Health Tips Library - Towels
What does a person wipe with a bath towel? They dry off their nose, mouth, open cuts, sores, their backside, etc.
Viruses, bacteria and parasite material are easily transferred to towels. Neil Schachter, MD, medical director of respiratory care at Mount Sinai in NYC says, "If people are burrowing their faces in towels, they are doing more than drying off, they are depositing germs."
Sharing towels with anyone can result in swapping critters. Therefore:
- Do not share towels.
- Separate towels so that they do not touch.
- Assign each person a separate towel rack if possible.
Care of towels:
- To reduce mold growth, spread towels out as much as possible to dry. Towel bars are better than hooks for this.
- Wash towels frequently in the hottest water setting available on your washer.
- Use 1 cup of distilled vinegar in the washer to reduce mold and germs. (Pickling with vinegar preserves food by preventing bacterial growth.)
- Where possible, sun dry, as the UV helps kill germs and your towels smell heavenly!
Best wishes,
Dr. Pepi
August 25, 2008
