If soap and water cleans the body, then what makes towel dirt after bath?
In: Other
I disagree with the notion that it’s from bacteria on your skin, what flora remained after a thorough hot shower would not flourish in the new environment because it is bacteria that shares a commensalism with our species. However microscopic mold and mildew spores in the air flourish in a warm damp towel that dries slowly.
The whole reason you’re clean is because you left most of your dirt and gunk in the bathwater. So the layer of water that keeps you wet after you get out of the bath, is a layer of *not so clean* water. When the towel soaks that up off of you, it absorbs the gunk dissolved in the water. And when the towel hang dries and the water evaporates, that gunk is left behind.
There’s also going to be some dead skin cells, and oils on your skin and hair, even after washing. which remain on your body and can rub off on a towel.
When you dry yourself with a course towel it exfoliates your body and removes dead skin/hair etc which stays on the towel.
Even after a normal shower, there is some dead skin and oil left on your body and if you rub with a towel, they get transfered on it. Also, if the towel doesn’t dry quickly enough, bacteria/mold will develop.
If you scrub with soap and exfoliate aggressively, shake off most of the water and then just pat dry the towel stays clean longer. But there is no need to go to that extreme.
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