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Cleaning experts generally recommend washing bath towels after roughly three to four uses rather than simply following a once-a-week routine. How often you should wash them also depends on whether they dry properly between showers, how frequently they're used and whether they're being shared. Damp towels are particularly problematic because warm, moist conditions encourage bacterial growth.
A survey of couples found that most people look at their phone before speaking to the person lying next to them. Almost half admitted the first thing they say to their partner most mornings is a reaction to something they read on screen. Relationship counsellors say the first five minutes of the day sets the tone for the next sixteen hours.
Psychologists reviewing decades of research say speaking to yourself out loud improves focus, memory and emotional regulation, especially when you use your own name. The effect is strongest under pressure. The stigma, they argue, is entirely social.
Data from sleep trackers compared with self-reported sleep shows most people overstate their sleep by more than an hour a night. The gap is largest among people who describe themselves as morning people. Sleep researchers say the real number for most adults is closer to six hours than the eight they claim.
Dentists say brushing straight after breakfast can do more harm than good because acidic food softens enamel for up to an hour. The advice is to brush before eating or wait, which contradicts what most people were taught as children. Predictably, the internet is not taking it well.