Many people complain about the infestation of red ants on towels that are commonly found in bathrooms in search of moisture.
In addition, some carpenter ants are also attracted to towels that can sting on your skin when you clean yourself after a shower.
Why Are Ants Attracted to My Towel? Ants are attracted to towels due to the presence of oil and hair, moisture, and the sweet fragrance of scents. The soft fabric of towels provides a warm spot for these tiny creatures to live. Furthermore, you can spray vinegar to repel or kill red ants immediately and spread the towel for quick drying after use.
Ants prefer to live in moist places as their bodies need moisture to survive. Furthermore, they are commonly present on the sink, drains, towels, and even toothbrushes, as they can hold moisture.
Why are there ants in my towel?
Many people keep their towels on the bed or sofa after getting out of the bathroom, which can create an opportunity for ants in food items or side tables to reach them.
Many reasons account for their attraction towards bathroom towels, like moisture, oil, dirt, fragrance, etc.
Presence of oil and hair
Some people rub their bodies after showering to clean the water drops before wearing clothes, and a few clean their bodies before taking a shower to remove sweat drops.
The human body produces a small quantity of salt in sweat or sebum and sheds off dead skin cells. Therefore, there are many chances for sweat and salt particles to get trapped inside microfibers.
Post-shower rubbing of bodies can leave dead skin cells and hair on them, which can be attractive for ants. These insects like to eat dead skin cells and get attracted to the smell of sweat.
Probably, you have seen them in laundry due to the smell of sweat in the clothes. Similarly, they can access towels due to the presence of oil that comes from your face when you clean it.
Sometimes, hair can get stuck within fabric when you use it to remove water drops from the face or body.
Most of these insects are seen over the drains due to fermented hair, which means they are attracted to human hair as they provide a good source of protein.
So, you have to face the problem of ants in the towel due to the presence of hair and oil, even in a small quantity that seems negligible to you, but it is a source of nutrition for them.
Accumulation of dirt
It is better to know about the right time when you need to replace the towel with the new one to avoid the attack of germs and insects on them that can ultimately reach your body.
A few laundry experts and researchers say that these are good to use for only 3 to 5 times and need to be washed after 5 times usage.
The body dirt, dandruff, and makeup products accumulate over time, creating a suitable spot for bacteria, molds, and ants to live.
Moreover, dirt and bacteria can also be bad for your skin, leading to acne and other skin infections. The ants like to live in the dirt as the soil is their natural habitat providing a food source.
So, dirty towels having marks of makeup and dandruff flakes can attract them as they like to eat dandruff particles and get attracted to the smell of makeup products.
Seek warmth
Different materials are used to make towels for bathrooms that need to be soft and warm with good water absorbance capacity.
Most of them are designed using cotton, bamboo, and microfiber, providing softness and increased durability.
The microfiber material absorbs dirt, dust, and oil better than cotton and bamboo and provides more warmth and softness; that’s why ants attract them.
Moreover, these insects cannot live in a cold environment and seek warmth during winter, and nothing can be a better option than a soft microfiber towel.
So, you can find a group of ants due to the softness and warmth of the fabric that makes them feel comfortable.
Sweet fragrance
Some people like to add mild fragrances to their towels that make them feel good when they clean their face or body.
Adding a few drops of essential oils and other fragrances in the detergent will leave a beautiful scent that gets locked within the microfibers.
Moreover, these insects have a strong sense of smell that can detect the odor and move towards them to detect if there is any food for them.
In addition, scented detergents are available that can make your clothes smell good and make towels attractive to insects.
Presence of moisture
Ants prefer to live in moist places as they can survive without food for many days, but they will die in a few days if they do not get water.
The bathroom floor, sinks, and even towels mostly remain wet due to excessive usage that attracts insects like ants to seek moisture.
Water is essential for their survival as it keeps their exoskeleton moist; otherwise, they can die. Therefore, they like to live in slightly humid places, like wet towels providing a suitable platform.
In addition, these have good water absorbance capacity and absorb water from your face and body.
Steaming inside bathrooms is a common practice to get rid of larger bugs like cockroaches and keep the environment clean, but it adds moisture to the internal environment.
So, the presence of moisture in the towels can attract these tiny invaders as they like to live close to a water source.
How to remove ants from towels?
It is essential to prevent the entry of ants on towels as they can bite your body and leave red, painful spots on the skin.
You have to keep the bathrooms dry to minimize the chances of their entry to the bathrooms, which can ultimately prevent them from reaching towels.
In addition, keep a cinnamon stick near the sink as these insects do not like its smell and move away from the particular area.
However, you have to spray the vinegar solution on it immediately to kill and repel ants, as they do not like the strong scent of vinegar.
You can also wash it in the scented detergent that can be prepared by mixing one cup of baking soda, vinegar, and half a cup of borax. Add 6 drops of peppermint or tea tree oil to it.
Furthermore, you have to focus on preventive measures like fixing faucet leakages, sealing wall cracks, and spreading towels on racks to allow moisture evaporation. This will fix the problem of ants on your towel.
Related Articles: