Rinse’s complete guide to properly caring for your bath mats.
Sure, your bath mat probably feels nice and soft on your feet after every shower, but underneath all that comfort may be some pretty gnarly grime and not-so-nice germs.
Before you add burn bathmat to your to-do list, I recommend at least skimming this post. Just as with bed sheets and clothing, there is a correct way to care for your bath mat so that it stays fresh and clean, shower after shower.
Caring for your bath mats in 3 steps
So what can be done to care for your bath mats?
- Determine how much use your bathmat gets - The condition of your bath mat really comes down to how much you use it.
- If you’re like most people, you are using it daily. If you share a bathroom with more than one person you then have to factor in their daily usage in addition to yours.
- You also need to consider the time in between each use where your bath mat can dry and air out. The more it is used and the less time it has to dry the more likely your bath mat has unseen dirt, germs, and even mold or mildew settling in!
- Wash your bath mats accordingly - This answer to how often you should wash your bath mats can be subjective and a bit complicated. To make things simple, a good rule of thumb is to wash your bath mat at least once per week.
- If you find yourself in a household that shares a bathroom between two or more people, then we suggest washing your bath mats every 3 to 5 days.
- If you have your own bathroom, you may be able to get away with washing your bath mats about every 10 days to prevent mold or mildew build up underneath the fabric.
- Minimize long-term moisture - It’s important to create an environment that allows your bathmats to fully dry.
- Turn on your bathroom’s fan or open a window during and after showers. Why? Because adding a little ventilation to your bathroom helps cut down on the steam buildup, which can seep into both soft (read:bathmats) and hard surfaces, making your bathroom a tropical paradise for mold spores, bacteria, and other unpleasant things.
- When you are done using your bath mat, hang it up! Exposing both sides of the bath mat to the light of day will help it dry more quickly and reduce the risk of mold and mildew.
Like most things related to laundry, we have an easy solution for you. If you have regular laundry to do (like most non-nudist adults), our subscription Wash & Fold service, Rinse Repeat, may be just what you need. You just fill up your Rinse Repeat bag with all of your laundry - including bathmats - and we’ll pick it up, wash it, fold it, and deliver it back to you on a weekly or biweekly cadence (depending on your plan).
So, then next time you hop out of the shower, remember your hardworking bath mat and be sure to give it the care it needs!
