{"id":3424,"date":"2023-09-06T09:36:47","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T09:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/?p=3424"},"modified":"2024-12-05T09:57:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T09:57:53","slug":"how-often-do-you-wash-your-bathroom-towels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/2023\/09\/how-often-do-you-wash-your-bathroom-towels\/","title":{"rendered":"How often do you wash your bathroom towels?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bathroom Experts Showers to You investigate how often the nation actually wash their bathroom towels&#8230;<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amid recent reports that <\/span><b>freshly washed towels <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contain <\/span><b>190,000 counts of bacteria<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 increasing to <\/span><b>17 million <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after just <\/span><b>one day <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of use, and soaring to as high as <\/span><b>94 million<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> after a <\/span><b>week<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 you may be <\/span><b>shocked<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to find out that our new research indicates over <\/span><b>1 million UK residents only wash their bathroom towels once a year.[1]<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While guidance shows that towels should be washed after three uses, we asked <\/span><b>2,200 UK residents <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exactly how often they wash their towels<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and found that many were using their towels for much longer before giving them a freshen up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Key Findings:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>3% of UK residents <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">surveyed only <\/span><b>wash<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> their bathroom towels <\/span><b>once a year,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which equates to over 1.5 million people (1,595,646).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Almost<\/span><b> one in 10 UK residents <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><b>8%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">surveyed<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">only wash their bathroom towel<\/span>s<b> twice a year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, equating to over 4 million people (4,255,056)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A third <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of <\/span><b>UK residents <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(<\/span><b>33%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">surveyed wash their bathroom towels just<\/span><b> once every three months<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, this equates to over <\/span><b>17 million <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">people (17,552,107)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those surveyed in<\/span><b> Leicester and Glasgow <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">are<\/span><b> most likely to go the longest without washing their bathroom towels<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with over 4 in 10 (41%) from both cities admitting to only washing their towels <\/span><b>every three months<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the most<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through a survey of <\/span><b>2,200 UK residents<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><b>our<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> research found that 3% of respondents wash their bathroom towels <\/span><b>once a year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, equating to <\/span><b>1,595,646 people<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on the latest adult population estimates from the Office of National Statistics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Men<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> were <\/span><b>five times more likely<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to clean their bathroom towels just <\/span><b>once a year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with <\/span><b>5% of male respondents<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> admitting to giving them an <\/span><b>annual wash<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, compared to <\/span><b>1%<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of women.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Almost <\/span><b>one in 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> respondents (8%) stated they will only <\/span><b>wash<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> their bathroom towels<\/span><b> twice a year<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, indicating over<\/span><b> 1.5 million<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people across the country give their towels a clean every <\/span><b>six months<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while a <\/span><b>third<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of respondents (33%) will only <\/span><b>wash<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> their <\/span><b>bathroom towels<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> once every <\/span><b>three months<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the most<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The cities going the longest before washing their towels:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-3425 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Table-for-Press-Report-300x284.png\" alt=\"City Table\" width=\"300\" height=\"284\" \/><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study reveals that those in <\/span><b>Leicester<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Glasgow<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are <\/span><b>most likely<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to go the longest <\/span><b>without washing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> their <\/span><b>bathroom towels<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with over <\/span><b>four in 10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (41%) from both cities admitting to only washing their towels every <\/span><b>three months<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the most.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it\u2019s not all bad news for the nation\u2019s <\/span><b>bathroom hygiene<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with almost <\/span><b>one in five <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(38%) respondents stating they wash their towels <\/span><b>once a month<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, almost <\/span><b>a quarter<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (24%) washing their towels <\/span><b>once a week<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>one in 20<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (5%) health conscious residents washing their towels <\/span><b>every single day <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/baths\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bath<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/showers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shower<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Martin Smith, the founder of <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/baths\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Showers to You<\/b><\/a><b> commented:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bathroom should in theory be one of the cleanest rooms in the home, however our research shows that many people across the country could be ignoring a key step in ensuring proper bathroom hygiene.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhile it\u2019s encouraging to see the data shows the majority of respondents are keeping up with regularly washing their bathroom towels, everyone should ensure they are ensuring a regular routine of washing their towels in line with guidance from health professionals, especially for those who only give their towels an annual wash.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Visual cleanliness <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the most common factor that causes people to wash their <\/span><b>bathroom towels<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (67%), followed by <\/span><b>smell<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (61%) and \u2018<\/span><b>number of uses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019 (58%). Worryingly, however, <\/span><b>one in six<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> respondents (15%) stated they will only <\/span><b>wash their towel<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s once they have become <\/span><b>stiff<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the study found that <\/span><b>one in 9<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> respondents (11%) <\/span><b>aren\u2019t concerned <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at all by <\/span><b>bacteria<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><b>hygiene<\/b> <b>issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stemming from not washing their bathroom towels, the <\/span><b>NHS<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> advises that towels can<\/span><b> spread germs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if not washed frequently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Commenting on the research, <\/span><b>Dr. Hamdan Abdullah Hamed MBChB<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a board-certified Dermatologist and Co-founder of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/poweryourcurls.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PowerYourCurls.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, states:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is <\/span><\/i><b><i>crucial<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to maintain <\/span><\/i><b><i>proper hygiene<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in our everyday routines, including the use and care of <\/span><\/i><b><i>bathroom towels<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Regular washing of bathroom towels is important to <\/span><\/i><b><i>maintain cleanliness<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><b><i>reduce the risk of infections<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Towels tend to <\/span><\/i><b><i>accumulate moisture<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, creating an environment conducive to <\/span><\/i><b><i>bacterial<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><\/i><b><i>fungal growth<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Bacteria like <\/span><\/i><b><i>staphylococcus aureus<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can lead to <\/span><\/i><b><i>skin infections<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while <\/span><\/i><b><i>fungi<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like <\/span><\/i><b><i>Candida yeast<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can cause issues like <\/span><\/i><b><i>athlete&#8217;s foot<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><\/i><b><i>yeast infections<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Additionally, dirty towels may contain <\/span><\/i><b><i>allergens<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that can trigger allergic reactions or <\/span><\/i><b><i>skin irritations <\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in sensitive individuals. Therefore, it is recommended to wash towels after every <\/span><\/i><b><i>three to four uses<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to eliminate <\/span><\/i><b><i>bacteria<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><b><i>dirt<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><b><i>dead skin cells<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><\/i><b><i>allergens<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, ensuring optimal <\/span><\/i><b><i>hygiene<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and minimising <\/span><\/i><b><i>health risks<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Methodology:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A survey of 2,200 UK residents asking respondents to state how often they wash their bathroom towels and the reasons behind the frequency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Population statistics for UK adults (18 and over) taken from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/peoplepopulationandcommunity\/populationandmigration\/populationestimates\/datasets\/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Office of National Statistics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guidance on washing towels taken from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health\/how-often-should-you-wash-your-towels#:~:text=Towels%20absorb%20a%20lot%20of,be%20washed%20every%20three%20uses.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthline<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guidance on hygiene issues around washing towels taken from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/common-health-questions\/infections\/can-clothes-and-towels-spread-germs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NHS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All data was collected in August 2023 and is correct as of then.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b><i>References\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>[1]<\/strong> &#8211; The Epoch Times | \u201cThe Shocking Truth: Unwashed Towels Rival Toilets in Bacteria Count After Just 3 Days\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bathroom Experts Showers to You investigate how often the nation actually wash their bathroom towels&#8230; Amid recent reports that freshly washed towels contain 190,000 counts of bacteria \u2014 increasing to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[141,143,291],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3424"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4114,"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3424\/revisions\/4114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.showerstoyou.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}