Health

Why You Need to De-Germ Your Gym Bag ASAP

Working out may be good for your health, but the icky pathogens that you're bringing home definitely are not

by Allie Flinn | 1 COMMENT

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Your Towel: A Magnet for HPV and E. Coli If you bring your own towel to the gym, you're off to a good start. But you need to be careful about how you store it. Always put used towels in a plastic bag before sticking them in your gym bag, or you could infect everything inside of your bag with pathogens like E. coli.

Michael G. Schmidt, Ph.D., professor and vice chair of the department of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, says that people literally ooze E. coli germs. "It falls out of people," he says. (And yes, he means that in exactly the way you're picturing.) "Think about the behaviors of people in the gym," he says. "They're wet, and it seeps out and contaminates the bench." Even through a towel. "The liquid helps to wick the microbes out of its normal residence in our colon," he explains.

Then, if you sit down on the bench, you can pick it up on your towel or skin, which can result in a urinary tract infection. "The human skin is like the 'A' side of Velcro and the bacteria is the 'B' side," Schmidt says. "They stick together. "

Public showers are notorious for being contaminated with the plantar wart-causing HPV virus. There are more than 100 different types of this virus, but Schmidt says that they aren't as contagious as other infections. However, they thrive in warm, moist environments -- like the locker room. If you aren't wearing shower shoes and happen to pick up the virus, then it can transfer to your towel when you dry off your feet, Schmidt says. If you are wearing shower shoes, be sure to wrap them up in a plastic bag before packing them up. "HPV is all about direct skin contact," Schmidt says. Typically, the virus finds it's way in through a break in your skin.

And be mindful of your sweat towel. Since you likely have it hanging on the arm of your machine, it can pick up all kinds of germs (including ones that cause the cold and flu), as is the case with any item that tons of people touch. That's why Tierno marks an "x" on one side of his towel, and only lets that side touch the machine.

When it comes time to wash your towels, Tierno says the best sanitizing solution is one part bleach and nine parts water. For this reason, it's best to choose a white towel.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Your Gym Bag: Where All Germs Come Together

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