If you’re one to take hygiene seriously, distinguishing the differences between a hand towel and a face towel is of major importance. How are these two different exactly?

How Are Hand Towels Different From Face Towels?

1. Hand Towels are Larger

At about 16” x 30”, hand towels are larger than face towels (or washcloths) which generally measure at only 13” x 13.” It’s easier to tell them apart at a glance just by seeing the size difference.

2. They’re Aptly Named For Their Purpose

The rule of thumb when it comes to towels is its purpose dictates the frequency of use and where it is displayed. However, since the majority of us do not pay much attention to our towels, we usually use the same towel for a number of purposes.

Face towels are made to give your face the best care possible—dry your face and rid it of excess water, soap, natural oils, and remnants of cosmetics and face products.

They are found in hotels, spas, beauty or wellness centers, or medical facilities. For personal use, it is ideal to have dedicated face towels in the bathroom as well.

Since our facial skin is more sensitive than the skin of other body parts, it’s proper to designate a washcloth for the sole purpose of face-cleaning. Contacting grime or dirt from your hands or feet isn’t sanitary.

Ultimately, this type of towel is intended for drying the hands after washing. You may, however, also use them, to dry and clean your feet or hair but following the same principle, it’s best to keep a separate towel for each purpose.

If you want to be as sanitary as possible, opt to have separate hand towels and face towels on your bathroom. This will prove beneficial, too, when hosting for friends or relatives—you wouldn’t want them using your washcloth or bath towels to dry their hands. Display hand towels in a basket next to the sink, while face towels can be hung next to the mirror.

3. Face Towel is to Softness; Hand Towel is to Resilience

It’s inevitable. You enter the realm of towels, you enter the big world of fabric and thread blends.

Familiar choices would include 100% organic cotton, bamboo blends, Turkish and Egyptian cotton, and microfiber. To get the most bang for your buck, you must know which kind suits which purpose.

Since the face is very sensitive, it requires a gentle touch. When shopping for face towels, you want to take home ones made with the softest material.

One of the best choices is Turkish cotton as its organic, soft, absorbent, durable, and easy to wash. If you want high absorbent face towels, microfiber will not disappoint

The hands are not as sensitive as the face but this shouldn’t stop us from choosing high-quality fabrics. Softness isn’t really the ultimate criteria for hand towels; it’s durability and resilience, as we tend to wash our hands more during the day.

On top being long-lasting, hand towels should also be hygienic and sufficiently gentle to the hands. Bamboo blends and Turkish cotton hand towels are soft but resilient enough to withstand frequent use and washing.

As much as possible avoid synthetic towels. What they provide in resilience they lack in absorbance and gentleness.

4. Face Towels Are to Be Changed and Washed More Frequently

Although quite an outlier, this point is an extension of the differentiation on the use of these two kinds of towels. How many is enough for each indeed?

Towels are used to dry our face and body and keep them clean but as much as they do this, they also start to accumulate the dirt from continuous use. Overusing towels could do more harm and beats their purpose.

Face towels should be changed at least every other day or more often than you need since they accumulate different substances from drying your face. Remember that washcloths wipe dirt, skin oil, facial wash, shaving foam, make-up, toothpaste and other residues that could wear down your towel.

Hand towels are used more frequently and commonly in kitchens, therefore, more people are using the same hand towel compared to a single face towel. This means that hand towels get dirtier and faster.

Ideally, you will have to purchase more face towels than hand towels and stock them up in your bathroom. Hand towels should be washed or changed every two days.

5. Face Towels Requires More Care

Dirty towels can be a breeding ground for odor-causing and dangerous bacteria. They are thicker than usual fabrics so they can absorb more moisture—an environment where bacteria thrive.

Would you want to wipe your face with a smelly, bacteria-infested towel?

Face towels are used for one of the most sensitive parts of the skin—your face. It’s only logical that they are replaced more frequently and thoroughly cleaned.

Hand towels, on the other hand, should be changed or washed every one or two days since we used them more frequently. Always follow the washing instructions to avoid damaging your rowels.

You should wash your towels alone and avoid mixing them with your other laundry. You could also add vinegar in place of fabric conditioner.

It is also advisable that we separate towels according to their fabric to avoid wear and tear for softer fabrics.

Airdrying will keep them fresh and soft for a longer time. Make sure you store them in clean and dry cabinets.