How many times do you use your washcloth before you toss it in the laundry?

I've developed a healthy dose of disgust for washcloths lately. I am not sure if it was inspired by a singular event, I just know that I am losing my tolerance for the feel, smell and even sight of washcloths, even when they are freshly laundered.

Perhaps I can blame it on a beautiful new set of towels I bought about six months ago. I moved into a new place with a gorgeous bathroom tiled in marble and lined in granite counter tops. I needed new towels and I wanted to set a spa-like tone to offset the craziness of my home office and messy bedroom and toy-covered kid's room down the hall. I chose soft, scrumptious towels in a pale grayish blue color. I instantly felt calm when I saw the color and that translated to big sighs of relief when I wrapped myself in the towels after a bubble bath or shower or even scrubbing my face at night. Two weeks later, though, the towels were still looking fresh and new but the washcloths were annihilated by make-up, Play-Doh and something that looked like a combination of dirt and soy butter (best not to contemplate that combo too long).

It's not that I don't wash the cloths, nor that I use them repeatedly. It's just that seeing the new washcloths get raggedy set off my concerns that they are somehow carrying germs or just moving dirt around. Conveniently, that's when cold season set in, adding just enough worry about prolonging or passing on even more germs to my washcloth intolerance.

So here's where I stand (or scrub, as the case may be): I can handle using a washcloth once and then I need to toss it in the hamper. I prefer to use a facial cleansing brush I picked up at the drugstore and because I have never been a fan of those puffy things, it seems easier to just apply any gels by hand.

Maybe it all sounds a little bit germaphobic (or mysophobic, if you want to be absolutely correct in your washcloth "concerns"). Maybe it is. I just know that the washcloths are rubbing me the wrong way and I can't be the only one.

Now you tell me where you stand (or scrub): How many times do use your washcloth before you toss it in the laundry?

Are washcloths nasty or necessary? And what do you think is the healthiest, most tolerable way to get clean?


More fuel for your own germaphobia:
5 ways to protect yourself and your kids from the flu
4 common health myths -- busted
10 germiest jobs in America

[photo credit: Getty Images]