How dangerous is it to use a hand towel for several days in a row?

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Scientists told what bacteria accumulate on tissue and whether it is worth worrying about them.

Recently, a study has emerged claiming that it is dangerous to use towels that have not been washed for several days due to the large number of bacteria. According to the author of this paper, after about two days, there is more E. coli bacteria on the hand towel than in the toilet. However, everything is far from so scary.

There is no evidence that people get infected from their own towel. Our body is adapted to live in a complete environment. If the towel has time to dry completely between uses, there is practically no chance of transmitting your own bacteria to someone.

There are bacteria on the towels because they are everywhere.

“Think for yourself where the bacteria are on your towel, if not from you,” says microbiologist Mark Martin.

Studies that detect E.coli and other colymorphic bacteria usually only look for gram-negative bacteria, he said. But they are not necessarily bad for us.

In general, there is no data yet that would confirm the harm of these bacteria on the towel. And no one checked whether that amount is really enough to get sick.

Martin himself washes towels once a week. It doesn't make sense to do this more often, unless you wipe your eyes and mouth with a towel that you share with someone suffering from an intestinal infection.