To ask how old your bath towels are?

[nanbread]

Ours are a bit flat, rough and slightly greying. I'm wondering if they're reached the end of their time, or if there's a way to revive them? They're about 12 years old.

@DappledThings

Anywhere between 3 months and about 12 years. No discernable difference between them. But then I hate a soft towel, I like them crunchy. My favourite thing about Summer is getting towels line-dried and crunchy.

Also no issue with greying as I dislike white towels (and bedding, clothes, walls, crockery and anything else!)

That's just weird

We replaced ours last year. I guess the old ones were 10 years old and just getting a bit thin and scruffy. The old ones went into the garage for use in car washing.

Lands End makes the nicest towels I've ever owned, but I'm not sure if they sell them in the UK.

On holiday recently I used some from M&Co and they were obviously new, but so soft and fluffy. The DC loved them.

Mine are from the 1970s! I love how crispy they get after a wash.

If you only ever have fluffy towels in your house you are doing something wrong...

Ancient! I don't really know how old they are but we got them from ILs when we moved into our own place. Some we also got from DH's grandparents after they passed away. I got a new towel for Christmas and it's so fluffy by comparison, I can't imagine it will dry as well as our old crispy ones but I'm happy to be proven wrong!!

They vary in age - newer ones are about 5 years old but have some that are more than 10 years old.

That's just weird

Weird and proud!

On a side note towels dye extremely well if they are faded or you fancy a change.

Some of mine are really old and fraying etc so are on dog duty but the rest are in the 10-15 year category and doing well. I always tumble dry and do use conditioner for towels.

Some I got when I moved into my own place, almost 20 years ago. Some are newer because we bought more when the dc outgrew their baby towels. Some are older than me!

I still have some from my Mother's house, which I can remember being around when my children were little, so at least 22 years ago. Towels were meant to last years ago. My other ones are around two years old, bought in the sale in Asda. When they get worn, we use them for DIY/cleaning/garden rage/hair dyeing/dog etc.

Am I the only one who loves a scratchy towel and hates a fluffy one? So much more absorbent and scratches your back/exfoliates your arse at the same time, what's not to like?

We had to get some new towels last year as the old Tesco ones had torn in places and kept tearing even after many repair attempts were made. Got the new ones from TK Maxx.

Asda have a lot of towels on half price at the moment, I just bought some extra hand towels at £1.50 each a couple of days ago.

25 year-old wedding presents. Still soft an fluffy - waiting for them to get a bit thinner tbh, still a bit plump for my taste . The nice thin worn ones have gone to uni with the kids , as they are cheaper to wash and dry in the launderette!

I tend only to wash towels on a dry day when I know they can at least make a good start on the line afterwards. And a really good shake (that makes them 'crack') helps with the softness too.

My favourite ones are the towels I got to take to university nearly 25 years ago. They’re M&S, not too thick, go a bit like cardboard when freshly washed but dry me just fine! Most of our others are 6 years old and from John Lewis (wedding presents), they’re in good condition but I always buy coloured ones.

The worst ones I’ve had were at an AirBnb - super fluffy and nice to look at but didn’t actually absorb water properly. I think that must have been fabric conditioner ruining them!

9 years old from Asda, they are ok but one is a bit ragged around the edge. I use vinegar instead of fabric softener which I think helps keep them white and softer than they would otherwise be as we have no tumble dryer.

older than the kids, who are mid twenties

2 big bath towels (not used as much as smaller towels) must be over 30 years old. The matching hand towels were donated to our local RSPCA (for wiping down the dogs after their walks 🐾) I'm sure slightly threadbare towels are more absorbent than fluffier towels!

I don’t have a tumble dryer and I use fabric conditioner but they’re still soft and fluffy after 12 years.

I thought this thread might be full of people saying it’s minging to have towels so long. I’m pleasantly surprised!

John Lewis Egyptian cotton - wedding presents from 22 years ago and still lovely. No tumble drier - hung over bannisters to dry.

We also have a set of Hannam beach towels that were given for my parents’ wedding in 1967 and a roller towel with my dad’s prep school name tape on it (so 1938?).

My oldest is about 50. It was my nana's. Bit scratchy (but we don't have stumble drier so they all are) still dries you though.

@Honeyroar

I don’t have a tumble dryer and I use fabric conditioner but they’re still soft and fluffy after 12 years.

I thought this thread might be full of people saying it’s minging to have towels so long. I’m pleasantly surprised!

I'd hold your fire - this is MN. Someone will be along in a minute to say that towels are single use and anyone who has the same towel for more than 24 hours is minging

I’ve got some that are over 20 years old.

We re-laced some last year. Realised they'd been given to us as a wedding gift, over 20 years ago.

The replacements, which weren't cheap, are no where near as good. They definitely won't last as long that's for sure.

@hamsterchump and other scratchy towel lovers, I'm with you. I love a scratchy towel. Dries and exfoliates! I just don't feel like fluffy towels dry as well. I actually said out loud 'oh lovely there you are' when I found a lovely thin scratchy towel yesterday in the cupboard!