Care Practices for Eliminating Microbial Content in Household Bath Towels
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26437/ajar.v11i1.828Keywords:
Bath towels. disinfectant. drying. microbial load. washingAbstract
Purpose: This study evaluates the impact of different washing treatments and drying methods on bacterial and fungal contamination in bath towels used by students.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Using experimental procedures, sampled towels were subjected to various washing treatments, that is, no washing, washing with soap, washing with disinfectant, and washing with soap followed by a disinfectant rinse. They were then dried indoors (room drying) or outdoors (sun drying). Bacterial and fungal loads were measured using colony-forming units (CFU). The statistical software employed to analyse the data collected was the Statistical Package and Service Solution (SPSS) for Windows version 26.
Findings: Results show sun drying significantly reduces bacterial and fungal contamination compared to room drying across all washing treatments. The most effective reduction in microbial load was achieved by combining soap washing, disinfectant rinsing, and sun drying, which reduced bacterial load to as low as 0.97 ± 0.26 x 106 CFU/mL and fungal load to 0.593 ± 0.217 x 106 CFU/mL. T-test analysis confirmed room and sun-drying differences were statistically significant (p< 0.05).
Research Limitation: The study's sample size was limited, potentially affecting the generalizability of the findings to a larger population. In addition, it focused on conventional household care practices and did not explore advanced or industrial cleaning techniques, which might yield different results in microbial elimination.
Practical Implication: These findings emphasise the critical role of sun drying in enhancing towel hygiene and minimising microbial contamination, especially when combined with proper washing methods.
Social Implication: Improved towel care can reduce infection spread, benefiting households and communities, especially vulnerable groups like the elderly and children. Public awareness campaigns can drive behavioural changes in hygiene.
Originality/Value: This study advances knowledge by identifying effective, accessible care practices for reducing microbial contamination in household bath towels. This contributes to improved hygiene, public health, and foundational research for domestic textile hygiene. It offers insights into how hygiene practices affect public health.
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