If you only use your towel when you are clean, it can’t be that dirty, right?
Nope.
Damp towels create a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mold, allowing germs to multiply with every use.
“When you say you wash off bacteria, you’re partially correct—you wash off some bacteria,” says Philip Tierno, PhD, clinical professor of pathology and microbiology at NYU School of Medicine. But others stick around and end up on your towel while you are drying off. And once they are there, the germs will start to multiply.
Bacteria is also the reason why so many towels seem to have a damp, musty smell that lingers through the next wash—you may not realize it, but your favorite bath towel could be acting as a fluffy, oversized magnet for smelly microbes. This is one of the reasons why clinicians recommend washing your towel after just 2-3 uses.
But even after just one use, bacteria and germs will start growing on your towel. That means every time you use it after, there is a potential for acne, infections, and irritated skin.