Wrapping yourself in a plush bath towel right after a hot shower is one of life’s simplest pleasures. Not only does it feel luxurious, but toweling off with fresh, fluffy fabric is more effective at drying your body and maintaining healthy skin. But because you use your towel on a regular basis, it might appear more damp and musty than clean and crisp.
Luckily, there’s an easy fix: Toss your towel into the washer and dryer! “Towels are designed to absorb moisture but when they stay damp, bacteria, mildew, odors, and residue can start to build up,” says Barton Brass, owner and CEO of The Turkish Towel Company, which offers luxury, hotel-quality towels and robes. That’s why it’s so important to keep up with a consistent laundry schedule.
But how often should you really wash your towels? And how long can you get away with putting off the household chore before your skin starts to suffer? We asked Brass to reveal the answer. Ahead, you’ll discover the ideal washing timeline for bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths, along with the most productive way to wash and care for them.
How Often You Should Wash Your Towels
Generally speaking, you should wash your towels after every two to three uses. But the exact frequency depends on the type of towel, the fabric, and how often you use it.
Bath Towels
“In general, we recommend washing bath towels after two or three uses,” Brass says. While lightweight towels dry more quickly, thicker towels retain moisture more easily, so they might need an extra weekly washing. Regardless of the material, however, Brass stresses the importance of hanging up your bath towel after each use, which will help the water evaporates faster. “Never leave towels folded over a towel bar while they’re still wet,” Brass notes. “If a towel stays damp, it should be washed sooner.”
Hand Towels
Hand towels, especially the ones in your hall bathroom and next to the kitchen sink, get even more action. Since you probably wash your hands several times throughout the day, your hand towels don’t have as much time to dry between uses, so they tend to accumulate bacteria extremely quickly. For that reason, you should wash your hand towels every one or two days.
Washcloths
With washcloths, the ideal washing schedule is even more frequent. “Washcloths should be washed after every use (or every second use at the most) because they come into closer contact with skin oils, dead skin, and makeup and skincare products,” Brass says. Throwing your washcloth in the dirty clothes pile every time after using it will prevent the transfer of dirt and bacteria.
How to Care for Your Towels, So They Last Longer
If you want your towels to stay soft and absorbent for longer, follow these expert-backed tips. Washing them in cold water with residue-free detergent before tumbling dry on low heat will keep your towels looking and feeling like new.
Use Minimal Detergent
If your towels are dirty, you might assume that loading up on detergent will clean them more thoroughly, but that’s actually not the case. Instead, the excess will linger behind, causing the fabric to feel crunchy and look dull. “Towels can become stiff when soap residue builds up, so cutting back on detergent helps the rinse cycle do its job,” Brass says.
Skip Fabric Softeners
Using a fabric softener can also create unwanted buildup. The product coats the fabric fibers in a waxy material, which weakens the towel’s absorbency, leaves behind musty odors, and stiffens its fluffy texture.
Avoid Chlorine Bleach
Applying chlorine bleach is another laundry mistake that’ll shorten the lifespan of your towels. Over time, a chlorine-based bleach can weaken the fibers, which typically leads to fraying, thinning, and yellowing. If you want to use a whitening agent, Brass recommends a gentler alternative, such as an oxygen-based cleaner or baking soda.
Select a Low-Heat Setting
After retrieving your towels from the washing machine, shake them out before tossing them in the dryer and tumbling them dry on a low-heat setting (high heat can damage the fibers). For a soft finishing touch, Brass suggests adding dryer balls to the cycle.
Opt for Smaller Loads
To wash and dry your towels more efficiently and effectively, avoid overloading your appliance and aim for smaller loads. “Towels need room to move, rinse, and fluff properly,” Brass explains.
Alternate Your Towels
Reaching for the same towel day in and day out—without letting it fully dry—can cause wear and tear to the fabric. The solution? “Keeping a few towels in regular rotation will help each one last longer,” Brass says. Not to mention, alternating your towels means you won’t have to wash them as often!
Lilly Blomquist is the associate editor at The Pioneer Woman, where she writes lifestyle stories across a wide range of topics—including news, entertainment, holidays, food, and more.
