Poll: How Often Do You Wash Your Towels?

[Saelune]

My grandmother was shocked when some of her co-workers were themselves surprised she washes her towels after only a single use. I share my grandmother's feelings. Unless desperate, I find it rather gross to "clean" myself with a used towel, especially since well, I had used it on me before.

But then I read an article suggesting 3 uses is the max before washing it...THREE!?

So perhaps my family is the weird one here, but so be it. (Though I may be less inclined to use other's towels in the future)

So what about the rest of you? Are you as grossed out as I am, or do you think my grandmother and I are just needlessly germaphobic?

Edit: I think some misunderstand. Im not asking how often you wash your entire load of towels. I think some people are saying "Once a week" but mean their entire bunch of towels, which they each use once or twice, but dont re-use the same towel that entire week.

 

[Saelune]

And please dont just pick that one answer out of spite. I am genuinely curious.

 

[tippy2k2]

I....I don't want to answer now.

I own basically one towel. I wash it once every week (once ever two weeks if laundry time has not gone well).

It dries!

 

[Saelune]

I....I don't want to answer now.

I own basically one towel. I wash it once every week (once ever two weeks if laundry time has not gone well).

It dries!

Being unable to do something and being unwilling to do something are not the same. So I guess the question for you is which is it?

 

[tippy2k2]

I....I don't want to answer now.

I own basically one towel. I wash it once every week (once ever two weeks if laundry time has not gone well).

It dries!

Being unable to do something and being unwilling to do something are not the same. So I guess the question for you is which is it?

I could buy more towels I suppose but it doesn't seem worth the effort. Those towels dry over the day so they're plenty good!

I live in an apartment so I only do laundry once a week. Just a lot of work for something that does not bother me.

 

[Randomosity]

What Tippy neglected to mention is that he also only showers once a week. Saves money on the water bill

 

[tippy2k2]

What Tippy neglected to mention is that he also only showers once a week. Saves money on the water bill

What am I made of money?!?!?!

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Um... once a month? I mean really, if you are half competent at taking a bath, your towel shouldn't be getting that dirty.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I dunno, once a week? Every 10 days? I got like 5 identical towels, and 1 alternate towel. When I get to the alternate, and I think each towel can give me 2 cleans, then its time.

Remember all they do is dry. They shouldn't be dirty after drying, just wet. The same wetness and water you have on you that you declare yourself clean with.

 

[Leg End]

I like to air dry.

...And that's it really.

 

[Saelune]

I dont want to rub my face where my genitals rubbed, I dont care how "clean" they are.

 

[Nuuu]

I used to just use whatever towel was hanging in the bathroom, only being discerning if they smelled bad.

I've changed my habits since having gone off to college. I've got my own sets of towels that I use once and wash weekly with my laundry. I wouldn't mind using a towel twice, but more than that and I start feeling a little dirty.

 

[DeliveryGodNoah_v1legacy]

We have a healthy amount of towels. And currently three people in the house. There's enough towels for each of us to have our own towel for every day of the week.

So personally I use a new towel after every shower. I'm 90% sure my brother does to. The other member of the house I'm not sure about. At the end of the week we take all the used towels, put them in the wash and dryer, and repeat the process. Sometimes I even have to use two towels because my hair is so long and no one appreciates water dripping around the house, and I hate how wet hair feels when just freely hanging.

My reasoning for using a new towel every time? Well, I don't know how dry everyone else's homes are, but my towels don't always dry before the next time I'd need to use it. Water attracts some pretty icky things if you just let it dry on its own. And I don't care how hard you think you're cleaning yourself, it ain't all coming off in the shower alone. Your towel is doing some of that deed when you're letting it absorb that water. Water likely containing much of the bacteria that didn't die and small amounts of whatever else you were trying to scrub off.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

After one use it goes in the dirty clothes pile, and that gets done about once or more a week.

What do I look like? A philistine?

Besides, it's hot where I live and some times you have to take two showers because the sun is a cruel mistress and you need all the towels.

 

[Summerstorm]

Uh... which towels?

Hands: When they no longer "feel" clean.. so maybe a week (washing them every two monts or so)

Showertowel: Eh, two weeks or so. Like 10+ uses? There is a way to be TOO clean and such. (But of course depends on usage. I don't work hard, and have no "dirty hobbies".

 

[Fijiman]

In my house we ask ourselves the following questions: Is the used towel basket full? Are we almost out of clean versions of certain types of towels? If the answer to either of these is yes then it's time to do a load of towels.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

Once a week, which comes out to quite a lot more than 6, because I shower twice a day. I do my laundry 2-3 times a week, and that's already barely manageable time-wise. I have a lot of stuff to wash, ok. MMA training gear, dry-fit shirts, office shirts and pants, motorcycle gear, hand/sweat towels, sleeping stuff, it gets out of hand real quick if I don't stay on top of it.

 

[FalloutJack]

I picked burning for laughs, but it's every few times.

 

[Zhukov]

It never occurred to me to count.

Every so often I look at the towel rack and think, "Those are probably due for a wash about now". And so it comes to pass.

I dry myself with them, not wipe my arse. They get damp, not dirty.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I was my towels once a week, and tend to shower 1-2 times a day so...after about 10-11 uses. More if it's hot and I've been sweating a lot.

I dont want to rub my face where my genitals rubbed, I dont care how "clean" they are.

Do you put your face into your significant others' genitals?

If the answer is yes then why wouldn't you be willing to dry your face with the same towel that you used to dry the rest of your body?