We all have bacteria living on our skin, in our nose and intestinal tract — and these germs love warm, humid environments like our socks, underwear, t-shirts, skinny jeans and bath towels. Add in some nutrient-rich, dead skin (we slough off over 500 million dead skin cells every day), sweat, body oils and secretions — plus the germs we pick up during our daily activities, and suddenly you and I have become walking biohazards!
Well, not exactly.
Over 99% of the germs we encounter are harmless and, in fact, many are helpful. Other than perhaps making us smell sweaty, they usually go unnoticed. But e. coli, staph infections (including MRSA), ringworm (athlete’s foot and jock itch), scabies (tiny mites), lice, bedbugs and more can become serious problems if you don’t practice good hygiene — like washing your laundry regularly. But how often is often enough when it comes to washing clothes?
If you can’t remember the last time you’ve laundered your jeans, blankets, sweaters, bath mat or other items you should probably check out this infographic from FloridaHealth.com. It lists simple, easy-to-remember guidelines for when you should be washing towels, bedding, underwear, outer garments and many other types of laundry.
