How Often Should I Replace My Personal Care Items, Like Loofahs and Razors?

Unless you have free electricity — and the time to do a couple of loads of laundry each day — we’re willing to bet that you don’t wash your bath towel after every single use. And that’s OK. Unlike socks and underwear, many personal care items can be reused several times before they need to be washed. But everything should be cleaned (or replaced) eventually. Here’s a breakdown of some personal care items you may use in your routine and recommendations on when to relegate them to the “dirty” pile (or recycling bin). 

Bath towels: Damp towels can be a breeding ground for fungus, yeast, and bacteria, which can spread to your skin and cause or exacerbate concerns such as eczema or dermatitis. As such, it’s important to swap them out regularly — at least once per week, according to the Cleveland Clinic (but the more often, the better). As long as you clean them well, they’ll last for years.

Face towels: Any towel you use to wash (or dry) your face should be swapped out daily to help minimize the risk of transferring harmful bacteria to the delicate tissues surrounding your eyes, nose, and mouth. If you don’t have easy access to a washer/dryer, we love the disposable — but biodegradable — Clean Skin Club Clean Towels.

Loofahs: Loofahs and any other body scrubbers should be cleaned weekly (with a soak in diluted bleach) and replaced monthly to help minimize bacterial growth, per the Cleveland Clinic. Better yet, ditch the loofah and pick up a multipack of cotton washcloths instead. Use a new one each day, and wash them all (in hot water) at the end of the week.

Razors: You can’t clean a razor the way you’d wash a towel or loofah, so it’s important to replace your razor regularly to minimize your contact with harmful microorganisms. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends replacing your razor (or its blades) after every five to seven uses. To further limit bacterial growth, store your razor in a clean, dry place between uses.