In the crowded and humid bathroom, the mirror is splashed in the morning rush, and there are several towels hanging next to it – those for wiping the face and feet, some of which have hardened, and some have begun to turn yellow… This is the true portrayal of the “living environment” of towels in most people’s homes: towels with poor quality and hot and humid all the year round have become a paradise for bacteria.
Influenced by traditional living habits and consumption concepts, many people have continued to use some unscientific and incorrect towels. In this regard, China Home Textile Association recently conducted simulation experiments on towels of more than 400 people in Beijing, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Xi’an and Binzhou, and distributed more than 300 questionnaires to investigate people’s towel use habits and bacteria on towels.
The survey results show that most towels contain pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Escherichia coli. The reason why towels become “hiding dirt” is mainly related to their own structure and bad usage habits. First of all, the cotton fiber, the main component of the towel, has a tubular structure and contains a hollow cell cavity, which can store water. Humidity is the most important condition for bacterial survival. Secondly, towels are often placed in warm and wet toilets, which have poor ventilation and permeability, lack of direct sunlight, and are suitable for bacterial growth. Some people like to wet the towel, which also provides a hotbed for bacteria. Thirdly, dirt such as grease, dust, scurf, mites and sweat on human skin will accumulate on towels. If they are not cleaned and replaced regularly, or even used “indefinitely”, bacteria will multiply. Finally, if family members use the same towel together, or use the same towel for washing their faces and bathing, it is easy to cause cross infection. The above reasons lead to a large number of bacteria attached to towels, especially for people with low immunity, the elderly and children. Towels are even one of the most dangerous vectors of infection.
If you want to use towels scientifically, you must first choose a good towel. Du Qun, a professor of home textile at Zhejiang textile and garment vocational and technical college, reminded that when purchasing towels, you should first check the product logo, including the implementation standard, grade, raw material composition, product safety standard, etc. If you have these marks, you can judge the quality of towels by intuitive and simple methods. Li Jie, Deputy Secretary General of China Home Textile Association, gave a “trilogy” of buying good towels. First, we should see whether the Terry is flat and even. If the Terry is high and meets the national standard, the water absorption is guaranteed. The second is to touch, soft and fluffy towels are better. Du Qun added that a good towel is soft and elastic when held in the fist, and there is no lint falling off when patted. If it feels wet, it may attach water repellent softener, have poor water absorption, or even become hard after washing. Three important smells and no peculiar smell show that dyes are healthy and environmentally friendly. Du Qun explained that those with chemical taste may use inferior dyes or rinse them incompletely, which makes the product unsafe; Those with moldy taste may be stored for too long or improperly, with low service life; Those with dust smell, gasoline smell and other odors may be polluted and may endanger health. Water absorption experiments can also be done if conditions permit: if water drops are dropped on high-quality towels, they can be absorbed quickly, while poor quality towels will be slippery and not absorb water when rubbed on the face.
Shi Changjia, executive director of the towel Professional Committee of the China Home Textile Association, pointed out that there are three principles for using towels: one person does not share one, different parts are used separately, and they are frequently changed, washed and disinfected. Specifically, first, we should develop the habit of drying towels and drying them in time after use; 2、 It is necessary to put an end to “one towel for many people” and “one towel for many purposes”, especially that adults and children cannot share the same towel; 3、 Towels should be eliminated every three months; 4、 We should develop the habit of washing and drying frequently, choose neutral detergent, and disinfect regularly. Three sterilization schemes can be selected: 1. Microwave oven sterilization, the eradication rate of colony number is more than 98%. Put the cleaned towel into the special fresh-keeping box of the microwave oven and microwave for 3-5 minutes to complete the sterilization. 2. The towel can be kept soft after being disinfected with neutral detergent. 3. High temperature disinfection: boil with boiling water for 5 minutes or steam with a pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes. However, this method will affect the color fastness and hardness of towels, and it is not recommended to use it frequently.
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