Are Your Towels Making You Sick?

Created: Thursday, 12 November 2020 14:00

Every towel has a journey. Take your favorite kitchen hand towel, for example. It first lived on a store's shelf, and now it rests in your kitchen, ready to be there for you to dry your hands, dry your dishes and clean up messes. 

Kitchen towels, among other residential and commercial towels, absorb more than just soap and water, though. They can also absorb bacteria and house mold and mildew, all of which you may not be aware of.

If this makes your stomach turn, you're not the only one. But, don't worry — there are ways to prevent and remove bacteria buildup on your towels, both in commercial and residential settings.

Why Should You Clean Your Towels Regularly?

Towels absorb things. They absorb the water from your hands, any cleaners sprayed onto your counters and floors and the food particles from your dishes. A towel also keeps hold of the things it absorbs. That means if you don't wash your towels regularly or you use the same towel for multiple purposes, bacteria can start to grow. And, if you keep reusing these bacteria-filled towels, it could be the reason why you, your employees or your guests keep getting sick.

Good vs. Bad Bacteria

Not all bacteria are bad. In fact, our body holds an estimated 100 trillion good bacteria. Hypothetically, if you avoided all types of bacteria, nothing would exist to break down biological waste — including necessary nutrients — resulting in a dramatic decline of human and environmental populations. These healthy bacteria are called probiotics, and they are existent in foods like yogurt and kombucha.

These good bacterias often fight against the bad bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and harmful forms of coliform. Such bad bacteria can make you feel sick — and they're likely living in your unwashed towels right now.

Ask the Scientists — Can Moldy, Bacteria-Filled Towels Make You Sick?

If you're the owner of a business that regularly uses towels, such as a salon, gym or restaurant, you likely know how important it is to wash towels often. However, scientists have long studied the presence of bacteria in household towels, which may not be cleaned as frequently. A 2014 study sought to explore the nasty effects of cross-contamination of bacteria in kitchen towels. They studied 82 kitchen towels from North American households, noted for their frequent use of drying dishes, hands and other surfaces in the average kitchen.

Out of the 82 kitchen towels tested, 89% showed traces of coliform bacteria, and 25.6% had traces of E. coli. These harmful bacteria were mostly present in multi-use kitchen towels with infrequent washing schedules.

How Do You Know If Your Towels Are Making You Sick?

With these harmful bacteria present in so many towels, how do you know if bacteria are residing in yours? And, what are the signs that your towels are making you sick?

The bacteria that grow inside your towel's fibers may cause cold or flu-like symptoms. If you're experiencing these symptoms, it may be hard to pinpoint their source, but there's a good chance that your towel is the culprit.

Some symptoms that may indicate your towels are making you sick include:

• Stomach cramps
• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Diarrhea
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Avoid these symptoms by thoroughly and regularly cleaning your towels, or by throwing your worn towels out completely and buying new ones for your business or household.

How Often Should You Wash Your Towels?

Ideally, each towel should have a designated purpose. For example, you don't want to wash your face with the same towel you use to dry your hands because it may lead to cross-contamination of different bacterias. 

This also means towels should have their own respective cleaning schedule. And, the more you use your towel, the more frequently you should wash it. 

Consider these general washing frequencies depending on your towel type.

Bath Towels and Sheets

Many people already know that bathrooms are breeding grounds for bacteria, but more bacteria are likely living on your shower floor and shower curtains than on your toilet seat. As you get clean in the shower, you are interacting with these bacteria — which can then also transfer to your bath towel as you dry yourself off. 

Most people wash their towels about once every week or every other week in their households, but you should really wash your bath towel after every two or three uses. In a commercial operation, such as a hotel, towels should be thoroughly cleaned after guests are done with them.

Washcloths

Like bath towels, many people keep their washcloths stored in their bathrooms. After you finish washing your face, you may simply hang your washcloth up to dry — but now the bacteria that was on your face can thrive on your washcloth. To keep your washcloths as clean as possible, throw them in the washer at least every two to three days. If you use washcloths in your business, for example, a salon or spa, wash them after every use. 

Dish Towels

Dish towels are commonly used to dry off dishes and hands, as well as clean up messes. But, are you really keeping your dishes and hands clean if you dry them off with the same towel you used to clean a spill? 

If you're using the same kitchen towel for all your kitchen duties, start giving them their own jobs instead. Dedicate one kitchen towel for cleaning up spills, another for drying your hands and a third towel for drying your dishes — and whether you're in a home or business, be sure to have a designated area to put your used dish towels so they can't get confused with clean ones. 

For dish-drying towels, give them a deep cleaning about once a week. Your spill-cleaning towels should be deep-cleaned at least a few times a week, or as-needed after cleaning larger spills.

Hand and Fingertip Towels

Compared to other towel types, kitchen towels, bathroom hand towels and fingertip towels are used to dry off hands after washing them. Keeping these towels in bathrooms and kitchens expose them to millions of bacteria, among other harmful diseases.

Ideally, you should wash your hand and fingertip towels every two to three days, and likely every day in a commercial setting. 

How Do You Properly Clean Towels?

With frequent washing and proper care, it's possible to keep your household or business towels sanitary and clean.

