r/declutter • u/mevrouw_andromeda • 7d ago
Motivation Tips & Tricks Decluttering makes you think
While decluttering my closet I counted way too many towels, all in different colors, that we’ve acquired over the years. Made me wonder why so many colors and why so many. Many of these were purchased on impulse at discount stores. Perhaps if I had been intentional and bought an entire set, I would not be wondering what to do with them now. Makes you think of the value of buying less and being intentional.
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u/DowntownBarracuda720 7d ago
Animal shelters and wildlife rescues in your area will take towels (all sizes), sheet,s washcloths, pillowcases, small blankets, etc
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u/thebestapples 7d ago
That's what I do with my used towels, blankets and sheets that aren't nice enough to donate. I thought I had to toss them, but found out about this, and am happy to donate!
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u/cervezagram 7d ago
And small rugs! Bath mats. A shelter in Tijuana takes patio cushions and pillows because it gets cold at night in winter.
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u/madamnastywoman 7d ago
Many animal shelters love receiving towels! They're very handy to pad pet crates and clean up messes.
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u/Silent-Addition1810 7d ago
And top sheets! I donated a bunch of towels and linens (can’t donate fitted sheets bc of the elastic), before we moved
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u/servitor_dali 5d ago
Just a reminder that animal shelters always need old towels, so if you're decluttering there's a place that really uses them 😁
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u/Suzygreenberg1 7d ago
i just bought a pack of washcloths at costco today 😂
they will eventually get demoted to cleaning rags, and bath towels end up used for the dog and painting
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u/GreenEyedTreeHugger 7d ago
Animal shelters would love to take them off your hands.
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u/Primary_Scheme3789 7d ago
Yes! Took a bunch of blankets and towels to a local vet office. They give them to pet shelters.
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u/yemsg97 7d ago
Buy nothing groups, animal shelters and spay clinics are usually happy to take them:)
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u/Knitwitty66 6d ago
When I look around my house and see all the clutter, I think about how all of it used to be money. <sobbing>
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u/Waratail 7d ago
I dunno, I sense your colour preferences here and they do form a cohesive collection in its own way. Towels are useful to have around. In a crisis you wouldn’t need to do laundry for a fortnight. And you could host a crowd in a pinch.
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u/tortellini 7d ago
Yeah towels are a good thing to have extra of. Useful if you get some kind of leak or if all three dogs get muddy and need a bath at the same time. Also good to have extra sheets to use as floor coverings for unexpected renovations or to keep paint splatter off of furniture.
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u/No_Lifeguard4092 7d ago
A lot of animal shelters will take towels.
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u/RoseApothecary88 7d ago
yes, please! I volunteer and we need to much! We have to throw away anything that gets poop on it due to diseases, so we unfortunately can cycle through some towels :(
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u/BefWithAnF 7d ago
Question for you- can you take hand towels & like side towels? I’ve been using them for rags but I somehow have too many rags
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u/RoseApothecary88 7d ago
yes! We use hand towels to clean up pee (we wash these) and since we have all sized dogs, different sized towels work! We usually give them blankets, but also lay towels out for accidents (again, pee gets washed, it's just poop we throw out).
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u/Business_Sir4351 6d ago
I prefer having a variety of colors rather than a set of one color. It makes the change to a fresh towel even more fresh. Also the people in the bathroom have different colors at any one time, so it curbs accidentally using someone else's towel.
Two of us have about 8 towels total. Different colors and textures. A must I look for is a little loop on the towel to hook it. Most of them are from IKEA.
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u/Suitable_Pianist_103 7d ago
I struggle to declutter towels because I feel like every time I do I then suddenly need a ton of towels (water problems). I’ve had to switch to container method rather than a specific number
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u/Inside_Lettuce_2545 7d ago
I have a pool and a large extended family that comes over to use it. I think I have about 30 towels and part of the year they're used quite often. I also have a toddler and spills quickly get towels thrown on them. My situation is unique and if I didn't have it, I probably would own 10 towels max.
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u/PotterHouseCA 6d ago
People keep mentioning animal shelters, but if they’re in good condition, I like to pass them on to people first. There are Buy Nothing groups and homeless shelters.
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u/anaestaaqui 7d ago
Worn towels move to the gross towel pile. It’s for gross things that you just throw the whole towel out after.
