As the saying, every family has its own rule. However, one can not deny the fact that home cleaning practices in most cases, leave much to be desired especially when it comes to things like communal bathroom towels, which are a potential source of cross contamination.
Bathroom towels are among the biggest traps of bacteria, this is so because they are usually damp, and as such they can easily absorb germs. Every time you, your children or spouse touch or use a towel, a transfer of our natural skin bacteria and other hidden nasties occur.
Should it happen that one fails to properly clean his/her hands, other germs such as coliform bacteria – which can lead to outbreaks of food poisoning and diarrhoea – can pose a greater risk to others health.
Even contagious skin bacterias such as MRSA and dermatophytic fungi, which causes athlete’s foot, can find a perfect breeding ground in damp towels, and cause / transer infections to those with sensitive skins. In fact, a study by the University of Arizona found sickness-causing bacteria in 90% of towels, and E.coli in 14%.
The best way to minimize exposure to bacterias
So what’s the best way to manage communal towels? Ideally, towels should never be reused in any situation. In a case where bacteria can be transferred from one person to another, everyone should have their own towels. Commendably, towels should be washed in high temperature after every use.
And while recent findings by Smart Vacuums argue that the kitchen sink actually contains 100,000 more germs than your bathroom, its important to understand that even the cleanest looking homes can the biggest source of dirt and germs. “This is because getting rid of them isn’t so much in when you clean, but how you do it,” the report read in part.
For those concerned with minimizing exposure to dangerous bacterias in their home, Bathroom Butler, a market leader in stainless steel bathroom accessories recently launched a series of education videos to support some frequently asked questions about the not-so-obvious benefits of their expansive range of Heated Towel Rails.
The videos cover a range of topics such as how to choose a suitable model, storage solution for your towels and whether they are a luxury or a necessity. Consumers who want to understand its benefits like reducing the microbial load will also find the tutorials handy.
Says Natalie Jonker, Sales Manager for Bathroom Butler: “Being in the trade and visiting our customers as often as I do has afforded me the opportunity to better understand the types of questions they’re faced with when consumers come to their stores requesting information on Heated Towel Rails.
Part of the motivation behind the creation of these videos has also been to eradicate fiction against the facts, on whether the Heated Towel Rails as bathroom necessities as opposed to simple accessories.”
Smart bathroom, how it works
This one of a kind innovation, which uses the so called Dry Element Technology (DET) can be controlled remotely via an app with Bathroom Butler’ Smart Solution software (which is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home).
Instead of the standardized WET technology, whereby rails are heated by immersing a cartridge element into a heat transfer fluid, eventually drying up the towel, taking up to 90 minutes, DET ensures that the rail can reach its operating temperature in just 10 to 15 minutes. It uses what is called Rapid Heating, meaning that you can switch the rail on when and off when not in use – saving lots of electricity in the process.
Similar to the high tech system utilized for under-floor heating, DET heats the wire, which in turn heats the towel rail directly.
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