Men admit that they don’t wash towels for a year: it’s bad for their skin

A dermatologist has discovered what happens to your skin when you wash your towel only once a year or less.

Believe it or not, reusing towels without regularly putting them in the washing machine is surprisingly common. Therefore, the damp towels you have to dodge on someone else’s bathroom floor may not be cleaned for a long time.

According to a study by bathroom supplier Showers to You, men are five times more likely than women to wash their towels just once a year or less.

The survey asked 2,200 residents of Great Britain about their towel washing habits. It turns out that one in ten respondents sees the towels in the washing machine twice a year. The responses showed that 5% of men admitted to washing their towels once a year, compared to 1% of women.

Commenting on the results, dermatologist Dr. Ross Perry, medical director of Cosmedics skin clinics, warned what can happen to your skin if you use dirty towels.

And this advice applies to everyone – not just men.

“When we dry ourselves with a towel, we often transfer dead skin cells, germs and bacteria from our body and when we use it again we simply transfer them back to the body, which is ultimately counterproductive once we have washed,” she says. He. Metro.nl.

“Bacteria can grow and eventually lead to skin infections. In addition, the towel is no longer fresh after repeated use and because the towels retain a lot of water, they can smell damp when reused.”

“A 2017 study [by microbiologist Charles Gerba, of the University of Arizona] found that nearly 90% of bathroom towels were contaminated with coliform bacteria, which are found in feces, and that 14% carried E. coli. Health problems that can be caused by E. coli include diarrhea, urinary tract infections and, in severe cases, meningitis.”

Towels absorb moisture and remain damp for a long time, which can lead to the formation of bacteria.

Dr. Ross explains: “In terms of infections, they are not that common because most of us tend to wash towels often, but they can lead to skin infections and worsen acne on the face and body and cause folliculitis – causing the hair follicles are damaged.” become inflamed or infected.

“I treat many patients who suffer from acne, and it can get worse if you don’t use freshly washed towels.” I have also seen people with mild to moderate skin infections, but it is difficult to say whether these are related to unwashed towels, but you cannot rule out the possibility.”

With couples sometimes sharing towels, which should also be avoided at all costs, and the recent outbreak of scabies (which is caused by mites), caring for your towels should be high on your to-do list.

If you share your partner’s unwashed towel, it’s shocking that you rub the shit on yourself while he/she used it to dry. .

“Sharing towels is actually not allowed at all,” he says. “Firstly, there is currently an outbreak of scabies, so sharing towels with a partner is a good example of how contagious this can be.”

“Plus, we all lose skin, so the amount of bacteria, dead skin cells and general germs passed from body to body essentially doubles.” It’s not hygienic at all.

“We should also not forget about soap residue, which in turn can clog pores and cause acne, as well as other skin diseases and possible infections.”

Dr. Ross says there are “no hard and fast rules” for how often we should wash our towels, but there are some situations that should affect how often they stay in the wash.

He said, “You just have to think sensibly about how often you wash your towels.” If you are an avid exerciser and sweat a lot, you probably have more dead skin cells and bacteria even after showering. Therefore, it is worth washing the skin, if not every day, then certainly every other day.

“For other people it might be about four times that, which is more realistic for more people.”

“When showering or bathing, use a scrub at least once a week to remove dead skin cells before using a towel.”

It’s not just the towels we use to dry our bodies that we need to worry about. What are the towels? Not only do we use it, our guests do too.

“Towels [are] are used more often and by others, making it easier for bacteria to spread under fingernails and germs, then every few days and every day if used by multiple people,” he says.

“Replace the towel regularly, especially if it is used by more than one person.” Towels should be washed at a high temperature and dried completely between washes. ‘

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