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u/golden_gardens 7d ago
I can relate, I have not bought new towels since before covid and we still have a ton. I used to impulse buy them at the discount stores too, but have stopped that - I pretty much do not shop anymore as it's the only way to rein it in. I moved the most tired towels to the dog area, and then also donated some to the shelter. Feels like there are still too many.
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u/Fine-Associate-9950 6d ago
I spent the last decade buying all shades of millennial gray and I’m tired of looking at it. But I can’t justify donating them or not using them just for that since they’re still in good condition and I would rather spend money on not towels
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u/Fun_Assignment_5235 6d ago
Check out SUAY LA I have them re dye anything that can be dried in high heat and they cycle colors every month. They are incredible.
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u/ActuatorNo3322 6d ago
you could dye them!
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u/Colorflinger 6d ago
they drink dye, and the kind that stays isn’t cheap. (am a dyer)
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u/ActuatorNo3322 6d ago
that’s good to know, I have had dyeing towels on my to-do list for a while but not actually executed it… I guess now I can cross that off lol
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u/Useful-Badger-4062 6d ago
Many color choices is nice. That’s not the issue to vilify. It’s the quantity that needs to be addressed, if you’re trying to create space and reduce bulk.
You can definitely repurpose any extra towels by making them into other things. They never go to waste in our house.
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u/prettywarmcool 6d ago
I have a different take on your towel pile. Now when you see towels at the store that are "such a good price you couldn't possibly pass them up"...you can think of this stack that has no more room to pile-on. Keep your money and leave those towels at the store. i am working towards "using up" all the things I have. Sheets don't need to be replaced because I have 5 sets of king...so as they wear, I don't replace them. It is a long term decluttering solution. LOL
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u/Livid_Pace9787 7d ago
I have too many towels too.
Having said that, I have an urge to rearrange yours into more of a rainbow ombré order… but maybe don’t do that or it’ll be harder to get rid of any! They’re lovely colours though.
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u/natedoggsmom 6d ago
When I do this, it makes me want to buy the missing colors.. so no more rainbows for me
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u/imakemyownroux 7d ago
All of my towels and dishes are white. They aren’t necessarily “matching,” but it maintains a visual continuity that makes me happy.
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u/56Charlie 6d ago
How do you keep them white? I have all girls and mascara can ruin a towel! But I want white, I’m just afraid I can’t keep them white.
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u/imakemyownroux 6d ago
Yeah it can be tricky and I’m still learning. My towels tend to stay white since they’re drying already clean skin. My washcloths eventually become rags. However, I’m experimenting with laundry stripping and it really does help.
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u/TecTazz 6d ago
I love to see fluffy, puffy towels.
I prefer to use thin, threadbare towels.
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u/servitor_dali 5d ago
Same. My favorite is giant old beach towels that you can almost see through. 😅
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u/RobesOfPlum 7d ago
Such a valid point.
Of all the things to amass though, towels aren’t too bad. I hope you never need them for a water related emergency, but if you do, they will come in handy.
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u/FredKayeCollector2 7d ago
Towels definitely have an ick factor that plays into how many you feel the "need" to keep. Some people can re-use the same towel all week, wash & replace. Some people want a fresh towel for every day/shower/use.
My mother hoarded towels (way beyond what she needed between weekly laundry days) - she liked variety and would buy a huge set at Costco and then decide she wanted a new color the next year. That's totally fine, except she never let any of those former favorites go - just in case? Her linen closet was probably 100 ft-3 of very nice towels, the ones at the bottom of the stack never used after their initial wash.
This is in addition to a stack of old "utility" bath towels under the laundry room sink for "emergencies" - I remember those same towels from the house we left in 1985. Brown, rust, gold, olive green - the colors of the 70's.
My problem is trying to figure out where I'm going to hang guest towels - our bathroom is super small and barely has room for our (2) bath towels - I don't know what we're going to do if we actually have 6 people in the house all taking showers - I'm seriously considering hanging towel bars in the guest room - or a clothes line :(
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u/ezsqueezeey 7d ago
Just put a few general use hooks on guest room. Could be for a bag or a bath towel
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u/KnotARealGreenDress 7d ago
You can get double towel racks (where you can hang towels in front of each other). Do two of those + two hooks on the door and you’re good to go.
