The Germiest Winter Accessory You Never Wash

You wash your hands religiously — so why not your mittens? (Photo: Corbis/Nice One Productions)

When’s the last time you washed your gloves or mittens? If you’re like most people, your answer is probably, “Huh?”

But consider this: Unless you’ve just washed your hands, your paws are probably teeming with germs. Stick them in your mittens, and those germs can rub off on the fabric, where they can last for days to months, says microbiologist Kelly Reynolds, PhD, of the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health.

And just think about all of the things the outsides of your mittens have grabbed, such as the handles of public doors. Any time you touch your face with your mittens, those germs can transfer onto your skin and have the potential to enter your body. “Gloves can pick up all of the germs that hands can, but they are more difficult to clean,” pediatrician Tanya Altmann, MD, tells Yahoo Health.

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Mittens and gloves can provide the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. “Moisture, sweat, and dead skin cells provide a cozy environment for germs where they can rapidly grow,” Reynolds tells Yahoo Health. “Increased number of germs means increased risk for infection.” Dark, damp environments — like the inside of wet gloves — help germs survive since they are protected from ultraviolet light, Reynolds adds.

Thick fabric with nooks and crevices, like knitted mittens, make for a great home for bacteria and other germs, Altmann adds.

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How often you should launder your mittens depends on how often you use them. If you wear your mitts daily, Reynolds says that a weekly wash will keep the germ count low. Use the hottest water available for the best sanitizing results. And make sure to dry them completely, ideally in your dryer’s highest setting. “Most germs are killed in the dryer cycle,” she says. (Some fabrics may shrink in the dryer, so check the label on the inside of your accessories for instructions.)

In fact, any time your gloves get wet, try to dry them out as quickly as possible to prevent bacterial growth. Turning gloves inside out can help, Reynolds says. If you can, stick them in the dryer right away. And let them air out instead of storing your gloves in your pockets, Altmann says.

Altmann recommends using sanitizing wipes, like Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, to clean common public surfaces like doorknobs and ATMs before touching them with your hands or gloves. “Instead, use your hands and wash them or use an alcohol-based sanitizer before you put your gloves back on.”

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