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.

Mine are mostly 16 years old from Next, a couple are a bit frayed at the edges and a couple of pulls but still thick and absorbent. I’ve always made towels scratchy and I didn’t know why, it’s probably the lack of tumble drier.
I’d give guests a new towel though I was gifted some and never got round to using them, I will when we move.

As long as my towels dry me I'm happy 😊

Mine are old and also crunchy, but I hate using really soft towels, they don't dry as well! I think it's when softener had been used on them.

15 years old (from Asda and dunelm) not fluffy but not thin/scratchy either

I replaced a few, about 2 years ago. The others (10 of them) are about 6 or 7 years old

Some I've had since I left home fifteen years ago.

I've still got a couple that I was bought when I went to university in 1996. They are slightly frayed round the edges but otherwise fine.
We live in a hard water area with no tumble drier so hard towels are just a fact of life. So even if I did replace with fluffy new ones they'd be scratchy again soon enough

We’ve had ours about 5 years, they are a mixture of ones from Next and a few huge bath towels I got from TK Maxx.
You have reminded me that I would like to replace the Next ones. The quality is good but I don’t like the colour much anymore.

I find white towels not terribly practical for family use! Coloured tends to last longer.

As with lots of things, if you feel everything needs to look or feel totally new for it to be acceptable to you, you will regularly replace things that are perfectly serviceable. This goes for sofas, carpets, towels, bedding, pillows, garden furniture etc.

With some things, it’s a case of buy-cheap, buy-twice. However, with lots of things, lower priced items can be fine. Some people though are disposed to replace everything regularly. Others have pre-disposed to avoid that.

That said, of course there comes a time when things need replacing. There will always be a range of points between which most people which make that choice, from sooner until later.

This thread is reminding me of recent Gavin and Stacey special where zoom buys towels for Stacey’s mum, because hers are like a ryvita.

Pam. Not Zoom???

Am I the only one who loves a scratchy towel and hates a fluffy one

I like rough towels.
Ours are decades old. So long as they work I don’t see the need to replace them.

I’ve got a couple which I had since moving out of home in 1998 and they’re not that bad.
Newest ones I bought this year in a sale.
Several in between.

My oldest is one my auntie bought for me to take to university nearly 20 years ago! Still going strong, and in good nick.
The others are about 5 years old.

This is 15 years old. Not fluffy but not ready to replace and the colour is still bright too

This is crazy; we replace our towels every 1-2 years! I thought that’s what everyone did?!
You're right, that is crazy behaviour from you.

Ours are around 20 years old. They seem fine. I might dye the old ones mil gave us as I don't like the colour but they're nice towels.

@Andante57

I googled it and just followed what Google says!

I've got towels I bought when I was pregnant. DD is 25. Towels still going strong.

Justtheretoask - was that meant for me? Maybe for another poster.
It’s easy to lost track of who posted what.

@Andante57 no, I’m sorry! It was for @DappledThings

Justtheretoask - that’s absolutely fine.
I’m not sure, though, Google’s advice is right. With a family, towels get plenty of use but they should last a good while longer than two years.
Tea towels are a different matter. Mine fade (which doesn’t matter) but then they get holes in them. Some are souvenirs from places we went to on hols and I like the memories they bring back so I’m sad when they fall apart.

Yes - I’m not sure that Google is right, looking at these answers! But I’m 30, and bought my first house 2 years ago snd wanted to do things properly so just googled it and have been following Google’s advice 😆 mind you, my washing machine shredded a towel and a bath mat so I’m having to replace them anyway after a few months which hurts

8 years old, still going good.

Some are about 30 years old and some about 10. The older ones are getting a bit frayed around the edges but still do the job.

@DappledThings why is it crazy to not want to be rubbing a 20 year old threadbare cloth over your body? You do you of course but I prefer my towels a little newer and no randomer on MN would convince me otherwise

I was just talking about this to DH earlier! I think I got mine when I went to university 16 years ago... ordered some new ones today using a JL voucher...