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u/Bother-Logical 7d ago
You can always take a couple and cut them up into washcloth size. Let those be your cleaning towels. Car washing towels. Etc..
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u/Own-Description8990 6d ago
We have some towels that we received as a wedding present in 1988!
They are now being used by the smallest member of our family, our 17-year-old dog, as washable pee pads in the bathroom. She uses the most towels in the house. We have our own towels, of course, but once she passes, I will get rid of all of them and start fresh.
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u/Some_Papaya_8520 6d ago
We have 2 hand towels from a set we were given at our wedding. That was 1989. Nothing made in recent days could last 37 years.
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u/Own-Description8990 6d ago
Yes, they are the nicest quality. I can't bear to cut them up, so I let our dog have a nice cushy experience. They are holding up really well, while the more recently bought towels she uses are losing their souls. I have one teal one and one kind of fuschia.
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u/Some_Papaya_8520 5d ago
Quality went right out the window when the manufacturing went to China. Clothing, shoes, household goods, appliances, pretty much anything we use have a shorter life than previously. I still have some percale sheets from the early '90s and they are fine, except for the elastic on the fitted sheets.
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u/seafoampaws 6d ago
Different colours can be nice cause if your whole family hangs their towels in the bathroom, then there should be no confusion! It's nice of you to want to give them to someone or a charity in need!
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u/Some_Papaya_8520 6d ago
We are color coded. Hubby always gets blue. I get 2 different colors, one for hair and face, and one for body. It's lighter color for face and hair, such as yellow, and a darker color, such as brown. We have separate towel racks so that's fine.
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u/Juliethecooliee 7d ago
That’s exactly it. I came across this realisation as well. Declutterihn is only part 1. Part 2 is not buying over and over again. Or there will never be a clutter free zone. I’m that way not with towels but with clothes. I really focus on not buying stuff again after declutterring
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u/FredKayeCollector2 7d ago
Yes! Set your quantity limits and then one-in, one-out to maintain those limits. I always say, the framework (how many I need) doesn't change but the individual items might.
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u/JaneReadsTruth 7d ago
I do this. But like my dishes, everything is bought in pairs. I don't want my stuff to match, I want it to go together.
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u/Such-Kaleidoscope147 5d ago
I recently decluttered the towels and found that I still had plenty so I guess I will not be buying anymore. I do have a rule. Nothing can be bought unless need is proven. (exception for things that we know are meant to be fun, not need). For example, if you want a new puzzle, fine, assuming you are not stock piling puzzles that have never been put together. But, if you want a new pan and you still have plenty of pans, then no.
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u/Glittering-Benefit68 7d ago
I got rid of 26 old towels 2 years ago and bought 12 new ones. We go to the pool a lot though and are a line drying family. We don't own a dryer, but there is a communal one in our complex. I think it depends on your situation. To us 12 is a reasonable number.
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u/Minimum-Cupcake8372 6d ago
Looking at your towel collection and feeling some type of way...we easily have about 40 towels for 4 of us. I have a problem.
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u/cielitogirl 7d ago
Idk this collection leads me to believe you are a soft summer honoring your color palette in your purchases lol if I were decluttering this I’d keep one green one and toss everything below it
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u/belsings_0988 7d ago
I realized last fall that my entire linen closet matched my seasonal color analysis without me even trying.
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u/Redwine_chocolate 7d ago
As someone who was very into the color seasons years ago, your comment made me laugh loudly at my desk. Thank you 🤣💗
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u/Silent-Resort-3076 7d ago
Yep!
Let me preface this by saying I live alone:
I decided to keep two sets of sheets and two sets of towels. So much easier and a space saver!
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u/Runns_withScissors 7d ago
Yes, that's all I need, too. My issue is that we have 3 guest rooms for our large family, with 6 more beds to sleep 9. So that's 12 additional sets of sheets and 18 sets of towels.... the sheets are simple, but storing that many towels is a pain.
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u/FredKayeCollector2 7d ago
How about in a dresser drawer in your guest room? Or maybe a pretty (lidded) basket? Then you don't have to get the towels out for your guests - they're right there in the room?
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u/Silent-Resort-3076 6d ago
Curious how often they stay with you?
