Most homes these days have laundry facilities so many folks are “one-time” towel users and recycle laundry quite often if not daily. However, when traveling abroad you might carry a towel among your accessories that may not get daily laundering but instead get used multiple times before being laundered.

It occurred to me while “wiping down” after a shower that even though I had just bathed I certainly wasn’t sterile and repeated use of my towel could expose me to discrepancies in bathing to other parts of my body. Would any smudge from my feet end up in my hair the next time that I used the towel? I came up with a process to minimize this possibility.

Almost every towel on the market has a tag that states the type of fabric and usually includes washing instructions. I use the tag as an index for reference when orienting the towel for use. I hold my towel with the tag on the upward edge facing me, that way the pattern of use is repeatable. If there is no tag you can color a corner with a permanent marker as an index or perhaps sew a spot with contrasting thread.

Here’s the pattern: I use the top portion for my head and hair, the upper middle portion for my chest and arms, the lower middle for my personal areas and legs, and the bottom portion for my feet. I can alternate sides on alternate days or change sides after a set number of days.

This may not be a concern for the rugged outdoors folk but it’s nice to have an approach for those who are a little more fastidious in their hygiene practices.