Although this sounds like a straight forward question, a poll of the Stylist team shows that many of us have different ideas of how often we should be washing our towels.

For some, the understanding is that we’re only using them to dry ourselves when clean, so really what harm can be done? While others feel icky about any towel which isn’t newly fluffy.

As with lots of household tasks that involve a washing machine – from washing bras to bed sheets – how often we wash our towels depends on how much we’re using them, as well as our personal preferences.

For example, if you’re showering twice a day and washing your hair, your towels will probably be pretty sodden and heavily used. But if you don’t shower daily, you can keep them going for a lot longer – which is also good for environment.

So if you’ve got a mixture of towels on the go at the moment and you can’t remember the last time you washed one of them, take a look at our advice on how often you should be doing so and on what temperature.

How often and when should I wash my towel in the pandemic?