Also:
Sheets: Use only the ones ON the bed
Towels: Just keep one set of towels for each
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u/ObjectSmall 6d ago edited 6d ago
We have lots of guests/beds as well. Here's what I did -- the dedicated guest bedrooms that get heavy use (lots of family coming to stay all the time) have two sets of (king) sheets each. They match the room decor so it's obvious where they go. The air mattresses (a king, a queen, two twins and a cot) each have one dedicated set of sheets that lives with them in a bag with mattress pad, blanket, etc. If unused, these get taken out and washed every 4-6 months so they don't get musty.
Then we have like 2 extra sets of twin sheets and one extra set of king. In a pinch, I could pull a spare set from one of the other bedrooms (my girls both have 2 queen sets that match their bedrooms), and you can also put larger sheets on any smaller bed. (If it's a single guest, you can also put smaller sheets on a larger bed, if you need to!) And if things really go off the rails, we can use towels or blankets in place of sheets until the laundry is done, lol.
Edit: for towels, we have four per guest room. If we need more than that, we could pull from pool towels (of which we have a bazillion) or from the permanent residents' bathrooms -- my girls have four each and typically only use 1-2 a week so there are always clean ones.
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u/angrymocha333 6d ago
I deal with this with my kitchen towels. For the holidays or change of season I will get something new I like, but then I go home and I want to throw up if I try to toss the old ones lol. I still have the first hand towel from when my partner and I moved in together. We only had one back then. For kitchen it's not so bad because it's easy to go through so many. But I should probably let go of some.
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u/Yes-Cheese 6d ago
Can you sew? Patchwork robe!
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u/Nomore_chances 6d ago
I am a bit on the frugal side. I cut the old ones, sew the hems and make them into smaller kitchen towels for hand wiping and dish wiping. Few small ones for wiping bathroom tiles & shower enclosure after showering because I don’t like to wash the bathroom too often. Then really old ones are also hemmed and used for wiping spills in the kitchen. These cleaning ones are washed separately once a week in hot water.
Old towels are very useful.
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u/Pickle-pop-3215 5d ago
We downsized to two bath towels per kid and adult and 4 extra for guests. That’s it. So much nicer to have the extra space.
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u/Impossible-Corgi742 4d ago
I keep 3 towels per person, 4 for guests, and 3 for leaks/emergencies. 😊
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u/Wi1dWitch 7d ago
If you want to declutter, get rid of the tan towel and everything above it. Put them in a giveaway bag and see how it feels living without them.
If you find over time that you don’t miss them, donate them to an animal shelter.
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u/KirbysForgottenLand 7d ago
Some folks do different colours of towels on purpose. 1 colour per person.
Depending on how many people in your house you could do that too.
3 people: 2 towels each (black, red, or green)
Or
2 people: 2 towels each (black or green) and 4 communal red towels.
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u/MusketeersPlus2 7d ago
When I had kinship foster kids I told them to pick a colour & all of their linens (bedding and towels) were that colour. They also had their own coordinating laundry baskets so that everyone kept their own stuff maintained (with me watching over to make sure laundry got done!), but also kept their fingers off their brothers' stuff. All of it also left with them!
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u/NotMyAltAccountToday 7d ago
I'm laughing at myself for buying 6 (if not more) of the x-lg bath towels at one time for a 2 person household. That was back when I enjoyed shopping and the bargains at Tuesday Morning.
IDK why but I have picked up a few more from estate sales for bathing the dogs. What was I thinking?
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u/PlutoPlaneta 7d ago
its partially because they try very hard to prevent you from buying just a single one.
they always sell them as sets and its working
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u/mevrouw_andromeda 7d ago
True. I think it’s the buy one get a second one half off that works as a hook to have more.
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u/FloofyPantaloons 6d ago
Animal shelters are always in need of towels. You can put all of those to good use by dropping them off at your local shelter.
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u/msmaynards 7d ago
I've been donating towels before they get ratty and buying fluffy new ones but the dog towel basket somehow keeps getting too full anyway.
Definitely do not want to go minimal with towels. I dropped the full watering can a couple weeks ago and needed all dog towels to mop up my mess. When we had lots of guests they didn't mind using clean dog towels one bit and they are fine for picnics and beach trips. When I need more 'good' rags I'll cut up the rattiest of the dog towels. The local animal shelter and rescue groups put out the word and I'll fill a bag or two to donate as well.
