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Professional cleaner reveals why you should NEVER wash towels and tea towels together
WE ALL seperate our blacks from our whites and our delicates from our regular clothes, but you probably assume towels and tea towels can be washed together, right?
According to a laundry expert, they should NEVER be combined for best results and to avoid cross-contamination.
Avoid cross contamination by washing towels and tea towels separately[/caption]
Same goes for bath mats, face towels and any other type of towel – and it’s all to do with sanitisation.
According to Better Homes and Gardens, washing household towels in the same wash can transfer germs between the items.
Tea towels are used in the kitchen and are constantly in close contact with a variety of surfaces which attract a whole lot of bacteria.
This can easily be transferred to bath and hand towels if they share the same laundry load – and that’s kind of gross, and not at all hygienic.
Combining them could spread bacteria, particularly if not washed properly[/caption]
Towels may not be cleaned properly if you wash with cold water or not enough washing detergent – so it’s best to avoid mixing altogether.
To avoid bacteria spreading, wash towels separately every four days in a 40 degree wash or higher, and on a typical spin cycle.
Luckily, bath towels can be washed in water as hot as 90 degrees – the hotter the better to ensure you skill all bacteria.
Tea towels on the other hand usually develop an odour, so it’s worth chucking some white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda in your machine during the wash cycle.
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For more washing tips, here’s more advice on how you should really be cleaning your towels.
Meanwhile cleaning experts reveal the right way to wipe your counters – and the ‘S’ method is key.
And cleaning mum says you’ve been washing your bedsheets all wrong – and buttoning them up is a must.
