When it comes to cleaning our homes, bathrooms are at the top of the list. While we often clean the obvious parts of the bathroom, it’s easy to overlook less visible dirty items — like bath towels.

Even though your bathroom towels may look clean — after all, they’re usually just drying off clean parts of your body — they could be holding massive amounts of bacteria and germs.

I’m often guilty of ignoring my bath towels. As long as they’re dry and back in place, I rarely give them a second thought. But to keep myself and my housemates healthy, I’ll make a point to wash them more regularly.

Learn how often you should wash your bath towels to keep them in tip-top shape and the best temperature for getting the cleanest.

Why do you need to clean your bath towels so often?

When you dry off with towels, they get moist. This porous, damp environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. A common bath towel can have yeast, mold and E. coli growing on it without you ever knowing it. Gross, right? Regular washing prevents bacteria from growing.

When should you reuse or wash bathroom towels?

Consumer Reports says that under normal circumstances, a towel can be used three or four times before it needs to be washed. That’s “times” not “days.” If you have many family members using a towel (like hand towels), it needs to be washed on the third or fourth use.

The condition of the person using the towel matters, too. If they’re sick, toss it in the laundry after one use. If it’s flu season, it’s best for every family member to have their own towel — even if they aren’t exhibiting symptoms — to prevent the potential spread of germs. 

How often you wash towels also depends on how they’re dried after usage. If towels find themselves on the floor, the lack of air circulation will cause bacteria to grow quickly. To prolong the life of your towel, be sure to place damp towels on a towel rack. Better yet, crack open a window or turn on the fan to reduce moisture in the room.

What temperature is best for washing bath towels?

The Infection Control department of Mid-Western Regional Hospital of Ennis, Ireland, recommends washing towels in water that is at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more to kill bacteria. So if you have a sanitize mode on your washing machine, use it. If not, you may consider raising the temperature on your water heater while washing that load. Be sure young children are supervised around sinks, tubs and showers while you do laundry, though, to prevent burns.

And, before you reach for the fabric softener, don’t. Fabric softener leaves residue on towels that makes them less absorbent.