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u/weiwuxian_is_bae 7d ago
Did your guests know they were using dog towels?
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u/msmaynards 7d ago
Of course.
They aren't disgusting, they just have ratty edges and aren't very fluffy any more.
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u/anastasia_42 7d ago
By dog towel, do you mean towels your dog uses? 😭
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u/msmaynards 7d ago
Yep. Giant rags basically but never for anything grosser than drying off after bath or wet weather walks or mopping up the floor.
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u/Fallyna 6d ago
After having had to deal with an health issue that demanded fresh towels multiple times a day, I feel like I can't have too many towels. And even without that I like to have a few extras for guests or to take on vacation and hang drying can take a while in winter. The mismatched colors can be helpful when multiple people hang their towels in the same bathroom.
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u/56Charlie 6d ago
I saw on a sewing site where a gal who cut the hem off old towels then cut the towel into squares. She then cut fabric that coordinated…or not, into same size square, layer fabric square with pretty side up on top of towel square then serge or sew around all four edges. Made a cute kitchen rag!
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u/Interesting-Dust3102 3d ago
I come from a long line of towel savers. I even rescue towels that are being discaraded. Will look into donating to animal shelters. But will keep plenty for our bathing, washing, cleaning and emergency needs.
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u/IVeerLeftWhenIWalk 7d ago
I like having a lot of towels, I wash them on their own so it’s nice to not have to run a machine with three towels or need to wash them often.
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u/Rosaluxlux 7d ago
Yeah, I have a giant stack of towels and the oldest ones are my favorite because they are thin and dry fast. Also the older ones are all 100% cotton. I only give them up with they get actual holes. I think the oldest one currently is from 1994.
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u/IVeerLeftWhenIWalk 7d ago
Yeah, I have some that are the same but my favorite ones are the ones inherited and brought to each new place.
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u/lifeuncommon 7d ago
I looooooove the old thin towels! I wish you could buy them like that.
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u/Rosaluxlux 7d ago
You probably can buy so many are plush synthetics now, I'm sure real cotton costs an arm and a leg
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u/arradial 7d ago
Yup, me too. I’m a one-person household. For my bathroom, I have 10ish. I use a new towel every shower, and often shower 2x/day.
The guest bathroom has 14 bath towels. Probably 10 outside/beach/pool towels, 3-5 dog towels. A couple kid towels with hoods for the niblings. And a couple of microfiber hair towels. Plus washcloths. I also have 3 sets of sheets for each bed (one is warmer for winter).
This might be excessive to some, but necessary to me. Oh and I don’t use paper towels so lots of towels in the kitchen and hand towels.
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u/IVeerLeftWhenIWalk 7d ago
The same, I have different sizes and purposes of towels and I change it out every or every other shower. Sometimes I use two, there are washcloths and towels mostly for the animals. Giant ones for when it’s cold or I’m sick.
I thought that was the common thing, but I’m also very strict on separating my laundry. How do people make only a couple of towels last?
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u/lifeuncommon 7d ago
They reuse them, sometimes for weeks on end. Still a bit damp when you shower again? You get a damp towel to dry off with.
My husband reused towels when we met. Now he does not.
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u/YawningDodo 7d ago
I'm a one person plus dog household, and I'm learning that I'm apparently an outlier for not differentiating between my towels and towels for my dog after she's had a bath. I've got about half a dozen beach towels and I use them for two, maybe three showers (or one dog bath) before swapping out (beach towels dry a lot faster; I only have one fluffy towel left and it's not in regular rotation because it won't dry out between uses).
Towels are like bedsheets: after trial and error, I've collected just enough that I always have at least one clean and ready to go in the linen closet even if I'm running behind on laundry. For bath towels that number is around six; for sheets it's precisely three sets.
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u/lifeuncommon 7d ago
Same. There are two of us and we probably have 30+ towels.
But we use fresh towels every day on the recommendation of our Dermatologist and I’m not running laundry every few days to wash towels.
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u/IVeerLeftWhenIWalk 7d ago
I wash them in hot water as well as change them out often. They go on the floor and I just feel I need to.
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u/MusketeersPlus2 7d ago
I wash them with my sheets every week. They need the same type of wash (hot) and dryer (no softener), so it works out.
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u/anastasia_42 7d ago
I feel that way but about my makeup. Some items I really just bought because of the brand name. Now I have packaging + shades I hate.
