Towels are one of the items that are often used in various activities, especially activities that drain sweat. For example, a sports towel used by those of you who enjoy physical exercise or for athletes. Even though it seems trivial, towels still need to get good care, especially regarding cleanliness. Because towels are often used to wipe sweat which is actually filled with dirt. If you don’t clean it regularly, you may get sick from bacteria and germs that stick to the towel.
So, How to care your towels to be free from various dirt?
1. One Towel for One Person
The habit of using one towel for many people is not only unhygienic, but can also trigger various diseases. Try to stick to one towel per person. Because, you never know the dirt that sticks from other people’s bodies. This applies everywhere, including when you use a sauna towel as a base to prevent contamination from other users.
2. Wash Towels Regularly
Did you know that Indonesian people tend to rarely wash the towels they use? Usually new towels will be cleaned three days, a week, or once a month. In fact, even using a towel for yourself does not necessarily guarantee the cleanliness of the towel for a long time. So, make sure you wash your towels regularly and have spares available so you can use them while the other towels are being washed.
3. Drying in the Sun
In addition to routine washing, towels should also be regularly dried in direct sunlight. This will make the fungus, bacteria, and other dirt on the surface of the towel not able to last long. Also, don’t put towels in the bathroom. The humidity in the room will actually make bacteria and fungi grow quickly, especially if the towels are still wet.
4. Don’t Iron Towels
Have you ever felt the surface of a hotel towel that feels soft? This is because the towels are not ironed. Why is that? Ironing towels will only make the fibers stiff, ripe, and die. Please note that most towels are made from fresh cotton without going through the ripening process at all.
5. Clean Using Soap
Although you can’t iron it, you still need to clean the towels with soap. Like other ingredients, soap will lift various dirt on the surface of the towel. Make sure you use the right amount of soap. Excessive use of soap without rinsing thoroughly will only leave foam or soap marks on the surface of the towel.
6. Avoid Using Softeners
The use of softener or fabric softener is not recommended for towels. Because the softening agent contained in the softener will even coat the fiber and make the absorbency of the towel reduced. Therefore, after washing it, you just dry the towel in the sun instead of putting it in a bath containing softener.
7. Retire Old Towels
Whether it’s a bath towel or a souvenir towel, if the surface is worn and the color has faded, you should replace it immediately. Indeed, there are no definite rules when it is best to change towels. However, you can’t wear the same towel for a long time. Especially if the surface has holes and the absorption has dropped drastically.
8. Don’t Keep it in the Bathroom
As already mentioned, don’t keep your towels in the bathroom. Especially if you just used the towel to clean the body. High humidity levels will make it easier for bacterial fungi to thrive. So it’s a good idea to immediately dry the dirty towels that you have used after bathing outside the bathroom.
In addition to paying attention to how to care, you can also use towels with quality materials. One of them is a towel made of microfiber. Unlike most towels, the fibers in this towel are very fine. In addition, when used for cleaning, the dirt on the surface will be absorbed instead of being pushed away. So that even those of you who use microfiber towels will maintain good health and cleanliness.
