Science Says You Probably Don't Wash Your Towels As Much As You Should

D-I-R-T-Y B-I-R-D

Hey you! Yeah, you! You've ~probably~ used a towel before, right?

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They're pretty convenient for getting you dry after a shower or whatever.

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But chances are you're not washing your towels as frequently as you should.

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It turns out towels get really dirty, really fast. As in, they should be washed after EVERY THREE USES.

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"A damp towel is growing [microbes]," explained Philip Tierno, a microbiologist at the New York University School of Medicine, to Business Insider. The warm temperature of your bathroom + water + oxygen is basically microbe heaven.

And, said Tierno, if it's growing microbes, you can usually tell by the towel's smell.

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Don't act like you've never used a smelly towel before. I SEE YOU.

So what's the big deal about using a smelly, microbe-rich towel? Welp, for one, the towel is basically getting you dirtier, not cleaner. And two, if you're sharing towels, the bacteria on the towel from others can cause stuff like acne, infections, or even — gasp! — boils.

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Nobody likes boils. NOBODY.

Honestly? If you don't have clean towels you might just be better off air drying.

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