It's come to this: towels

[EmmaStone]

What has COVID done to me???

We really need new towels, and I've got quite a lot of JL vouchers stacked up which I can use. I really like fluffy thick towels, so think will go for their Supima cotton range, as they're a good weight. www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-plush-supima-cotton-towels/white/p5291640?size=bath-sheet#product

Now here is my dilemma. My towel regime is as such: we have one set of towels out, one that's in the wash or airing cupboard. I currently have all white towels, so that's 4 bath sheets, 4 bath towels, 4 hand towels. My children are now bigger than me, and bath towels are too small, so to replace my current towels I will need 8 bath sheets. At £34 each, we're talking not very affordable at approx £250 before hand towels.

One issue I'm having is that I use a colour depositer shampoo, and it's started staining the white towels, so I should probably get a dark colour (DD also occasionally likes to dye her hair as well). But I started buying white towels so if there was a bleach cleaning incident, they wouldn't be ruined.

So, do I go for a colour (am thinking navy for kids and forest green for adults), or do I stick with white; do I replace a full 2 sets, or stick to just replacing one set for now, and buy a second set another time (this is what I've done previously), or do I bin off the whole idea and use the vouchers for something far more exciting 😁 (I really do need towels though - ours are now stained, and the ends are quite frayed).

If you want to save your John Lewis vouchers for another purchase I can recommend Asda's super soft bath sheets - think I paid £10 each, might have been £8 over 18 months ago and still lovely and fluffy and thick. I don't bother with hand towels each these days, just extra washing, just a communal hand drying towel in each bathroom

Buy white towels, and microfibre hair turbans for you and dd which are actually much better at drying your hair than towels anyway. Then you only need a bath sheet and hand towel each

One now, one later. Go for colours like you said, then just renew alternately, not as big outlay in one go then. Your local vets would probably appreciate your old ones.

I saw a recent ‘which?’ Type article that said Asda really as as good or better than JL so I’m seconding the PP’s rec above. We have JL towels and they haven’t worn any better than cheaper ones we’ve had in the past... not like their bedding which really is better quality in my experience.

I was really disappointed with the towels I brought from JL if I am honest.

I've had all towels from the expensive to cheaper and they are all as good as each other. I only ever have white. But as it us a treat and we are in a pandemic get the towels you really want

I'm still using a towel i bought from woolworths its not got a hole or a fray on it im keeping it to see just how long it lasts so far its umm 21 years

Haha, thanks everyone. Asda sadly don't have the right colour, but for their prices, I might be able to overlook that. But I'd want to see and feel them first...My daughter and I are both highly unlikely to use turbans; in fact I think she got given one as a gift and never took it out of the bag, we charity shopped. I only use the towel to rough dry my hair, I don't wrap it.

So I'm still undecided. My family are useless as well, no opinion whatsoever 😂

Another recommendation for Asda towels, ours have worn far better than the JL ones. They’re beautifully thick and fluffy too.

I think colours to emphasise newness and a variety does make it easy to be towels for a specific family member. Children may have a favourite colour too.

I buy the Asda ones. Can't fault them. Some colours are on sale atm. Bath sheets (I think) £5/£6. Look online & get them delivered. Actually treat yourself with the vouchers!

Just chipping in with another positive review for Asda towels! We went down for a holiday to a self catering place down in Cornwall 4 years ago one easter and didn’t realise towels weren’t included so hadn’t packed any. Dh drove to the nearest supermarket which just happened to be an Asda and bought 4 bath sheets for us. I was so impressed by the quality, not even taking jntk account the price - I’ve never shopped at Asda or even been to one since that holiday but the towels are still going strong and my preferred towel choice even though we have ones from JL!

Why not buy coloured ones to dry your hair like dark grey / purple
Personally we have hand towels in colours to match bathroom , couple bath towels that match that get put out when visitors come.
Others are a mixture so we know whose is who as wouldn't want to use each others towels and i don't wash after every use

Hi Monica!

Seem to remember watching a programme segment about a factory/company that produces about 80-90% of the world's cotton towels/towelling?

Ha ha. I read the OP and without seeing any other posts I thought 'fuck spending £250 on JL towels, just get them from Asda at a third of the price'.

If you can't think of anything you want from John Lewis, just use them in Waitrose

Our sainsburys towels (the more expensive sainsburys owns) have worn better than JL

@EmmaStone do you mind if I join in with a towel related question? Our towel.system is that we each have 2 bath towels, one on used one on the wash. We all have a different colour- I'm white, DH is navy and DS is bright orange. Now DD us rapidly getting yoo big for her baby towels. Question Is -
what colour?!

I would double check the size of any towels - the last hand towels I bought from JL were small , smaller than they used to be as were towel bath mats. I did read the measurements but a few cms all round makes a difference.
Cheaper towels are often smaller.

@OhToBeASeahorse definitely another bright colour to complement the bright orange for DS. Bright pink or bright yellow?

Hi OP. We have asda towels for our caravan and JL towels at home. The difference is their weight. The JL ones feels much better quality whereas the asda towels are lighter.

We were always a white towel family but switched to dark grey a few yrs ago and I love them. We all use grey no differentiation for people.

Would grey or coffee colour work?

Another vote for Asda - we have a heather colour and a stack in each bathroom. They're as nice as our Christy ones and we're a use and wash family rather than a personal towel re-use. Not great for the washing but I get the ick about re used towels.

@movingonup20

If you want to save your John Lewis vouchers for another purchase I can recommend Asda's super soft bath sheets - think I paid £10 each, might have been £8 over 18 months ago and still lovely and fluffy and thick. I don't bother with hand towels each these days, just extra washing, just a communal hand drying towel in each bathroom

I recently had a very disappointing experience with Asda bath sheets and towels.

Yes, it has come to this.

I bought the funky yellow ones, two full sets, god help me. I washed them before use, as per instructions (I was that bored), and from them on they just stank of hair removing cream (like Nair, Veet etc).

Horrified, I re-washed them with fabric conditioner (which I don't normally use). Slightly better smell, but now the texture's gone like thin cardboard, even with the towels.

And after the next wash they started smelling a bit weird again.

They're going to the local dog kennels.

I've got a couple of Tesco Fox & Ivy which are good.. Sainsbury's are ok too.

DIL uses Dunelm which are seem very thick

Also

I buy my towels from hotel suppliers, so much cheaper. I also bought 100's of high gsm white flannels (they work out at about 40p each I think) that I have folded in baskets and use as hand towels. I love them.

www.hotelsuppliesltd.co.uk/madison-600gsm-towels-white-2500-p.asp