Why a Gym Towel Is a Hygiene Non-Negotiable

Most people who bring a gym towel use it to wipe their face, maybe drape it over a bench between sets, and leave it at that. It feels like enough, and for the most part nobody says otherwise. But there is a lot more going on in a shared gym environment than most people think about, and once you understand what your towel is actually doing, you use it differently.

What's actually living on gym equipment

Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found Staphylococcus aureus on gym equipment surfaces, including benches, handrails and floor mats. A 2014 study that sampled equipment across US fitness centres found Salmonella and Staph on skin-contact surfaces throughout, and a separate study found that 63% of hand-contact equipment showed traces of rhinovirus, the virus responsible for the common cold.

Staph is largely harmless on intact skin, but it becomes a problem when it finds a way in through a cut, a graze or broken skin from friction, which is not uncommon after a session involving barbells, cables or rough flooring. Gyms are warm, touched by hundreds of people every day and typically cleaned on a schedule rather than between every single user, which means bacteria can survive on surfaces for longer than most people would be comfortable knowing.

None of this is a reason to avoid the gym, but it is a good reason to understand what your towel is actually doing and whether you're using it correctly.

What a gym towel actually does

It creates a barrier between you and shared surfaces

When you lay your towel across a bench before a set, you're putting a physical barrier between your skin and whatever has been on that surface before you. This matters most on padded benches and seats where your back, neck and arms make prolonged contact through an entire working set, not just a brief touch. The Cheeky Winx hooded gym towel is 140 x 60 cm, which covers a full bench from top to bottom, and the hood hooks over the headrest so it stays in place through your entire set rather than gradually sliding off onto the floor mid-rep.

It keeps sweat off your hands and face during training

Sweat dripping into your eyes mid-set is a distraction at best and a genuine safety issue when you're handling any real weight, and sweaty palms reduce your grip in ways that compound over a long session. Having your towel within reach for a quick wipe between sets is a small habit that makes a noticeable difference to your focus and your grip, particularly through the back half of a session when fatigue starts to set in.

It keeps things cleaner for the person after you

Wiping down equipment after you use it is standard gym etiquette and most Australian gyms enforce it. The Cheeky Winx gym towel is double-sided so one side is for you and one side is for the equipment, which takes the guesswork out of which end you're pressing against your face versus wiping down a barbell for the next person.

The mistakes most people make

Using a towel that's too small

A hand towel is fine for wiping your face but it does not cover a bench, and a towel that only covers part of the surface you're working on isn't functioning as a barrier in any meaningful way. When you're buying a gym towel, size matters more than most people account for, and it's worth checking the dimensions against a standard bench before you commit.

Not washing it often enough

Your gym towel should be washed after every single session without exception, because it has spent the last hour in contact with your sweat, your skin and shared surfaces that hundreds of other people have touched. Cotton towels especially develop a persistent smell that sets into the fibres quickly if left even a session too long, and once that smell is established it becomes progressively harder to wash out because it is bacterial rather than just surface odour. Microfibre is more resistant to this because the fine fibres dry faster and give bacteria less moisture to grow in between sessions, but that is not a reason to stretch out the wash cycle.

Packing it away while it's still wet

A wet towel sealed inside a gym bag creates exactly the warm, dark, airless environment that bacteria thrive in, and this is the single most common reason gym towels develop a smell that washing alone won't fix. Microfibre dries significantly faster than cotton, so a quick hang on your bag strap, your car headrest or a hook at home for even a short time before packing it away is usually enough. It does not need hours on a clothesline, it just needs some air before it goes back in the bag.

Cotton vs microfibre: what actually matters for hygiene

Cotton is comfortable and familiar, but in a gym context its biggest weakness is how long it stays wet after use. The thicker, longer fibres in cotton hold onto moisture, which gives bacteria more time to grow and means the towel develops odour faster between washes. Research has shown that cotton's fibre structure can allow bacteria to multiply more readily than microfibre under the same conditions.

Microfibre dries up to five times faster than cotton because the fine fibres release moisture quickly rather than holding onto it, which is what makes it more resistant to bacteria and odour between sessions. For a towel that's being used and washed every day, microfibre holds up better over time and stays noticeably fresher. The Cheeky Winx gym towel range is microfibre, double-sided, machine washable and sized to actually cover the equipment you're using. The hooded version anchors to the bench via the hood and has a zip pocket built in for your key and gym card, and the regular gym towel is the more compact option for mat work, Pilates or any class where you need something that packs down smaller.

Frequently asked questions

Is it rude not to bring a gym towel?

At most gyms in Australia, yes. Many have a mandatory towel policy, and those that don't still expect members to wipe down equipment after use. Turning up without one signals to the people around you that you're either unaware of the etiquette or not planning to follow it, and either way it reflects poorly.

How often should I wash my gym towel?

After every session without exception. A gym towel picks up sweat, skin cells and bacteria every single time you use it, and washing it after each session is what keeps it hygienic and prevents the bacterial buildup that causes persistent odour. With microfibre this is easier to manage because the towel dries faster and is ready to wash and reuse much sooner than a cotton equivalent.

Can I use a regular bath towel at the gym?

You can, but a standard bath towel is bulkier, stays wet for much longer and is considerably harder to manage on gym equipment. A dedicated microfibre gym towel is lighter, dries faster and is actually designed to fit in a gym bag without taking up half of it.

How do I get the smell out of my gym towel?

Wash it with white vinegar instead of fabric softener. Fabric softener leaves a residue that coats the fibres, reduces absorbency over time and actually traps odour rather than removing it. A vinegar wash strips that buildup and resets the towel. For microfibre specifically, avoid high heat in the dryer as it can damage the fine fibres and reduce their effectiveness.

Does gym equipment get cleaned between every user?

At most gyms, no. Equipment is cleaned on a scheduled basis rather than between every person who uses it, which means wiping down before and after you use a machine or bench is genuinely your responsibility. This is exactly why a gym towel is not an optional accessory.

If you are still using the spare towel from the linen cupboard or a hand towel that barely covers your face, it is worth making the switch to something that was actually designed for the job. Have a look at the Cheeky Winx gym towel collection and find the one that fits how you train.