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Towels?

125 replies

LettuceP · 15/11/2018 11:11

Another thread about washing bedding just reminded me that I've been meaning to ask this.

What do you do about washing towels? Does each person in your family have their own towel and you wash them together? How often do you wash them?

We have clean towels in the airing cupboard and get one out as needed. For the kids I hang them on the radiator in their room after use and use them once more then put them in the washing basket. Me and DH try to do the same but usually end up slinging them in the basket after one use. Tbh it's only a few years ago that I learned you don't have to wash them after every use. They get washed with clothes, I don't seperate towels or bedding. I only seperate by colours and some things go on a hand wash. I do all washing at 40 degrees but I think I need to start separating things more and doing some washes at 30.

I'm trying to cut down on washing because I know I do way too much and we need to save money and I'd love to have less to do 😁
Also what about clothes? How many wears before you wash them. T-shirts, socks and pants are 1 wear then wash but what about jeans, trousers, jumpers, bras etc?

OP posts:
LettuceP · 15/11/2018 11:15

Also what do you do with things that you have worn but are going to wear again before you wash them? Do you put them back in the wardrobe/drawers with the clean stuff? I wash all of mine and the kids stuff after one wear but DH leaves clothes slung over furniture in the bedroom and tells me not to wash them because they aren't dirty.

OP posts:
ileclerc · 15/11/2018 11:26

We have our own towels, they get washed together once a week. My theory is that you are clean when you dry yourself so why was after each use?

Worn but not dirty stuff goes on a chair in our bedroom or on the washing basket unless it's eg work dresses / jackets that get hung up and put back in wardrobe.

Obv underwear is washed after every wear but not my bras, they get worn a couple of times. Gym kit after every wear.

Blazeisamonster · 15/11/2018 11:34

Towels are one time use then washed at 90 with bath mats once a week.
I used to just hang it after use but DH thinks this is weird.
We all wear clothing once then is washed except me and DH jeans which are folded and put away again. Bedding is washed once a week at 40.
All washing is done at 40 except towels and bath mats.

mommybear1 · 15/11/2018 11:49

We each have our own towels and change them twice a week. However hand towels are changed daily as are t towels and gym towels/flannels. I do a towel wash at 60 or 90 if they have gym towels in them. Underwear and socks changed after one use, same with gym clothes. Jeans or tops only worn for a short time are washed after a few wears. Work shirts/ workwear / schoolwear changed daily.

PigPigPigs · 15/11/2018 12:16

How do you all have time to do this much washing?!

Underwear + socks washed after every wear obv.
Tops and dresses after 2 or 3
Trousers around 5. I probably wash jeans more often than other trousers actually, because mine always stretch out after a few wears.

But as for the towels - what!! I have never heard of washing them after a single use! How could they possibly get dirty enough to warrant this after one shower?! I change mine about once every 4/5 days. I dry it on a radiator in between and wash them at 60.

Sparklingbrook · 15/11/2018 12:19

We have our own towels which I wash on a high temperature once a week. I don't see why you need to watch them after each use.

NannyR · 15/11/2018 12:24

Towels are one time use then washed at 90 with bath mats once a week.

Why do you need to wash once used towels at 90??? How dirty can they possibly be after drying off a clean body?

DonDrapersOldFashioned · 15/11/2018 12:28

Dd has her own bathroom, her towels are usually strewn, in various stages of musty dampness, on her bedroom floor. God knows how often she gets a new one out of the linen press.

There are usually two towels in mine & DH’s bathroom. They are both white, we don’t distinguish between the two. We just pick up the one nearest/driest. They are generally changed every couple of days.

DonDrapersOldFashioned · 15/11/2018 12:30

Cue MNers being horrified that I might unknowingly wipe my face on an arse corner of DH’s towel.

Bananalanacake · 15/11/2018 12:35

Only my pants go in the wash after one wear. Everything else is worn 3 or more times. Unless we are having a heat wave. Towels are washed once a week. My dp uses massive bath sheets after a shower. He would get laughed at if he wanted a new one every day.

HoustonBess · 15/11/2018 12:39

Oh dear. I wash my towels when I think they need it - to be honest it's probably more like every three weeks or month. Judge away!

Underwear I only wear once. Leggings a few times but tights only once. Everything else I wear until DD spills something or it seems a bit whiffy. I don't see the point in doing so much washing.

dementedpixie · 15/11/2018 12:45

Towels hung up until they aren't drying before next use. We have one each. Washed at 60. Jeans worn several times as are bras. Most other stuff just washed after 1 use

LettuceP · 15/11/2018 15:17

Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to allocate everyone a towel and wash them together once a week. That should save me some washing.
I think I'll start washing pyjamas after 2 wears as well instead of 1 (we all wear underwear under pyjamas) and try to get a few wears out of jeans and trousers.
I know that I'm wasting time/energy/money at the moment so I need to start being more efficient with the washing.

OP posts:
RoseMartha · 15/11/2018 16:30

Each person has own towel washed once a week.
Nightwear once a week, we wear pants or knickers under.
Most clothes worn 3-5 times and put over radiator when not in use.
Underwear everyday, knickers/pants twice a day.

HoustonBess · 15/11/2018 18:42

Pyjamas changed daily? Two pairs of pants a day? That's actually crazy. You must all be covered in a crust of washing powder.

mommybear1 · 15/11/2018 19:34

Washing baskets are your friends I have enough to separate the lot out then wash as per load ie towel wash / dark wash / baby was etc

AllTakenSoRubbishUsername · 16/11/2018 09:12

We've got hooks with our initials on on in the bathroom, so we know which are ours and they get washed twice a week. All the bedding comes off on Saturday mornings for a wash. The rest of the clothes get washed after one wear except my husband likes to wear jeans and jumpers 3 times. Washing machine is usually on 3 times a day.

AllTakenSoRubbishUsername · 16/11/2018 09:13

Nightwear once a week!! We have fresh PJS every day, I would hate not having that lovely clean smell (especially with the tweenager, haha!)

Jog22 · 16/11/2018 10:07

Blimey, you lot with your crazy washing. You must all have tumble driers or you'd have the dampest houses in the world.

EglantineP · 16/11/2018 10:08

You washers every time are bonkers. Towels and bedding once a week, nightwear roughly once a week, underwear and tights after every wear, clothes - depends but usually after every wear for T shirts, every 3 wears for anything else. My dc put once worn things in the washing basket and I just put it back in their rooms.

EK36 · 16/11/2018 11:14

Jeans, people's individual towels (we all have our own coloured towels) and bed sheets get washed once a month. All other clothes get washed every Saturday.

Monkeybunkey · 16/11/2018 11:47

Jeans are worn for a couple of weekends then washed at 40. Work dresses/trousers 3-4 wears, bras about the same. Knickers/socks/t-shirts are clean on every day. Towels washed once a week at 60, bedding every couple of weeks (I aim for every week, but it's only me at home so get a bit lax with that one unless the dog's walked muddy paws over the duvet!), again at 60.

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Windycindy · 16/11/2018 12:28

A crazy MN laundry thread! Grin

There's just two of us, so we do one load of lights and one load of darks per week. In the summer we often do a third load that might be bedding or towels. In winter this is far less often.

crochetmonkey74 · 16/11/2018 12:33

Windycindy

We are exactly the same as you - small house, only two of us - there's no way we could do all this

femfemlicious · 16/11/2018 12:43

The lady that washes towels after every use at 90 , can you stop it please. It's literally makingme sick at the amount of waste electricity, water, time and energy Confused. Whyyyyyyy?

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