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How often do you wash your bathroom and kitchen towels?
According to new research, you probably should be doing it more often... given that the towels we use in both the bathroom and kitchen are rife with fecal bacteria like coliform, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, as kitchen sinks, drains, and toilets are home to a lot of bacteria.
Here is how often you should be washing those towels:
- Bath towels: Bath towels should be washed every few uses (anywhere from two to five)—especially if they aren’t allowed to dry fully between uses or are especially close to your toilet, where they are likely to build up bacterial contamination very quickly, or if you have kids in the home.
- Hand towels: Hand towels likely get used more frequently and by more people than bath towels, so these should be rotated out and washed every other day.
- Kitchen towels: Kitchen towels need to be replaced at least once a week if you’re using them for a single task (wiping counters or drying hands or dishes). If towels are multipurpose or have any meat juice on them, swap them out after each use.
- Gym towels: Wash sweaty towels after every use. The same goes for any towel that has touched any bodily fluid.
Read more here.
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