# Is Washing Your Towels Really Necessary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050 "2003-03-17T17:50:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/1 "2003-03-17T17:50:12Z")
Why do people wash their towels? If you wash yourself thoroughly, then rinse yourself off completely, there will be nothing but water on you when you go to dry off. Since you’re transfering pure water onto your towel, it should remain clean, and therefore should not require washing. Is this correct? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/2 "2003-03-17T17:53:20Z")
You still need to wash them. When you dry off, tiny flecks of skin come off on the towel. Combined with water which takes a little while to dry, after a while you’ll get a stinky towel. In my expereince, if you hang it up to dry each time, you should be able to use a towel for almost a week before you’ll need to wash it. ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/3 "2003-03-17T17:54:19Z")
This is Wally’s argument from Dilbert. Even though the water may be pure, the air isn’t. Mold and mildew will find your warm, moist towel to be a very attractive place and soon you won’t be able to stand the smell. In theory, you could put the towel in the dryer immediately after each use and never wash it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/4 "2003-03-17T18:10:29Z")
Yes, Wally from Dilbert actually argued that he was cleaning the towel every time he dried himself. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/5 "2003-03-17T18:15:32Z")
The college me could tell you that towels get pretty stiff and smell funny if you don’t wash them for a couple weeks. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/6 "2003-03-17T18:18:01Z")
Also, if your water is hard, you will get mineral deposits in/on the towel. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Harli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c0e974/32.png) [@Harli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harli)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/7 "2003-03-17T18:28:19Z")
Have you ever _smelled_ a bath towel that had been used many times before washing?? That right there is an indicator that yes, washing your towels is extremely necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/8 "2003-03-17T18:30:16Z")
Get a dark colored towel, vigorously rub yourself dry with it, and then look at it under a bright light. You’ll see it covered with tiny flakes of your skin. Those flakes are subject to bacterial rot and hence the stinky towel syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/9 "2003-03-17T18:34:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bup \* > The college me could tell you that towels get pretty stiff and smell **funny** if you don’t wash them for a couple weeks. And not “ha ha” funny either. Surrel, thanks for living up to your username 😃 What Lissa said about dead skin should not be underestimated. The particles are tiny but you are shedding them all the time. Putting them in the dryer would knock off a lot of the particles of skin but there would still be a buildup that would get major funky after a while. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/10 "2003-03-17T18:38:21Z")
**MSU** is right. Damp towel + time = mold. Narsty stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/11 "2003-03-17T19:46:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > Get a dark colored towel, vigorously rub yourself dry with it, and then look at it under a bright light. You’ll see it covered with tiny flakes of your skin. Those flakes are subject to bacterial rot and hence \*\*the stinky towel syndrome. \*\* That’s where the towels develop an attachment to their captors, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/12 "2003-03-17T20:55:36Z")
You’re referring, of course, to Stinkytowel, Sweden. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/13 "2003-03-17T22:05:55Z")
There is no such thing as a completely clean human; by the time you leave the shower your skin has begun to secrete sweat and oils. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/14 "2003-03-17T22:19:15Z")
> [@](#): > > You’re referring, of course, to Stinkytowel, Sweden. Finland. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/15 "2003-03-17T22:21:52Z")
TowelStinki ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/16 "2003-03-17T22:26:19Z")
I can tell you exactly what happens. It gets mold, you wont notice it but you can smell it & soon after you get holes eaten into a towel from it. Odd, but that doesn’t happen with towels that I use for surfing that only come into contact with ocean water. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/17 "2003-03-17T23:46:18Z")
\<- sits back and waits for inevitable Towlie-ban joke. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/18 "2003-03-18T02:08:03Z")
Can’t you get a staff infection that way? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/19 "2003-03-18T02:09:08Z")
I had a housemate who never washed his towel. For six bloody months, he used the same one over and over and over and over…as far as I could tell, the man never used soap, either, so he couldnt have been that clean after showering. I remember once he let his towel get soaking wet, and then he hung it up on the curtain rod. I walked in, and noticed it was dripping, and the water coming off that thing was BLACK!! It was one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen in my life. And you know what? He used it again THAT NIGHT after having been out biking!!!:eek: I’m so glad to be rid of that guy. Unfortunately, he left the towel here, so its safely sealed in a bag in a back closet that we don’t really use until such time that we can legally toss out all the stuff he left behind (I should find out when that legal time is…) ---
**Author:** ![kirk280980](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c77e96/32.png) [@kirk280980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk280980)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050/20 "2003-03-18T02:31:46Z")
I use towels once and then throw them straight in the laundry basket afterwards. No towel rail in my bathroom - it’s tiny, and there isn’t enough wall space - so there’s nowhere else for the damn things to go once I’ve finished with them. Not that I mind, because I prefer to use a clean, fresh towel each time I shower anyway. That’s how it was done in our house when I was a kid, and the habit has stuck. Living alone means the towels only add up to one full load a week, so it’s not like it causes any extra work for me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-washing-your-towels-really-necessary/162050.md?page=2)