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u/petals-n-pedals 7d ago
It’s so hard to actually throw makeup away, but once it’s gone, it’s so nice to have your space back! I always try to remind myself that most makeup expires after a year or two and that it’s likely full of bacteria. Still hard to toss though!
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u/DarcyMistwood 6d ago
one good bout with the stomach flu and you may be sorry you got rid of towels
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u/DarcyMistwood 6d ago
or a leak/flood in the house
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u/Ok-Investigator-7132 6d ago
I don’t feel like a what if is a good reason to keep something though.
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u/DarcyMistwood 5d ago edited 5d ago
guess you haven't had to help a local relative mop up THREE FLOODS then... shopvacs only do so much... we needed more towels at least once.
YMMV - get rid of whatever you don't need, of course.
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u/hardswimm37 5d ago
Or what is 20 people show up and all need to take a shower or what if or what if or what if.....
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u/DarcyMistwood 5d ago
I'm not being ridiculous or hypothetical. I'm speaking from experience in both cases.
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u/Ok-Investigator-7132 5d ago
If having to store that many towels is worth it to you for the two times that you had to use them then I think that that’s fair. But definitely something to weigh out. It may not be the same for every person.
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u/DarcyMistwood 4d ago
at least one, maybe two of those stomach flu disasters; three of someone else's floods (one being early in the pandemic and at least one of them at night when stores were closed); a leak or two of our own; on top of the good rugs on really messy days when we have to go out/in; for days when we have to shovel snow & come in w/ wet boots; for spreading out on wooden tables when there's lots of wet laundry that shouldn't go in the dryer (wool sweaters that would shrink)... don't think we have 40 towels (good & junky together) unless you also count kitchen hand towels (some good, some junky)...
towels have a lot of uses & are one of the last things I'd declutter. Working on the much bigger problem of old papers. Been scanning and shredding the important ones; shredding or just recycling others.
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u/CatMoonDancer 5d ago
Yes, even a pipe leak made me glad I had more towels than I thought was needed. I use the extras for the cat beds.
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u/hardswimm37 4d ago
It already happened to you so now there is even less chance of it happening again so now you can get rid or the mountain of old towels.
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u/meow_loves 6d ago
What does stomach flu got to do with towels??
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u/DarcyMistwood 5d ago edited 5d ago
guessing you've never had stomach flu... let alone multiple people in the house having it at once...
it makes a mess... sometimes all over... fabric towels generally absorb WAY more than paper towels although yes, you have to sanitize them afterward.
and if you have it so bad that you don't want to leave the bathroom, clean fabric towels are comfy to lie down on between barfing bouts and way easier to clean than bathmats with rubber backs...
if the kids have it and don't want to sleep in the bathroom between bouts - as they likely won't - towels under and around them protect the stuff in their room and are cozier than sleeping on tarps...
clearly, get rid of extra towels you don't need. some folks need way more than others.
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u/Impossible-Corgi742 4d ago
I have a barf bowl I place on a hand towel next to the sick person. Works well. Also, that bowl is never used for anything else but sickness.
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u/DarcyMistwood 4d ago
that's great if it works for you. If you have a kid who projectile vomits and/or misses a bowl, larger towels are handy.
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u/SilentDisco87 5d ago
I recently got roasted because I only have 5 towels, but I live alone
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u/DarcyMistwood 5d ago
if you don't get sick or bleed much or have a pet or a leak, you should be fine
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u/GenericCanopener 3d ago
I have two towels for me, and five for my GSD because large double coated dogs who love to swim need three towels to be dried off with and another two to lay on because they are not fully dry for another six hours!
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u/DarcyMistwood 2d ago
absolutely! Please pet your doggo for me :) <3
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u/GenericCanopener 2d ago
He goes "What?? I was napping! Oh, pets from the internet?? Okay, carry on then."
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u/Relative_Implement_7 2d ago
I acquired a pile of towels from an older lady (she was retiring that year) at my work when I got my first "real" apartment. I still use them! Might be worth seeing if you have any kids in your life going off to college or getting their first apartment who would like them. She gave me so many, I use them as bath mats and wet zones for my work boots, and the one sad one is for greasing my bike. I appreciate that I don't have to feel too precious about them while I'm still figuring life out. I destroyed one cleaning a wound/learning how bleach works and didn't feel bad throwing it out lol.
