Health | Are you still using this towel to wipe your face? I'm really sweating for you

How long can you use a towel? Two months, half a year, or even a year... This is something that many people have become accustomed to. However, towels that have been used for a long time will not only harden, affecting the comfort of use, but also breed a large number of pathogenic bacteria, affecting health. "Life Times" interviews experts to help uncover the health secrets hidden in towels.

As you travel around, you may wash your face every night, wipe it with a towel, and then go to sleep; The parents at home are reluctant to throw away the white towels they use. The editor calls for caring for health, starting by replacing an old towel for yourself and others around you!

Replace every three months

The towel is a three-dimensional fiber fabric with loops. Frequent use will leave dirt and stains on the loop layer, making it difficult to clean.

Experts once conducted an experiment: conducting bacterial culture on new towels, towels that have been in use for 3 months, and towels that have been in use for more than 6 months. It was found that, calculated per square centimeter, the bacterial colonies on new towels are about 100 orders of magnitude, while those on towels that have been in use for 3 months are about 10000 orders of magnitude. When towels that have been in use for 6 months are used, the culture dish is almost filled with bacterial colonies, about one million orders of magnitude.

Therefore, it is recommended to replace towels within two to three months.

Use correctly to prolong life

Wash towels promptly after each use. If you hang a wet towel in an airless bathroom for a long time, bacteria and viruses will multiply rapidly.

It is recommended to disinfect once a week and naturally dry in a dry and ventilated place or dry with hot air;

When washing, separate dark and light colored towels, and do not wash together with clothing;

Choose mild detergents and minimize the use of chlorine containing bleach.

Boil to soften

The towel hardens after a period of use, due to the combination of free calcium and magnesium ions in the water with soap, resulting in calcium and magnesium soap adhering to the towel, and due to long-term dirt residue and accumulation.

To soften the towel, boil it in a stainless steel pan with clean water, add edible alkali or salt, rice washing water, vinegar, etc., boil the towel for about 10 minutes, remove it, then scrub with soap, rinse and dry.

If the towel hardens repeatedly, its moisture absorption function will be reduced, and it will also be contaminated with bacteria and mold. It is recommended to replace it.

Avoid "juggling multiple roles"

Couples sharing a towel, or washing their faces and hair with a towel, can cause various pathogenic bacteria to settle down everywhere. Therefore, experts provide several suggestions for using towels in families:

First, towels should be used exclusively by designated personnel, and each family member should have their own towels;

Second, special towels should be used exclusively. Towels for washing hair, wiping face, bathing, and washing feet should be distinguished to avoid having multiple duties for one towel;

Third, whether washing your hair, face, or feet, it is best to use a dry towel, which is beneficial to health and maintenance of the towel;

In addition, the frequency of use of face towels is high, and small square towels that are easy to dry can be used. Medium rectangular towels can be used for wiping hair, with a high amount of water absorption. Bath towels can be used for bathing.

Don't be too bright in color

First look at the appearance

Whether the towel is finely and neatly sewn, whether the terry is flat, and whether the color is pure and bright.

Towels that are too bright in color may contain carcinogens that are easily absorbed by the skin, such as aromatic amines, and it is not recommended to purchase them.

After buying the towel, you can put it in hot water at about 80 ℃ and lift it up and down. If the color falls significantly, the printing and dyeing quality is poor, and it is not recommended to use it.

Second look at the label

The higher the fiber content, the better the quality of the towel. Currently, a better fiber quantity is generally 400 grams per square meter, with a minimum of about 350 grams per square meter

Third look at hand feeling

A good cotton towel has a smooth texture and no greasy feeling.

You can extract a piece of yarn from the edge of the towel, and after burning, it will leave a white color ash similar to that after burning paper, without agglomerates, indicating that it is pure cotton or other cellulose.

The Fourth Smell

If the taste is pungent, the towel may contain formaldehyde.

Fifth, sprinkle some water

If too much softener is used, the water absorption of the towel will deteriorate.

Sprinkle a small amount of water on a hanging towel. If the water is quickly absorbed, it indicates good water absorption. If water droplets fall, it indicates poor water absorption.