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?

There’s the issue. It’s non bio. It doesn’t touch stains.

My husband has a 26 year old towel!

I still use my Christy towels that i got cheap from their manufacturers seconds shop in Tameside about 25 years ago! Never bought 1 since. Sheets are ok too, bought 10 years ago from m&s.

Mine become dust/painting sheets, or go on the car when it’s frosty.

We've had some bath towels for 29 years. Yes there's a small rip in one but otherwise they're fine. Towels go on and on. Not the same for sheets though. Bits of blood and sweat stains lead to a higher turnover in sheets.

We use ecoleaf laundry liquid.

I think that is your answer. In general washing powder is better at keeping your whites white and cleaning heavily soiled items as they contain bleach. Liquids are better for coloured items as they don't fade them.

if you are concerned about the environment Ecover washing powder might be a better option. It is availbale in a bio and non bio version.

I have towels that my grandmother gave me as 'emergency' use when my DS2 was born at home 22yrs ago. And they were 40 odd years old then and I still use them!

If your cats are rampaging are they wrecking your curtains too?

I buy midrange white towels, and use glow white on white washes, so nothing ever goes grey. My towels last for ever, I'd say at least 15 -20 years looking good. My sheets are also doing OK, I'd say 10 years. I have one cat, and he prefers to destroy my sofa than my bed. I give the teens their own separate towels in their own colours and I don't care what happens to them. For some reason my boys took a liking to the beach towels which were £8 in sainsbuys and have wrecked them in a few years.

I've never had trouble getting blood
out of anything. I have had to bin towels when the DSs have been doing bike things and then wiped black oily hands on them.

Two of my John Lewis towels have DS1’s name tapes on them, purchased when he was 7. He is 32 now. Buying black towels for school use was a good idea!