Comments on: Excerpt: How many bath linens do you need?

By: Rose

Rose — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:20:55 +0000

We are a big family — with an even larger extended family – who comes to visit us (the big city) from their small towns (across the Midwest) often — and in large numbers. Based on this calculation, we’d need something like 76 towels.
We have 1.5 towels for immediate family, and 2 sets of guest towels – and the rest are only beach towels, in a plastic container, stored in the guest room. If “real” guests visit, we use guest towels . When groups (4-10 people) arrive, they happily help themselves to a beach towel — which is theirs for the duration of the stay — for beach, showering, etc. — and they hang it to dry on a drying rack, set up in the bathroom (it can hold 5 beach towels). Those who drive to our house sometimes bring their own towels, but the fliers don’t want the extra baggage. Some of the towels get washed in between out of necessity, but most get washed only at the end of the visit.

By: Gayle

Gayle — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:10:47 +0000

To cut down on laundry, I keep a basket of colorful washcloths on the bath vanity. We use these as individual hand towels and guests can have their own fresh hand towel when they come to visit.

By: Rae

Rae — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:04:37 +0000

YESH to the animal shelter thoughts as I live in the middle of one – we always need linens for cleaning dogs, for crates and for covering couches. PLUS, having a crazy number of multiple dogs in the house means you never have too many linens as if they get one, it can be shredded either singly or by a pack in a matter of minutes. Love the blog – thanks.

By: Pammyfay

Pammyfay — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:42:57 +0000

Nana: Thanks for reminding me (and perhaps others) that not everyone has a washer/drier in his or home. For a number of years, I, too, had to lug stuff to the laundromat. That clearly helps determine how much stuff you’re willing to schlep to the laundromat. (Even if it’s just in the basement of your apartment/condo building!) And now that I think about it, my linen and towel collection certainly grew after I had an apartment with a stackable laundry unit and then after I bought my home.

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:50:13 +0000

That’s if you shower everyday, which some people do. When it starts to take up your life, then maybe it’s time for change.

http://www.clean-pool-and-spa......istry.html

By: Ruth Hansell

Ruth Hansell — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:38:35 +0000

Other places to donate towels:
Homeless family shelters
Group homes for children
Car wash fundraisers – give the cheerleaders, etc your oldest towels, and tell them to toss them afterwards.
Veterinary hospitals
Many animal rescue organizations will take them – Forgotten Felines, horse rescue, etc

Other places to keep old towels for your own use:
At least 2 in the car
Your Disaster Kit (1 med size towel for every family member)
One under the kitchen sink if you have room – a quick solution for big spills
Several in the garage for easy access

And for the sci fi lovers, remember The Hitchiker’s Guide – always have a towel!

Ruth

By: Lilliane P

Lilliane P — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:59:31 +0000

Finished reading this, commented, got offline and went and organized my towels. Done. Wheeeeeeeeee!

By: Morgana

Morgana — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:53:31 +0000

Apart from not having many more towels than strictly necessary, I also have got rid of my old bathing robe. I decided it took too much space hanging behind the bathroom door, in the washing machine or in the closet. It also took much longer to dry than a conventional towel. After the shower, I use a medium-sized towel and get immediately dressed or put on my pyjamas.

By: Renovation survivor

Renovation survivor — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:20:34 +0000

I’m glad people posted about the Star Trek synopsis being inaccurate! I thought it sounded wrong but was afraid I was just remembering the episode incorrectly.

Excellent advice on donating old towels to animal shelters, though! I had never even thought about that.

By: Lilliane P

Lilliane P — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:34:57 +0000

Glad to see everyone’s input. I was wondering how many I actually need as my linen closet is bulging and I want to pare it down. For two adults, I’m going to go with the 6 bath towels, 4 hand towels, and 4 washcloths. Thanks everyone. Great post.

By: Amy Smith

Amy Smith — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:03:46 +0000

Ok, someone has to do this. At the risk of inviting “Get a life!” comments, there are some glaring errors with the Star Trek episode description. As a Trekker old enough to see this episode the first time it aired, and as a technical writer who likes to get her facts straight:

- The grain was stored on a space station
- The grain was destined for a planet that the Federation wanted to claim
- The crew was never in danger of starvation.

The crew was, however, in danger of ending up neck-deep in tribbles. Which is really the point of that story.

Ok, I feel better now.

By: PrairieGal

PrairieGal — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:25:30 +0000

I love that there are over 30 comments on how many towels to have!

I just had a funny conversation wtih a colleague who accidently took a “good” towel to hockey practice and his wife will not be impressed.

By: Elaine

Elaine — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:47:22 +0000

Perhaps a better rule-of-thumb would account for the very young members of a household. The people to towel ratio could decline until children become teens, and then taper off at the number of towels you suggest. It makes a lot of sense to decrease towels, etc. when possible – I feel like I’m always laundering them!

BTW, that Star Trek episode – the tribbles were eating all of the quadrotriticale wheat that was scheduled for delivery to some agricultural planet… Cute, but a nuisance!

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:09:47 +0000

You definately have to take circumstances into account. In coastal Texas I could only use bath towels once. They’d become mildewed if you used them more. In Arizona I can use them all week.

By: dutchmarbel

dutchmarbel — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:22:44 +0000

Towels for sports & gym aren’t included in the formula, but many people shower after sports (and for kids it is obligatory in our schools). So I have three kids who have gym at school twice a week, gym club once a week, one of them has swimming lessons twice a week and I sport three times a week. That adds a lot of towels to the equation.