Infrequent towel washing may cause outbreaks of four diseases

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You should wash your towels every three to four days.

Reusing towels may be “good,” but if you use them “too often,” you could be putting yourself at risk for skin problems like ringworm and acne. The longer towels stay damp, the more time yeast, bacteria, mold, and viruses have to survive and grow.

They can cause outbreaks of toenail fungus, athlete's foot, jock itch, and warts, or cause these skin conditions to spread. And dirty towels can definitely cause eczema or atopic dermatitis to flare up.

So how often should you wash your towels? And what's the best way to make sure they're free of germs?

To keep your towels germ-free, you should wash them every three to four days. If you shower every day, that means you need to wash them twice a week. You also shouldn't share towels with sick people, as germs can easily spread to towels.

But after you've washed your towels, it's important to shake them out to remove excess water.

After washing your towels, run them through a spin cycle or shake them out to remove as much excess water as possible. Make sure your towels are completely dry before storing them. Storing them in damp conditions can lead to mold and even mildew on your towels.