Towels can get dirty and ragged quickly (stock image) (Image: Getty)
It’s hardly surprising that towels can become worn and stained over time. They’re the first thing we grab after a bath or shower, and we use them to dry our hands countless times each day. This frequent use, coupled with regular spins in the washing machine, inevitably leads to them looking a bit shabby eventually.
According to Good Housekeeping you should replace your bath towels every two to three years, and hand towels and washcloths as frequently as once a year. However, most of the time, chucking them in the washing machine after a few uses is usually sufficient to keep them clean.
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But one Reddit user was baffled when their towels kept developing orange blotches. These stains persisted even after washing and drying. Sharing a photo of variously coloured towels, including grey, brown, and turquoise, all bearing light orange stains, they revealed this issue had been ongoing for more than a decade, reports the Mirror.
“For 10+ years now, every single towel in my house sooner or later ends up getting what looks like bleach splotches or something in random places as you can see from the photos,” they shared. “I am losing my mind, am I just crazy?
“Some additional info: All other fabric items that are washed and dried in the same machines, do not have this problem, including all the clothes, so it could be much worse, but I just don’t get it! I’ve been known to ruin a towel or two bleaching my hair over the years, but I don’t do it at my home enough, nor would I get little bits on every towel somehow.
“Could it be our hand soap? We change soaps all the time willy-nilly so it still doesn’t make any sense. I’m tired of buying new towels all the time, help.”
Reddit users were quick to provide an explanation. One queried: “Do you use acne products?” To which another responded: “This looks like classic benzoyl peroxide staining.”
Another user chimed in: “This!! I finally decided to splurge and buy myself 100 per cent cotton sheets. My dumb self then wore anti-acne cream to bed and bleached my brand new sheets literally the first night they were on the bed. I can’t have nice things!!”
One user confessed: “For decades I’ve lived with the mystery of why as a teenager I used to bleach all my clothes and bedclothes, and why it stopped. Today it ends.”
Another shared: “My mom used to get SO MAD at me for ruining my towels this way… Girl, you were the one buying me the skincare products, how would I manage to ruin them any other way.”
Benzoyl peroxide is a common treatment for mild to moderate acne. It can be purchased as a gel or face wash containing five per cent of the chemical, under the brand name Acnecide. It’s available over the counter in pharmacies and shops, though some versions that include antibiotics or exfoliants are prescription-only.
Another Reddit user chimed in with their own advice, suggesting: “Buy white towels next time,” adding, “This is caused by your acne products with benzoyl peroxide. You may see these spots on your sheets/pillow cases too. Or the neck/collar area from when you take your shirts off.”
Another user expressed relief at the revelation, saying: “This is amazing! I’ve been wondering the same thing with my towels and going crazy trying to figure this out. Thanks Reddit for saving me some much needed brain cells.”