# How often do you change towels?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 12, 2007, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483 "2007-07-12T11:30:58Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/1 "2007-07-12T11:30:58Z")
I just changed towels this morning and the fresh one felt noticeably cleaner as I dried myself off with it. I tend to change towels roughly once or twice a week, and I’m wondering if there’s some kind of accepted standard practice (like changing underwear daily).
How often do you change your towel?
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### Author:  [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/2 "2007-07-12T11:33:32Z")
I use 2 towels - one for my hair, one for my body. The hair towel gets changed every couple of days. The body towel gets changed every day.
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/3 "2007-07-12T11:43:36Z")
Bath towels, usually once a week (they’re kept on a heated towel rail so they dry off quickly and don’t sit going damp and icky). Hand towels, every two or three days.
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/4 "2007-07-12T11:48:22Z")
Once a week. They’re used when we’re clean, so unless I’m expecting guests, a week is a-ok.
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### Author:  [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/5 "2007-07-12T12:50:22Z")
This is one of the subjects where I’m a bit torn. I like clean fresh towels, but re-washing them often is a grotesque waste of water, energy and detergent. There’s no need to wash towels or clothes as often as we usually do (underwear excepted).
In the end, I’m lazy and forgetful, so I change them when it really occurs to me that the time has come (lucky for the environment, less lucky for those who have to use them).
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/6 "2007-07-12T13:09:23Z")
Typically once every three days.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/7 "2007-07-12T13:21:18Z")
Depends on the weather. If it’s damp and rainy and the towel doesn’t get a chance to dry out completely between showers, as soon as I feel not comfortable with it (every couple of days). If it’s nice (or the heat is on and dries it out), four or five days. No hard and fast rules.
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### Author:  [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/8 "2007-07-12T13:30:04Z")
I never realised other people did them so infrequently! I might have to rethink my schedule…
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/9 "2007-07-12T13:34:48Z")
Once every few days - as **Kalhoun** notes - I’m clean when I wipe myself with them so it’s not as if they become instantly disgusting after a single use.
In some hotels where I’ve stayed, they have a little sign saying that if you’re staying several nights and would like fresh towels, just leave the used ones on the floor or in the bathtub, if you’re happy to use the same towels again later, please hang them up on the rail (they are of course always changed between guests)
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### Author:  [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/10 "2007-07-12T13:35:48Z")
Once a week.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/11 "2007-07-12T13:41:45Z")
Once a week. And I also use two towels, one for hair, and one for body.
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### Author:  [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/12 "2007-07-12T13:46:32Z")
Every week and a half or so (about how often I do laundry). I do sometimes change the hand towel more often, often change washcloths more often, and in weather like this–horribly humid–will change towels when they start smelling not so fresh, even if the whole week is not up.
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### Author:  [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/13 "2007-07-12T14:04:40Z")
Once a week, I change the two bath towels I use to dry off after the shower.
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### Author:  [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/14 "2007-07-12T14:14:58Z")
Every day, but only because I am really sensitive to mildew and even if I hang a towel to dry there is a good chance I will get hives from it.
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### Author:  [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/15 "2007-07-12T14:19:06Z")
Every day, because I’m not drying my butt with something on Monday, and using it on my face on Tuesday, even if my body is clean.
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### Author:  [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/16 "2007-07-12T14:26:47Z")
Usually around once a week, or if I can detect any sense of mildew.
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### Author:  [@rucciface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rucciface)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/17 "2007-07-12T14:32:25Z")
[QUOTE=Manda JO]
Every day, but only because I am really sensitive to mildew and even if I hang a towel to dry there is a good chance I will get hives from it.
[/QUOTE]
Me, too.
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### Author:  [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/18 "2007-07-12T14:52:06Z")
Rarely, because if you think about it, if the towel only touches you when you are squeaky clean, it should never get dirty.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/19 "2007-07-12T14:56:14Z")
[QUOTE=Omega Glory]
Every day, because I’m not drying my butt with something on Monday, and using it on my face on Tuesday, even if my body is clean.
[/QUOTE]
But you wash your butt, don’t you?
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)
#### Post date: [July 12, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-you-change-towels/411483/20 "2007-07-12T14:59:59Z")
Sure the butt gets washed, but surgeons _scrub_ their hands and they still wear gloves, right?
Bath towels are single use here, hand towels get changed every other day or so.
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