Confession: I think I’m addicted to using my washing machine. I live just with my partner and easily put on 4-5 full washes per week and always include towels in them.

I love the ritual of it and assume, especially when it comes to towels, that there is no such thing as my linens being ‘too’ clean. Plus, once you’ve used a towel once, you’ve dirtied it. Right?

Well, no, wrong.

According to the home experts and consumer champions at Which?, there is a specifc approach to cleaning towels and it’s definitely not what I’ve been doing this whole time. 

How often should you wash your towels?

In a post shared on their Instagram account, Which? revealed that how often you clean a towel actually depends on which towel you’re using. Unless it’s covered in grime, of course.

Bath towels

Bath towels, contrary to my ridiculous habits, should be washed around every 3-5 uses or if you hang them properly, just once weekly. This will differ for people will children and pets but as a rule of thumb, it’s pretty handy to work from. 

Hand towels

In what will be a massive sigh of relief to anybody who often finds themselves drowning under laundry, hand towels only need to be washed once a week. 

Face towels/wash cloths

These need to be cleaned after 1-2 uses to prevent bacteria build-up. 

What temperature should I wash towels at?

On their website, Which? states: “The 60°C program generally cleans slightly better than the 40°C program, especially on greasy stains, and is ideal for bedding and towels.”

However, they do note that washing at this temperature means that, “running costs increase by more than half.”

How to keep towels soft and fluffy?

HuffPost UK actually published a guide on keeping your towels soft but, put simply:

• Wash bath towels separately to other laundry
• Use baking soda to target any musty smells
• If you live in a hard water area, hand-soak your towels before popping them in the machine
• Use double detergent now and then
• Use white vinegar to strip dirt from towels