CLEVELAND (WJW) — One expert was horrified after a poll indicated men and women wait weeks to wash their PJs.
Now, another expert is weighing in on how often your towels should visit the washing machine.
University of Arizona environmental health science professor Kelly A. Reynolds told BuzzFeed Life that towels used after a bath or shower could be used up to three times if they’re hung to dry after each use.
Dead skin cells end up on the towel after each time it’s used.
“Bacteria and mold will begin to accumulate, but growth will be slowed as the towel dries,” she told BuzzFeed.
Wash cloths should be washed a lot more frequently. Reynolds says they are heavily soiled when they’re used with dead skin cells and makeup. Because they’re wet and not just damp like a bath towel, they take longer to dry meaning more bacteria and mold can grow on the surface.
She also suggests washing kitchen cloths in bleach after every use; food and other particles that end up on them mean a higher chance of germs and bacteria will grow.
Results that came out last month on a poll involving washing pajamas indicated the average man wears his for two weeks and the average woman for 17 days before washing. An expert says that can cause infections and even MRSA — and said they should be washed at least once per week.
