08 September 2023 , 12:59
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Towels are something that should be washed regularly, but sometimes, you may leave them a little longer than recommended as you think it's not the most important thing on your agenda. According to recent research, 3% of Brits only wash their towels once a year, so people will be shocked to learn what happens if you don't clean them more often. It turns out many people need to start taking your towel-washing regime a little more seriously.
If you don't wash your towels regularly - and the experts recommend washing every three uses - you could be putting yourself at risk of becoming unwell, and even nasty infections. This is due to the bacteria that are harboured in towels if they're not washed often enough.
A 2018 study by microbiologist Charles Gerba, of the University of Arizona, said he found that nearly 90% of bathroom towels were contaminated with coliform bacteria, which are present in faeces, and around 14% carried E.coli. Coliform bacteria are organisms that can indicate the presence of disease-causing bacteria in water.
Health issues that can be caused by E.coli include diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, and infections like meningitis in severe cases, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - and this can be prevented by just washing your towels. Most E.coli strains, however, do not pose a risk and are part of a healthy intestinal tract.
According to Health Line, it's important that you wash towels regularly as they "absorb a lot of water and remain damp for hours, which is the perfect breeding ground for unwanted germs. That's why towels should be washed every three uses."
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And if you're wondering how to wash your towels properly, cleaning expert Ann Russell has shared that detergent isn't always necessary.
Do you have any cleaning tips? Email: [email protected]