Separate your towels and do a towel-specific load of laundry so you can practice the proper, more intense deep-cleaning measures without harming your other items, such as your clothing.

As you wash your towels, try applying these deep-cleaning methods to help kill any harmful bacteria.

1. Two Back-to-Back Loads

One of the best ways to kill bacteria is battling them with twice the amount of detergent. But, your washer can only handle so much detergent at one time, which is why we recommend washing your towels in two back-to-back loads with a moderate amount of detergent.

If your towels are white, we recommend using the hottest water setting on your washer. However, if your towels are colored, opt for a medium-temperature setting. This rule doesn't apply to businesses with fade-resistant or bleach-resistant towels, designed to withstand hotter temperatures.

After your second load, promptly move your towels into the dryer and allow them to dry completely. Once dried, fold your towels and store them in a well ventilated space until you're ready to use them.

2. White Vinegar

Sometimes, even the strongest detergent and multiple loads can't get rid of the musty smell or harmful bacteria inhibiting your towels. For these scenarios, use white vinegar as a reliable deep-cleaning measure.

White vinegar has acidic properties that can deeply penetrate your towel's fibers, dissolving any bacteria or unwanted particles that detergent alone can't.

When washing your towels with white vinegar, it's preferred you put a smaller load — about four or so towels — into your washer for the best results. Place your towels in the washer with a cup of white vinegar, then run your washer using a high-temperature setting. For colored towels that aren't fade or bleach-resistant, it's okay to use hot water in this infrequent deep-cleaning method.

Directly after the washing cycle, wash your towels again using a normal setting with a moderate amount of detergent. Once the second cycle finishes, promptly move your towels into the drier and allow them to dry completely. 

Once dried, follow the same folding and storage methods outlined in the previous cleaning method to prevent bacteria or mildew growth.

3. Baking Soda and White Vinegar

If white vinegar alone doesn't do the trick, strengthen its effects by pairing it with baking soda. But, if you remember your high school chemistry class, then you might remember what happens if you mix the two ingredients. It foams and expands, which you don't want to happen in your washer.

For this reason, this deep-cleaning method has two washing cycles — the first with baking soda, and the second with white vinegar.

During your first load, put four or so towels into your washing machine, along with a quarter cup of baking soda. Start your washer on a hot setting. The baking soda will loosen any deep-rooted bacteria and particles, allowing the white vinegar to more easily dissolve them during the second load.

After the first wash is complete, keep your towels in the washer and add a cup of white vinegar. Start this load on the same temperature setting. Then, once the second cycle is complete, dry and store your towels following the same practices previously outlined.

Additional Tips to Prevent Bacteria Buildup on Towels

While deep cleaning your towels, there are some steps you don't want to overlook. Otherwise, you may accidentally be encouraging bacteria or mildew growth. Here's how you can help prevent bacteria buildup on your towels.

1. Avoid Using Too Much Detergent

It's reasonable to assume that if you put more detergent in your washing machine, it will add more deep-cleaning power. But, doing this can actually have the opposite effect.

Your washing machine is suited for a certain amount of detergent. During a normal washing cycle, your washing machine uses a specific amount of water to wash away an equally-specific amount of detergent. If you add too much detergent, and your washing machine doesn't use enough water to remove this excess detergent, it will remain trapped in your towels' fibers, which attracts bacteria.

When using more detergent, separate your washes. It will take longer, but it will ultimately be more effective at killing and preventing bacterial growth.

2. Skip the Fabric Softener

Fabric softener is good at keeping clothes soft and reviving their like-new appearance. However, fabric softener can get stuck in a towel's fibers, attracting bacteria even when deeply cleaned using detergent.

If you're looking for a towel that will stay fluffy and maintain its like-new appearance, consider investing in a 100% cotton and fade-resistant towel for your home or business.

3. Remove Towels Directly After Cycle Completion

You may be familiar with what happens when you leave clothes sitting in the washer for too long — the contents begin smelling musty, a sign that mildew and other bacteria are starting to grow.

If this happens to your towels, rewash them using detergent or with white vinegar if the musty smell is strong. Then, with your towels freshly cleaned, promptly move them into the dryer and allow them to dry completely before storing them.

4. Store Towels in a Well-Ventilated Space

Bacteria thrive in dark, moist climates. Prevent bacteria growth by folding your towels once they're dry completely and store them in a well-ventilated space for future use.

5. Clean Your Washer Regularly

If you've exhausted all cleaning options and your towels are still smelling musty or showing other signs of bacterial growth, then it may indicate two things — one, that your washer needs a good cleaning, or two, that your towels have reached the end of their journey.

Add a cup of white vinegar to your empty washer and run a normal, hot-water setting. If this doesn't work for your towels, then it's time to get some new ones.

Buy New, Durable Towels in Bulk From Towel Super Center

The best way to prevent bacteria buildup is by investing in high-quality towels. At Towel Super Center, we're considered the leading wholesale towel supplier for a reason — we only offer the highest quality, 100% cotton towels, purposefully designed to withstand frequent washing to prevent bacteria buildup.

When you place a bulk order from Towel Super Center, you're getting more than just quality products. You're getting fast, reliable shipping and secure online payment.

For more tips on how to keep your towels clean, visit our blog. And, when you're ready to place an order, shop our products and submit your order online!