How often should we be cleaning the first thing we reach for when we finish our shower?

The gross truth is we all probably need to be changing our bathroom towels to clean ones more often than we realize.

With long periods of drought sadly normal in many parts of the country most Australians pride themselves on conserving water, so it’s not uncommon for many of us to go a week using the same towel in the bathroom.

But according to Sydney-based dermatologist Shreya Andric it’s best to change your towel every three days to avoid irritating your skin or potentially cause infections.

“If you shower more than once a day, then you might want to wash it more frequently,” she said.

The reason? Well, water isn’t the only thing that’s transferred onto your towel after lathering yourself in shampoo and soap. “Dead skin cells, bacteria and sweat” are also VIPs on the guest list.

“Towels absorb a lot of water and remain damp for hours, which can be an excellent breeding ground for bacteria,” Andric said.

And if you want to, ahem, ask for a friend how long you can use the same towel in the bathroom before it does more harm than good, Andric said two weeks is probably the longest you can use a towel before the germ party gets out of hand.

Andric suggested using a different towel for your face and body, “especially if you are prone to acne to minimize transfer of bacteria”.

Otherwise, you will end up spreading the oils, fungi and bacteria from your hair, butt and other areas onto your face (and vice versa). Gross.

While it may leave your towels feeling soft and smelling great, keeping your laundry conditioner stowed away is one of the best things you can do for your towels (and your skin).

“Use hot water to kill off any bacteria (preferably 60 degrees Celsius)” and “avoid fabric softener as this will reduce the absorbency of the towels”, Andric said.

So, when should you throw in the towel for good and buy a new set?

“Bath towels can last years, especially if you have multiple that you rotate through. They should be replaced if they have a smell that won’t go with washing (ew!) or if they are no longer absorbent,” Andric said.

For anyone who needs to stock up, here are a few absorbent and fast-drying towels to add to your shopping list.

Keep it classic with this lightweight bath towel from Sheridan. It’s made using fine cotton yarns in a high-density weave, which is said to help the fabric absorb and dry fast. So, you and your towel won’t be left feeling damp.

“I was pessimistic about these because they seemed quite thin compared to other Sheridan towels but these are actually great. They dry quickly and they maintain their softness. Would recommend these,” a customer posted on the Myer website, giving it a five-star review.

This Quick Dry Luxury Towel range also offers bath sheets, face washers, hand towels and bath mats.