A dry gym towel can act as a barrier between your skin and shared benches, backrests or mats. During your workout, though, it soaks up sweat and moisture.
If the same side of the gym towel is used first on the gym equipment and then on your skin or face, microorganisms can be carried between surfaces, your body and your gym bag.
When can a gym towel carry germs?
- When it gets damp with sweat
- When the body side and equipment side get mixed up
- When it's put down on the gym floor
- When it touches several different equipment surfaces
- When it stays damp in the gym bag
In short: Keep your gym towel off the floor, consistently separate the body side from the equipment side, and take it out of your gym bag as soon as possible after training so it can dry completely.
Please note: Actual transfer depends on factors including material, moisture, contact time and microbial load. Contact does not automatically mean an infection will occur.
Gym Germs: How They Travel Through Your Workout
Gym Hygiene: What Really Lives on Gym Surfaces