How often should you change towels?
As a general rule, hand towels by the washbasin should be changed every 2 to 3 days, bath towels after 3 to 5 uses, and flannels and gym towels after every use. Sauna towels should ideally also be changed after each sauna session. How often towels actually need changing, however, depends greatly on the size of the household, how well they can dry in the bathroom and individual health circumstances. The following article explains how these factors affect towel hygiene.
What is a sensible towel-changing routine?
When you dry yourself after a shower or bath, skin cells, germs, dirt and small hairs can remain on the towel. After washing your hands, dirt and soap residue may likewise become trapped in the fibres. Perhaps you also flush the toilet with the lid open? This can send germs into the air, allowing them to settle on nearby towels (source). In addition, bathrooms are often warm and humid, creating ideal conditions for bacteria and fungal spores. Anything that settles on a damp towel may therefore multiply particularly well and could potentially contribute to illness.
Regularly changing and washing towels is therefore a matter of course. In some households, towels are changed every day; in others, they are still changed regularly but at considerably longer intervals. What is appropriate depends largely on how the towel is used.
How often a towel needs to go into the wash is determined primarily by its purpose. Hand and face towels are constantly exposed to moisture and skin bacteria, whereas bath towels are generally used on freshly washed skin and have time to dry before their next use. They can therefore usually be used for longer.
Because different types of towels are not used with the same frequency, recommendations on when to change them also vary. The following table provides practical guidance and approximate intervals rather than rigid rules.
| Type of towel | Recommended frequency | Special considerations & influencing factors | ||
| Hand towel by the washbasin | Every 2–3 days | Change daily in larger households or where hands are washed frequently. | ||
| Guest towel |
| Good hygiene matters: guests should always be provided with fresh towels. | ||
| Bath towel / shower towel | After 3–4 uses |
| ||
| Flannel / washcloth | After every use | Direct contact with skin oils, soap residue and/or intimate areas creates ideal conditions for germs. | ||
| Gym towel | After every use | Sweat and contact with bacteria on gym equipment mean it should be washed immediately. | ||
| Sauna towel | After every sauna session | Heavy sweating and warm, humid conditions encourage microbial growth. | ||
| Beach towel | After 3–5 uses | Change sooner if it has had significant contact with sand, sun cream, salt water or chlorinated water. |
Because of showering and bathing, bathrooms frequently have high temperatures and a relative humidity of more than 60%. Studies into household microbiology show that bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and intestinal bacteria such as Escherichia coli, as well as mould spores, can multiply rapidly in warm, humid conditions. They can also spread easily: flushing the toilet with the lid open may send germs into the air, allowing them to settle on nearby towels.
If a towel is not changed or dried regularly, this may contribute to skin irritation, blemishes or infections.
When Should a Towel Be Changed Immediately?
In certain everyday and hygiene-related situations, the usual intervals are not sufficient. A towel should be put into the wash straight away if any of the following applies:
| Situation | Recommendation | Reason |
| Unpleasant / musty smell | Change immediately | Indicates the presence of bacteria or fungi. |
| Left damp for too long | Change immediately | For example, if forgotten in a gym bag or left crumpled on the floor. |
| Visible soiling | Change immediately | Stains can provide nutrients for germs and are unhygienic. |
| After heavy sweating / exercise | Change immediately | High organic contamination from sweat and contact with gym equipment. |
| Illness in the household | Change daily / immediately | Helps prevent contact transmission and infection of other household members. |
| Used by many guests | Change after the gathering | Increased transfer of germs between different people. |
A boil wash at 95°C is generally no longer necessary with modern detergents and normal levels of soiling. Washing at 40–60°C is sufficient for hygienic laundry in most everyday situations, as the Hamburg Consumer Advice Centre explains.
Here is an overview:
| Situation | Recommended wash programme | Temperature & detergent |
| Normal everyday use | Cottons / coloured wash | 40°C to 60°C with heavy-duty powder detergent |
| Illness / increased hygiene requirements | Cottons / coloured wash | At least 60°C with a bleach-containing heavy-duty detergent; guidance on boil washes is provided by the German Environment Agency |
| Delicate textiles | Delicates cycle | 40°C, following the manufacturer's instructions on the care label |
No. For healthy people practising normal everyday hygiene, washing a towel immediately after each use is neither necessary nor environmentally sustainable. Washing after a single use is generally only required in cases of infectious illness, certain skin conditions or extremely heavy soiling.
How Often Should a Shared Hand Towel Be Changed?
A hand towel by the washbasin that is used by several people should be changed every 1 to 2 days, as frequent handwashing increases both moisture and microbial contamination.
How Often Should Guest Towels Be Changed?
Guest towels should be changed after every visit. If guests are staying for several days, changing them every 1 to 2 days is recommended.
Are Towels Hygienically Clean When Washed at 40°C?
For normal everyday use by healthy people, yes — provided you use a heavy-duty powder detergent, as this contains bleaching agents. In cases of illness, fungal infections or strongly smelling laundry, however, a 60°C wash is required.
Yes, definitely. Washing towels before first use removes manufacturing residues and dust. In addition, cotton fibres only develop their full absorbency and terry-loop structure after the first few washes. The main cause is residual moisture due to the towel drying too slowly after use. This allows moisture-loving bacteria to multiply. Other possible causes include detergent residue or a dirty washing machine. Tips on removing odours can be found in our article on unpleasant-smelling terry textiles.Should New Towels Be Washed Before First Use?
Why Does a Towel Start to Smell So Quickly?