single use. Lewenhaupt’s guidance leaves room for two to five uses, depending on the towel and the bathroom.
Humidity matters, NBC Selected reported. So does whether the towel is drying properly between uses and whether it is being cleaned well on laundry day. If a towel stays damp, mildew can develop and odor can follow.
When to replace old towels
Even a favorite towel has a shelf life. Salvador Villarreal, owner of VIP Cleaners & Laundry in San Diego, told NBC Selected that towels generally should be replaced every two to four years, though the timing depends on quality and how often they are used.
Villarreal said it is time to move on from towels that have become thin, rough, permanently stained, less absorbent or stuck with odors that do not wash out.
NBC Selected reported that the feel of a towel often changes after years of use and repeated laundering. A towel that still smells off after one wash may be giving a clear sign that it is past its prime.
The best way to wash them
Villarreal told NBC Selected that towels should be washed separately from regular clothes and cleaned in warm water.
He also warned against using too much fabric softener because it can coat towel fibers and reduce absorbency. He recommended using the amount of detergent listed on the product and making sure towels are fully dry before they are folded or stored.
Villarreal also said adding extra detergent is not the shortcut some people think it is. NBC Selected reported that he pointed instead to washing method and water temperature as bigger factors in getting laundry clean.
For towels that keep coming out musty, NBC Selected highlighted laundry boosters and sanitizers as possible options, including odor-removing products from OxiClean and Lysol. The outlet also noted that OxiClean’s powder is meant to be used alongside regular detergent, not as a replacement.
The expert takeaway is blunt enough for any bathroom: wash towels after a few uses, let them dry completely, rotate more than one, and retire the ones that no longer feel, smell or work like towels should.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.