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Original poster

Towels

12 replies

Ca2026 · 09/02/2026 07:35

How many towels do you have per person?

We are moving house soon and the teens will need to share a bathroom for the first time (DS currently as an en-suite) and we will have less storage.

Thinking of getting each person their own set of towels, so they are responsible for bringing them down for washing / not leave them all over the house etc. Trying to work out how many each person will need.

Not to drip feed, they both have ADHD & ASD, so work better with routine and structure, think they may help not having an unlimited towel cupboard to keep getting them out.

OP posts:
NewYearNewMee · 09/02/2026 07:42

We have three bath sheets and three smaller towels (e.g head towels) per person. Then also two hand towels per bathroom (one for hands, one for face). I think it works well!

Original poster
Ca2026 · 09/02/2026 08:31

NewYearNewMee · 09/02/2026 07:42

We have three bath sheets and three smaller towels (e.g head towels) per person. Then also two hand towels per bathroom (one for hands, one for face). I think it works well!

That feels a good number

OP posts:
cleaningthebog · 09/02/2026 08:33

Ca2026 · 09/02/2026 07:35

How many towels do you have per person?

We are moving house soon and the teens will need to share a bathroom for the first time (DS currently as an en-suite) and we will have less storage.

Thinking of getting each person their own set of towels, so they are responsible for bringing them down for washing / not leave them all over the house etc. Trying to work out how many each person will need.

Not to drip feed, they both have ADHD & ASD, so work better with routine and structure, think they may help not having an unlimited towel cupboard to keep getting them out.

They're teens. How many do they have just now? What's changing?

DisplayPurposesOnly · 09/02/2026 08:35

Two hand towels and two bath towels per person. Extra hand towels for general handwashing use. One hand towel and one bath towel for overnight guests.

LimpingButRunningSoon · 09/02/2026 08:41

I assume you have a stash of towels now and they all just take a new one when they feel they need one.

The best recommendation is to get them a different colour to each other. We all have different coloured towels so you know exactly which towel is yours to use. Dh and I share an en-suite, the children (adults now) share a bathroom.

As to how many this is personal preference as to when washing will be done and how many you can fit in your washing machine, My machine will only take 2 bath sheets, 2 hand towels and a bath mat in one load. We also have dual fuel towel radiators so in summer the electric heating element comes on with a timer to dry the towels so they are not left damp. We have a schedule for laundry, bedding, towel washing etc so beds are stripped by the children and they combine their load, same for their towels.

Original poster
Ca2026 · 09/02/2026 08:44

cleaningthebog · 09/02/2026 08:33

They're teens. How many do they have just now? What's changing?

Show quote history

We have too many and they just constantly get clean towels out, instead of either reusing / bringing to be washed. They are chucked on bedroom / bathroom floors. They will then drive each other mad leaving towels in the bathroom etc. If they have reduced numbers and their own then I know who is causing the issue and can’t argue over it.

OP posts:
Macadamian · 09/02/2026 08:45

Two bath towels per person (one out, one in the wash).
One hand towel in the bathroom for anyone to use (so we have two of those in total as well).
We don't have special face towels or hair towels - our bath towels do all that.

Original poster
Ca2026 · 09/02/2026 08:46

LimpingButRunningSoon · 09/02/2026 08:41

I assume you have a stash of towels now and they all just take a new one when they feel they need one.

The best recommendation is to get them a different colour to each other. We all have different coloured towels so you know exactly which towel is yours to use. Dh and I share an en-suite, the children (adults now) share a bathroom.

As to how many this is personal preference as to when washing will be done and how many you can fit in your washing machine, My machine will only take 2 bath sheets, 2 hand towels and a bath mat in one load. We also have dual fuel towel radiators so in summer the electric heating element comes on with a timer to dry the towels so they are not left damp. We have a schedule for laundry, bedding, towel washing etc so beds are stripped by the children and they combine their load, same for their towels.

Yes you are correct! And yes this will be the future set up, DH & I share the en-suite. Two ‘children’ share the bathroom.

OP posts:
LimpingButRunningSoon · 09/02/2026 08:52

Mine are NT and the two of them have shared a bathroom since birth. The coloured towels helped to know at a glance whose towel was not on the heated radiator. Sometimes it was just neatly folded ready to go on their bed because the other child was in the bathroom.

They came up with their own morning routine of who went in the shower first etc when daily morning showers started to be a thing. You may need to help yours negotiate and set a morning schedule which you can post up on the door.

WeAllHaveWings · 09/02/2026 09:32

We wash and dry bath towels in same day so don’t need loads. They take up a full load of machine so get stuck in once a week then tumble dried and are ready for the next morning’s showers.

One bath sheet per person. There are probably 3-4 bath towels for spares/guests which are so rarely used I sometimes wash just to freshen up if expecting a guest. There are a few hand towels that have just accumulated over the years, no idea how many, but again tends to be the same 2-3 that are used and the rest are just spares.

Original poster
Ca2026 · 09/02/2026 11:15

LimpingButRunningSoon · 09/02/2026 08:52

Mine are NT and the two of them have shared a bathroom since birth. The coloured towels helped to know at a glance whose towel was not on the heated radiator. Sometimes it was just neatly folded ready to go on their bed because the other child was in the bathroom.

They came up with their own morning routine of who went in the shower first etc when daily morning showers started to be a thing. You may need to help yours negotiate and set a morning schedule which you can post up on the door.

Thanks. DS works full time, on shifts so I don’t expect too much of an overlap (thankfully as school morning would have been chaos a couple of years ago!), but rules of the road sound like a good idea (eg DD takes priority straight after her sports 2/3 times a week, so he needs to have already been in or way, DS takes priority weekends when going to work etc). I hadn’t considered laying this out up front so that is really helpful.

OP posts:
Original poster
Ca2026 · 09/02/2026 11:16

WeAllHaveWings · 09/02/2026 09:32

We wash and dry bath towels in same day so don’t need loads. They take up a full load of machine so get stuck in once a week then tumble dried and are ready for the next morning’s showers.

One bath sheet per person. There are probably 3-4 bath towels for spares/guests which are so rarely used I sometimes wash just to freshen up if expecting a guest. There are a few hand towels that have just accumulated over the years, no idea how many, but again tends to be the same 2-3 that are used and the rest are just spares.

Thanks, i think this would be a good introduction to doing some of their washing too as you can’t really ruin towels 😂

OP posts:
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