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u/SS_from_1990s 7d ago
We are a family of four.
We have five towels.
Each person has a personalized towel. And one guest towel.
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u/TiredWinterDisaster 7d ago
I have double that, bc we don't have a dryer. So I need 2 per person, and 2 guests since we mostly have my inlaws as guests and they're 2!
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u/inspiredclosetsjax 1d ago
Towels are a tricky one for me. We should replace towels way more often than we actually do. On one hand, I want to get nice towels because I use them every day and, like you said, be intentional, but since I know I should replace them, I lean more towards cheaper ones at Target. Toss the ones that are old and get a new set every few years.
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u/SnyperBunny 1d ago
Can you explain "we should replace towels"? I dont understand. They dont have an expiry date or anything...
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u/Opening-Midnight4057 1d ago
I was also wondering. I have one towel that I'm pretty sure is older than I am, that I took from my parents' house when I moved out. It still dries stuff...
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u/SnyperBunny 1d ago
Could be that their towels end up developing a funk from improper washing?
I have no towels newer than about 8 years old, most are older, a few are genuinely 20+ years old. No issues. The old ones are somewhat threadbare, but thats besides the point.
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u/Opening-Midnight4057 14h ago
Exactly. Also, I moved out of my parents 30+ years ago 🤣 The towel in question is from the 70s. It had loose threads when I inherited it. I trimmed them. And..... It still dries. Lol
I think the last time I bought towels was when I moved into my current house in 2012?? Those aren't even threadbare, don't have loose threads, still fluffy.
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u/inspiredclosetsjax 12h ago
Yep! Basically, towels have fibers (like any fabric or material) that break down over time and after washing a bunch of times. They lose their absorbency (they won't dry you as well), can hold onto bacteria they shouldn't, and will have a musty odor that can't be removed even with bleach/white vinegar/etc.
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u/SnyperBunny 11h ago
So, yes towels get a bit threadbare, but generally the drying less efficiently and musty odor are both symptoms of fabric softener and/or improper washing. Head over to r/laundry if youre curious.
There is a HUGE difference between my towels which are very old and VERY absorbent, and my relative's nice fluffy new towels that dont dry for squat due to the fabric softener they use. (In their case, its a detergent (Ecos) with included fabric softener, its not super clear on the bottle unless you really look closely).
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u/Any_nonymous 3d ago
Very recognizable. I think I've found like 20 when decluttering. All different colors, shapes and sizes.
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7d ago
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u/Competitive-Ant5086 7d ago
Please go to the laundry sub :) it’s not cool for anyone to substitute a perfectly usable resource (you just need to know how to keep them, and everything else, clean)
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u/Smooth_Pumpkin_2119 3d ago
We own 2 towels. One for my partner and I to share and one for guests. It’s nice not to have to keep up with all the stuff
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u/Responsible-Chip4799 3d ago
I’m sorry wait you & your partner share a towel? Like a body shower towel???
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u/Miselissa 3d ago
My same thought. Gross.
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u/Smooth_Pumpkin_2119 3d ago
lol. Is it gross? I mean, we live in the high desert and the towel dries in about 5 minutes or less. Is that why it’s gross to you? Or just that we share one. I’ve never considered that that would be gross. We’re both very clean people and we like each other.
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u/Miselissa 3d ago
Bacteria, fungus, skin infections etc grows on towels. I would absolutely never share a towel unless it was an emergency.
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u/Smooth_Pumpkin_2119 3d ago
I hear you. I didn’t know that, but it makes sense. I’ve never had any sort of skin issue, but I guess you never know!
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u/Educational_Brush887 2d ago
It needs time to grow. If they live in a very dry climate and wash it everyday, then what's the issue?
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u/Accomplished_Cut8474 3d ago
I love this. I’m young single- I have 4 of everything (plates bowls mugs wine glasses towels etc) even my leggings and sweatshirts I try to limit- wear them out, donate and replace.
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u/stuffrescue 7d ago
The towel census is a rite of passage... lol, flip socks for towels if you're a sock freak.
Everybody who declutters a linen closet has that same moment of wondering when they became a towel collector. Good news is towels are one of the easiest things to rehome... animal shelters and vets almost always want them, even worn ones.