AIBU to get rid of the skin care that is bleaching all our towels!

[bleechhhhh]

Recently I noticed that small beach spots have been appearing on many of our coloured towels. We rarely use bleach, only really in the toilets which I couldn’t work out how it was getting on to towels from bathrooms, not toilets (separate rooms) Noticed in DSS’s bathroom that he uses lots of skincare that contain various strengths of hydrogen peroxide. Asked DH to have a chat to DSS about being more careful with it, washing his hands after using it etc.
Still kept happening, asked again and suggested he only picks white towels from the linen.
Went in just before Christmas to clean his bathroom and a whole set of pattered towels were completely trashed by bleach, not just spots but huge areas. He’s obviously using moisturiser with HP and not washing his hands after, just drying them on the towels. Just feel so frustrated, most of our coloured towels have some form of bleach stain.
DH has asked him to apologise, which he’s done and asked to replace a couple of sets from his own money, yet to happen.
DH want to buy a set of white towels and a basket just for his bathroom to stop him trashing anymore. I think he needs to learn to use the product correctly or it goes in the bin! Plus the white towels still get stained, it’s just a faint yellowing which still looks awful, and I’m reluctant to spend money on towels just for him to ruin. I’d prefer him to use the old stained ones, we normally keep for outside stuff. AIBU?

Does he use it for acne? I feel a bit sad for him though. Yes the stuff bleaches your linen. But you could try help your son with the skin problems he thinks he has. Teach him.

Are you sure it’s hydrogen peroxide not benzoyl peroxide?

Both will bleach fabric but hydrogen peroxide is used for skin whitening and can be quite dangerous. I’d be worried if my child was using it. Benzoyl peroxide is for acne and isn’t dangerous (at strengths usually available).

Anyway leaving that aside. Of course he should use the ones with bleach marks, why wouldn’t he. They are just towels and bleach marks are not stains, they are perfectly clean. When they need replacing anyway then I’d get white ones but I wouldn’t be running out to buy new ones. If he doesn’t like using bleached towels then he can buy his own.

By the way bedlinen, PJs, clothes can also get bleached by this stuff.

How old is he?

personally I’d select replacement towels and insist he pay from his own money to replace the ruined towels.

Then all the crap towels would be labelled DSS and he would not have access to nice towels, and he can rub himself in bleach to his hearts content.

“I’d prefer him to use the old stained ones, we normally keep for outside stuff. AIBU?”

Jesus, he’s bleached some towels trying to get a handle on his acne, he’s not a social pariah.

Get over it, it's not worth the bad feeling. Just keep a few of the bleach spotted towels for his use. Don't make him pay for new towels. This will feel to him like he's being punished and humiliated for having bad skin.

Yeah it's the acne cream. My three sons have been through it and bleached a load of towels. I just give them their own colour coded cheap towels now and let them get on with it. Occasionally I bunch they all up and dye them to get rid of the spits but it's pretty pointless while they are still using it, and it does really help their skin.

I think it's pretty mean to make a point of it and try and stop him using it. Teen boys are very sensitive about their skin and appearance and get teased mercilessly. Just give him his own towels.

Your poor son! Pull your head in OP

Buy him a few white flannels for washing and drying his face. No need for a whole set of towels. Poor lad.

Can’t he just keep using the already bleached towels? There’s no need to buy special new white ones for him to ruin.

Also I think insisting he replace them to make a point is probably going to cause more damage to family relationships long term than make a point about looking after things.

We all have our own towels in a specific colour plus older random ones

I can't believe your DH made him apologise to you.

Poor kid. Yes, teenagers can be messy and careless, but the damage is already done so just let him continue using the ones that are already bleached and get some new towels in the sales - I mean, really, how expensive can it be to replace a bunch of towels?!

Bad acne can really affect a teenager’s self esteem. Throwing away his skincare products when he’s only trying to manage his condition is such a dick move - awful. But by all means go ahead and punish him for the sake of your special towels.

It's not always easy to avoid bleaching things when using acne products, even as an adult. I used to have the same problem with sheets, as I applied it before bed. It's annoying, but acne is more annoying!

I think it's fair to keep a set of towels just for him/his bathroom (sacrificial towels, clean but not beautiful), but I wouldn't punish him for trying to clear up his skin, if acne is the problem. Acne is embarrassing and frustrating enough as it is.

No big deal. Just get him his own towel set. Poor kid dealing with skin issues. Most teens use these types of skincare. It helps with their confidence.

Just let him keep using the ones he's already bleached, no need to give him the "outside" towels.
I sometimes wonder about people in the MN world 😕

It's just towels. You wipe your body and dry your arse with them. Get a grip

Really? Just get him his own set of white towels. Poor lad.

Bloody hell! My DD had to use acne products that bleached the towels. But amazingly the towels still worked! How awful that he’s trying to sort his skin out and getting told off for bleaching towels.

DH has asked him to apologise, which he’s done and asked to replace a couple of sets from his own money, yet to happen.
DH want to buy a set of white towels and a basket just for his bathroom to stop him trashing anymore. I think he needs to learn to use the product correctly or it goes in the bin! Plus the white towels still get stained, it’s just a faint yellowing which still looks awful, and I’m reluctant to spend money on towels just for him to ruin. I’d prefer him to use the old stained ones, we normally keep for outside stuff. AIBU?

Just let him use specific towels that are already stained and buy new ones

If you remove his products you are the most awful of parents doing that

Or even thinking that

How could you even think to do that to your DS

Awful simply awful

I bet you wouldn't react like this if he was your ds. Poor dss, I feel so sad for him.

Be a supportive kind parent

It's really not that hard

Oh he's a DSS

No wonder you're being so unkind

Op I get the same issue with my DD’s and their make up. All of my lovely white towels now have various shades of beige stained into them. Given the fact that they’re both teenagers and I’ve (touch wood) thankfully had it pretty easy with them so far, stained towels are not a hill I’m willing to die on

For a teenaged boy I’m not sure that ‘not having access to nice towels’ is quite the blistering punishment you and the OP perceive it to be 😂

I missed that. What an absolutely dick move getting her boyfriend to get his son to apologise for his girlfriend’s bloody towels! 🙄