How long do your sheets and towels last?

[SobranieCocktail]

I'm my head they should last at least a few years before they get so ripped/stained that they need to be retired. The reality is that they start to look pretty rough within a year or so.

I have three teenagers who manage to stain things (period accidents, make up, acne cream that bleaches fabric), and two cats who manage to snag sheets with their claws when they have the zoomies.

It just feels like such a waste to chuck out towels and sheets when they're still functionally okay, but look a bit manky. What do other people do?

I've had my towels 13 years and they're going strong! Just John Lewis basic range. They're dark colours though which helps with stains

Sheets I reckon on 5+ years? Usually get any period/tan stains out very easily

Dark stuff gets bleached by acne cream unfortunately!

We just keep using them until they fall apart. I have a few sheets and towels that I inherited that are 50+ years old, a lot of towels that are 20+ years old and most of our sheets are about 10 years old (we have a few newer bits). Some of the towels are a bit tired round the edges, but they are all functional. Some are in a better state than others (although thinking about it, not much is stained except a few towels that have seen some hair dye), we just bring out the newer ones for guests!

But that doesn't impact their effectiveness as towels? I wouldn't throw them away for that

I dont bin them if they look rough. I just keep using them. Obviously if i have guests staying they get nice looking ones, but for us in the immediate family, we dont care what they look like.

To clarify, I don't actually throw them out when they're looking iffy... I guess I'm wondering how horrified guests are when they see our towels/sheets. I do try to give guests the least awful ones 😅

I've towels almost 20 years old. Sheets 15+ years.

Mine last forever. I’ve never experienced them getting so ripped and stained they ‘need to be retired.’ How are they getting ripped?

Still got the same towels and sheets I had at university. Towels have some bleach stains but bedding is still absolutely fine. I don’t use them for guests (have newer ones) but they’re serviceable and don’t feel the need to buy new just because they’re faded or stained they still do their intended job.

Dark ones get a Dylon update if need be.

My white John Lewis madly expensive ones are still going strong 15+ years later.

Ditto their white bedding we got as wedding present.

And for them to be looking rough ‘within a year.’ Is if the cats? If so I’d start strictly keeping towels and sheets away from them rather than letting them have ‘zoomies’ and rip stuff up.

I’ve got some towels that I had as a student 20+ years ago.

Sheets every few years, I tend to change my bedding on what I like in the shops.

If the cats are rampaging around, they jump and "skid" on the bed with their claws out. Towels don't get ripped.

Just dye them

I would say about 10 years. Having said that, I have many towels that have been demoted to the bottom of the pile and used when we're running low on clean ones which are probably 20ish years old.

I actually have one towel from 1994. It's a trooper.

I'm using towels that I had before i got together with my OH and that was 20 years ago this year so...

Sheets 4-5 years. I buy expensive white cotton but it starts to look a bit grey after that time. Towels around 5-10 years usually (expensive Egyptian cotton)

We bought bath sheets from Asda 7 years ago and they're still like new

My towels are all 15-20 years old. Not looking knackered yet… (but local animal shelters tend to ask for them).

One duvet cover has been thrown out as it was so threadbare it ripped. Washed monthly (interchanged with another one) for 15 years.

I have 4 cats: if I want to preserve my sheets I need to regularly trim their claws. Only one of them likes to rip my staff though.
Towels: I use white ones only so I can put in some stain remover but I use washable makeup wipes (which do look manky, to be fair), blood etc comes out stain remover.

We got duck egg blue towels as a wedding present 17 years ago and they look pretty new, still!

Maybe keep the bedroom doors closed so they can’t rip them in that case? That would drive me mad, I’m so careful with things and I’d hate sheets to be ripped up and looking rough within the year. I try to make stuff last as long as I physically can.

I have a sheet that was my mum's, must be getting on for 50 years old now.

Just looking at my kitchen hand towel (not tea towels) and I remember where I bought it in a set of 4 and it was the year 2000 or 1999. They are still pretty much perfect and I guess they will last another 20 years.