Following the first detected case of mpox in Europe and the first in South East Asia, the WHO has issued laundry guidance advising not to share towels and to wash them at high temperatures to kill germs. Even freshly washed towels contain 190,000 counts of bacteria, increasing to 17 million after just one day of use, and soaring to as high as 94 million after a week. Despite this, a survey from shower enclosure specialists Showers to You has revealed that as many as 1.5 million Brits only wash their towels once a year.
Mpox: what’s the deal with towel washing?
Through a survey of 2,200 UK residents, Showers to You research found that 3% of respondents wash their bathroom towels once a year, equating to 1,595,646 people based on the latest adult population estimates from the Office of National Statistics. There are implications for mpox.
Men were five times more likely to clean their bathroom towels just once a year, with 5% of male respondents admitting to giving them an annual wash compared to 1% of women.
Almost one in 10 respondents (8%) stated they will only wash their bathroom towels twice a year, indicating over 1.5 million people across the country give their towels a clean every six months, while a third of respondents (33%) will only wash their bathroom towels once every three months at the most.
The cities going the longest before washing their towels:
|
City |
People who only wash towels every 3 months or longer |
|
Leicester |
40.90% |
|
Glasgow |
40.80% |
|
Belfast |
38.10% |
|
Sheffield |
37.50% |
|
Coventry |
36.00% |
|
Edinburgh |
35.80% |
|
Birmingham |
35.70% |
|
Nottingham |
34.10% |
|
Liverpool |
33.90% |
|
Bristol |
33.30% |
|
Bradford |
33.30% |
|
Wolverhampton |
33.30% |
|
Manchester |
32.40% |
|
Cardiff |
31.70% |
|
London |
31.40% |
|
Leeds |
31.30% |
|
Hull |
28.10% |
|
Stoke-Trent |
28.10% |
|
Southampton |
28.00% |
|
Newcastle upon Tyne |
22.20% |
The study reveals that those in Leicester and Glasgow are most likely to go the longest without washing their bathroom towels, with over four in 10 (41%) from both cities admitting to only washing their towels every three months at the most.
However, not all Brits have adopted these habits, with almost one in five (38%) respondents stating they wash their towels once a month, almost a quarter (24%) washing their towels once a week and one in 20 (5%) residents washing their towels every single day.
Your bathroom SHOULD be the cleanest room in the house…
Martin Smith, the founder of Showers to You commented:
The bathroom should in theory be one of the cleanest rooms in the home, however our research shows that many people across the country could be ignoring a key step in ensuring proper bathroom hygiene.
While it’s encouraging to see the data shows the majority of respondents are keeping up with regularly washing their bathroom towels, everyone should ensure they are ensuring a regular routine of washing their towels in line with guidance from health professionals, especially for those who only give their towels an annual wash.
Visual cleanliness is the most common factor that convinces people to wash their bathroom towels (67%), followed by smell (61%) and ‘number of uses’ (58%). One in six respondents (15%) stated they will only wash their towels once they have become stiff.
While the study found that one in nine respondents (11%) aren’t concerned at all by bacteria or hygiene issues stemming from not washing their bathroom towels, the NHS advises that towels can spread germs if not washed frequently. This is especially true for mpox.
Mpox: stopping the spread is key
Commenting on the research, Dr. Hamdan Abdullah Hamed MBChB, a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of PowerYourCurls.com, states:
It is crucial to maintain proper hygiene in our everyday routines, including the use and care of bathroom towels. Regular washing of bathroom towels is important to maintain cleanliness and reduce the risk of infections.
Towels tend to accumulate moisture, creating an environment conducive to bacterial and fungal growth. Bacteria like staphylococcus aureus can lead to skin infections, while fungi like Candida yeast can cause issues like athlete’s foot or yeast infections. Additionally, dirty towels may contain allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or skin irritations in sensitive individuals.
Therefore, it is recommended to wash towels after every three to four uses to eliminate bacteria, dirt, dead skin cells, and allergens, ensuring optimal hygiene and minimising health risks.
Stopping the spread of mpox will be key to managing any potential pandemic. Towel washing should be a basic thing – but clearly, for some Brits it isn’t.
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