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Original poster

How old is your eldest towel?

233 replies

fairyfluf · 09/09/2023 20:44

Mine is 20 years! Is that really bad? I'm wondering if it's actually really unhygienic but I wash towels regularly.

OP posts:
IntheSnowySnowyMountains · 09/09/2023 23:30

Also, I have hand-embroidered pillow cases handed down by my grandmother - almost too beautiful to use!

AddictedtoCrunchies · 09/09/2023 23:34

I have a 'hair dye' towel that my parents had as part of a set for their wedding. They celebrated their 54th anniversary last Wednesday. Its green with sort of a swirly pattern on.

Hotfeetcoldfeet · 09/09/2023 23:42

I’ve got a towel that’s older than me- my mum and dad got a set of tartan (?!!) towels for a wedding present and I’ve still got one in the back of the car. It’s a bit thread bare but I love it!

JellyBeanFactory · 10/09/2023 00:18
Sgtmajormummy · 10/09/2023 00:20

When we cleared out PILs’ house there were so many towels we used them as packing materials.
This last house move we had to consolidate our stuff for storage and out came some brand new towels. 1970s style orange/yellow/pink and white “sculpted” flowers. Great quality.
So they must be about 50 years old.
Bought by me, one 30yo bath towel.

thinkfast · 10/09/2023 00:34

We have one from 1910! It was my great grandmother's is a lovely shade of pink and about the size of a super king bed. It's rather threadbare with several holes and is kept for sentimental reasons, but no longer used.

MiniBossFromAus · 10/09/2023 00:35

51 - my DHs baby towels going strong

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 10/09/2023 00:55

29 🤣

FawltyTower · 10/09/2023 00:57

Probably about 35. It's a hand towel embroidered with my (then) initials that I was given as a child.

nettie434 · 10/09/2023 01:06

Sgtmajormummy · 10/09/2023 00:20

When we cleared out PILs’ house there were so many towels we used them as packing materials.
This last house move we had to consolidate our stuff for storage and out came some brand new towels. 1970s style orange/yellow/pink and white “sculpted” flowers. Great quality.
So they must be about 50 years old.
Bought by me, one 30yo bath towel.

When I was staying at a friends the other week, I used a towel that was bought new when we shared a flat and is at least 35 years old. She hates fabric conditioner and line dries her towels.

I don't think any of my towels which are all much newer are of the same quality at all.

Blanketpolicy · 10/09/2023 01:06

Most of the towels we use regularly were bought when we moved in together in 1994. Mum also gave us some of hers which would have been a few years old at the time and we still use them.

They have survived 4 bathrooms and/or bathroom refits and have only ever matched with the first one!

We 'll need to splurged out on some soon-ish as most have bleach marks now from ds's acnecide cream even though I asked him to use only two specific hand towels!

ParentingSolo · 10/09/2023 01:08

21 years. Next. Still soft, fluffy and very bloody heavy!

YourSpleenIsDamp · 10/09/2023 01:08

34 years - name tape for school swimming lessons still attached!

VeryGoodVeryNice · 10/09/2023 01:14

24 years and 3 months. I got it in Woolworths when I moved out of home at 18.

MollsDolls · 10/09/2023 01:15

23 years

DiscoBeat · 10/09/2023 01:33

Most of our towels were part of a big batch from John Lewis 18 years ago (wedding present) and my beach towel is from our honeymoon. They're all fine! How ridiculous to think they could be unhygienic - they've always been regularly washed on hot.

User19543785 · 10/09/2023 01:35

Some are probably about 40 years old, bought in the 80s.

coxesorangepippin · 10/09/2023 01:39

20 years old

A Paul Frank one

It's dog eared

OnGoldenPond · 10/09/2023 01:51

The oldest ones are beach towels that DH took to university in 1980. His DM bought them in the mid 70s. Still going strong.

As long as they are thoroughly washed regularly can't see why old towels would be a hygiene concern.

EconomyClassRockstar · 10/09/2023 01:59

Mine are all a year old as I donated all our old towels to our dog shelter when we moved. My Mum however has some in her airing cupboard that I can remember from when I was about 5

User3735 · 10/09/2023 02:11

52 years old. One of the ones my parents got as a wedding present. It's very thin and rough but I love it because it dries really quickly. Big fluffy towels are not good for drying. I also have a towel with my name tape sewn in from when I was at school, that is 26 years old.

SensitiveB · 10/09/2023 02:24

43

frogswimming · 10/09/2023 05:56

I think from about 1994 maybe? I did have one from my great auntie that she used to take on holiday in the 80s (or maybe even 70s) but it wore way and got holes in. It was lovely with boats and a beach scene.

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 10/09/2023 06:05

About 15 yrs. I just bought new towels though and getting rid of the older ones.

Maskedpotato · 10/09/2023 06:22

36 from when I went to university. Wedding towels from 24 years ago are still in regular use.

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