As essential as puffer jackets, bobble hats and mittens, our dressing gowns get a lot of wear in winter.

According to a recent survey from Marks and Spencer (marksandspencer.com), over a third of Brits (34%) own at least two dressing gowns and 31% purchase a new one every year, with website searches peaking from October to December.

Also known as bath robes, they’re most commonly worn when getting out of bed (36%), when relaxing on the sofa (36%) and just after getting out of the shower (32%).

Whether towelling, terry cloth, silk or satin, it may be tempting to chuck yours back on the hook after every wear and forget about it, but it’s important to keep this wardrobe staple clean and fresh, especially during the colder months.

So, how often should you wash your dressing gown?

“We advise that you should wash your dressing gown after four wears,” says Siobhan Hayman, garment technologist at Boux Avenue (bouxavenue.com)

“As with all clothes, when wearing a dressing gown you are in close proximity to your armpits and sweat, which can cause bacteria. You need to wash regularly as sweat can be acidic and damage the dressing gown.”

David Palmer, senior product specialist at LG Electronics (lg.com) agrees with the once every four washes advice. “The state of your dressing gown will vary day to day depending on how often you wear it, but overall, this is a good rule to abide by,” he says.

In some instances, however, you should wash it more frequently.

“If you wear your dressing gown all day over the Christmas period and get some gravy down it, then you will definitely be wanting to wash sooner,” Hayman says.

“Also, if you’re wearing it all day due to being ill then you will definitely want to wash much sooner to remove all the bad bacteria.”

What’s the best way to wash it?

“When it comes to washing we advise 40C to kill the bacteria,” says Hayman. “But you can also use speciality washing detergents that are suitable to wash clothes at 30C.”

If you don’t wear your dressing gown for long periods of time Palmer advises: “You can opt for a cooler wash for your dressing gown and save your hot washes for the items that matter most, for example, bedding, towels and sportswear, as these items are most likely to host a multitude of bacteria.”

Always follow the instructions on the care label, especially for dressing gowns made from fabrics such as silk or satin, and remember to separate bright or dark colours – you don’t want your red novelty Christmas robe turning everything pink.

In the case of traditional terry cloth or towelling gowns, Hayman adds: “Please remember not to tumble dry – always air dry to be able to keep the fluffiness and shape to your dressing gown.”