When it comes to towel material, there are several types, including cotton, microfibre, bamboo and antimicrobial options, which Malini’s team put to the test to see how each resisted microbial growth.
Cotton did worst, owing to its high absorbency and slow drying time. “If it doesn’t get dried well enough, then the bacteria are going to proliferate,” she says.
Microfibre performed slightly better but not as well as the bamboo towel, which had “just some fungus” and no detectable bacteria. The antimicrobial towel, with a coating that suppresses microbial activity, showed similarly good results.
No material, however, is foolproof. “Antimicrobial doesn’t mean that it totally eliminates (microbes),” Malini cautions. “The key … is (to wash our towels) often so that we start with a clean slate.”
Watch this episode of Talking Point here. The programme airs on Channel 5 every Thursday at 9.30pm.
