Towels and teenagers

[TiredMaofTwo]

I thought it would be nice to have all the bath towels in the house match and they are all the same pale blue colour. However the teens always take a fresh one from cupboard for each shower. They don't want to use one from bannister (where we let them dry) from previous time cos they can't tell whose is whose as all same colour. They have pretty small rooms so they don't want towels hanging in them. The only thing I can't think of is sewing a different colour ribbon on end of towel. Does any one had better idea? It's a silly problem but also driving me mad!

we use coloured kitchen towel clip hangers like these when we have guests.
though for day to day use we all have our own hook on the bathroom door.

I think that sounds like a great idea! Or another option is to hang a hook with each name on the landing where the towels are left to dry.

plus we only have hand towels

Can’t you fold them and put them back in the cupboard when they’re dry?

I’ve got one who uses 3 every time and showers twice a day, so I don’t have enough to cope if I had to wash every time.

I'd do the ribbons I think. We had different ribbons when we were little. Now we all have different colours

You could make them embroider their names on! 😂

We all have different colour towels for this reason.
Although we don't have an issue with the teens not knowing whose is whose because they are generally left to "dry" on their bedroom floors.
So the issue is that your teens are too conscientious.

Couldn't you just assign everyone a drying place?

Each person has a different coloured towel in this family. Mine are purple, DD1s are pink and DD2s are yellow. Much easier! But if you want things to match, then ribbons would work.

My 17 insists on a new towel every day and it drives me nuts.

I would ask their preference ie hook on their own door or ribbon and go with that but I would also remove the spares and put elsewhere so that they can't easily source another towel. Long term different colours are easier.

My DS uses two every time, a bath sheet, fair enough and smaller one to drape over his shoulders for about ten nano seconds.

So as soon as his back is turned that one goes straight back in to the airing cupboard.

I fold the dry ones up and put them back in the cupboard. I'm the only one who checks if they need washing, who washes them and who puts them away so I use a clean towel from the bottom and they get to reuse their towels without knowing it. This system only works if you remember to take dry towels off the bannister/radiator and return them to the cupboard. I've used this for the last 15 years from teenagers through to now it's just me and dh. No one has ever noticed I don't get frustrated or nag and can have a clean towel whenever I want.

Family of 6. We each had our own colour. Mine is purple. DH navy and so on. Solved slot of problems and washing

I bought some cheap primark beach towels years ago for a holiday - they are still going strong, my teenager gets these.
So he doesn’t use any of the nice towels... and leave them stewing on the floor.

Connie, that is crazy. does she launder any herself ? maybe she should learn how ? & how long they take to dry, (without a dryer
In theory she should be clean after her shower. They do not need washing every time
personally I would refuse.

I thought you were going to ask how many towels they use, after each shower

Connie how can she ‘insist’ on a clean towel so frequently? Some kids are so entitled.

We have separate colours to avoid this problem but as a PP says, our teenage DS only ever ‘dries’ his towel on his bedroom floor so I just don’t care anymore if he doesn’t have a dry towel .

One of my DC has gone off to uni with towels that still have my name tapes on them from when I was at school! If you have any old school name tapes, maybe you could use them sewn onto the towel's washing label? Or just a different coloured cross or name written in permanent ink on the back of the washing label.

A fresh towel every time? How do they feel about global warming and the environment??

My 17 insists on a new towel every day and it drives me nuts.

This.

This is an argument in favour of doing ones own washing.

I have teenage sons and they have their own coloured towels and a matching hand towel in their colour so they only ever use their own towels.

Every day without fail they fold their damp towel and put it on the towel rail which is set on a timer to dry them.

I don't understand why this is a difficult thing for other children to do. It is like putting dirty clothes in a washing basket, and yes they do that too.

@Connie222

She might lower her standards when she does her own washing.