Do you know how dirty the towels you use every day?
Clothes are worn every day, and people change and wash every day. However, towels are also used every day, but the frequency of washing them is greatly reduced – the reason is very simple. People feel that washing their faces with them is not equivalent to washing towels.
Many people buy a towel until it is rotten, and every time they use it, they hang it directly in the bathroom. They don’t wash it specially for several months or even half a year. But do you know how dirty such “never clean” towels are?!
in fact, the number of bacteria in towels can reach one million after half a year
The people’s Hospital of Peking University once conducted an experiment in which new towels, towels that have been used for 3 months and towels that have been used for more than 6 months were cultured for bacteria. According to the relevant towel standards in China, the total number of bacteria in towels should not exceed 200 per square centimeter. From the experimental results, it can be seen that only one towel that has been used for less than a month meets this standard, and the test results of other towels are surprising.
Among them, in terms of per square centimeter, the new towel colony is on the order of 100, and the towel colony for three months is on the order of 10000; After using the towel for six months, the Petri dish is almost full of colonies, which is estimated to be in the order of one million; After two years of use, the bacteria on the towel can no longer be counted from this, the bacterial count of all towels that have been used for more than three months has greatly exceeded the standard
Among them, the common bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, etc., which may cause itching and long spots on the skin, or pneumonia and sepsis. Escherichia coli is a normal bacterial group in the human gut, but if it invades a wound, it may also cause infection.
however, nearly 7% of Chinese adults can’t use towels correctly
The China Home Textile Association once conducted a survey on towel use habits in five cities. The results showed that 65% of the respondents did not know the correct way to use towels, and 35% of the respondents sometimes had slight itching on their faces, but did not know that it might be caused by towels. Moreover, due to the constraints of living habits (of course, influenced by the economy and production conditions in the past), the consumption level of towels in China has been at a low level, only 1.2 towels per capita per year. In contrast, the towel consumption in Japan is 6 times that of China, and that in Europe and the United States is 7 times that of China.
In fact, in families in developed countries, towels are not only a bathing tool, but also a reflection of people’s pursuit of quality of life. In their washrooms, there are five or six or even a dozen towels hanging neatly. Each family member has his own special towel, and he can wash his face, hands and feet clearly.
Scrubbing different parts of the human body with different towels is the correct way to use it, which is to prevent the normal bacteria in one part from entering another part and causing diseases.
however, towels should not only be used separately, but also be changed and sterilized frequently.
there are three main reasons why towels become a place of “hiding dirt and accepting filth”:
① Towels are mostly cotton fabrics, which can store a lot of water, and humidity is the most important condition for bacteria to survive.
② Towels are often placed in a humid environment, lacking direct sunlight, which creates good conditions for bacterial growth.
③ The special structure of the towel makes it easy to get dirty. All kinds of grease, scurf, dust, sweat and so on accumulate on it. If it is not cleaned regularly, bacteria will multiply.
Therefore, towels must be washed and dried every day, and cleaned once a week (with washing liquid or white vinegar or salt). This can inhibit the growth of bacteria, but the sterilization effect is general. Efficient sterilization still depends on these methods:
microwave disinfection method: after soaking the towel, put it into the fresh-keeping box, and then put the fresh-keeping box into the microwave oven and bake it on high fire for 3 to 5 minutes.
chemical disinfection method: you can buy a special disinfectant and disinfectant. Add an appropriate amount of disinfectant to hot water, put it into a towel, soak it for about 15 minutes, wash it with clean water, dry it, and then use it.
towel cooking sterilization method: it is recommended to use a pressure cooker, which is relatively clean and free of oil stains. Put the towel in the pot, add water until it is no more than the towel, add a little salt, and cook it in high fire. Turn off the fire after feeling the water boiling for a few minutes, and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Then, after cooling, dry it.
Generally speaking, towels are fiber fabrics. Even if they are washed frequently, they will turn yellow, dry and hard after a long time. The use effect is not as good as before, so it is recommended that you change them every three months or half a year~
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