New research has revealed that almost two million people in the UK only wash their bathroom towels once a year.
Wrapping a big, warm, fluffy towel around you after a nice shower has to be up there with one of the top feelings in life.
You feel fresh and clean, and ready to take on the day.
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But the question is, when do you decide to throw your towel in the laundry and give it a spruce-up?
Shocking new research from bath experts at Showers to You has shown that despite towels containing up to 94 million counts of bacteria after just one week of use, *gulp*, nearly two million Brits only ever wash their bathroom towels once a year.
The survey revealed that it was men who 'were five times more likely to clean their towels just once a year, compared to one percent of women'.
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It also found that a third of the whole of the UK admitted to washing their bathroom towels 'just once every three months', equating to roughly 17 million people.
According to the research, those who live in Leicester and Glasgow are 'most likely to go the longest without washing their bathroom towels, with over four in 10 (41 percent) from both cities admitting to only washing their towels every three months at the most'.
Guidance suggests that towels should be washed after three uses, yes, three!
The reason that towels are such a brilliant breeding ground for bacteria and germs is because of how damp they become all of the time.
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Despite this, regular washing and drying can in fact make the fibres in the towel a little stiff and scratchy, but knowing what temperatures to use can help prevent this.
The optimum temperature for washing towels is between 30 to 40 degrees, according to Tom Drake, a DIY expert at Only Radiators.
In an interview with the Daily Express, he said: “Towels can feel hard and stiff due to the build up of soap and detergent which causes a less absorbent layer on your towels.
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“You may think that a lot of fabric softener and a hot wash will keep your towels fresh, but this can actually have the opposite effect.
“Warm water absorbs detergent better, in turn leaving less chemical child up on your towels, which makes them feel stiff.”
Roman Kemp recently struck a debate about how often bath towels should be washed, admitting to leaving his for two or three weeks at a time.
So there you have it, perhaps you should go think about sticking your towels in the washing machine!
Mia Williams