Towels - white or coloured

[minipie]

We need to get some new towels, we've currently got one elderly white set which is looking a bit worse for wear and is constantly in the wash.

I was going to get white again, but there are quite a lot of nice neutral coloured towels around at the moment (eg "stone" or "smoke") and I wondered if those would wear better. They would go quite nicely with current greeny grey bathroom. But will they look naff in a few years' time (and not go with future paint colours) and should I just play safe and stick to white... ?

We have stone ones and 3 years on they still look great. I much prefer white towels but ime they look shabby too quickly.

I think neutral towels would look much nicer with a greeny grey bathroom than white.

I only have coloured towels (not many matching) and prefer it this way, because I can just bung anything with them in the wash without risking them being not quite white when they come out. I just sort by light and dark towels.
I don't think I would want white towels, especially with small children who don't properly wash their hands yet...

I always tend to go for white towels but am thinking of a sort of mustardy green coloured set I've seen (looks nicer than it sounds!)

I've got all neutral colours, stone, coffee etc. I've bought these colours for years as they go with everything.

Ooh, ok, lots of votes for neutral colours. I thought you'd all be white linen only purists

Any recommendations on where to get nice neutral coloured towels? Other than John Lewis?

i just got some fab green stripe spirit towlels in the sale, john lewis though

You could order from cotton king. Fab prices.

and just linen have a sale on just now.

acres of towels to browse! thanks

Strippy = stripey

I don't like white towels at home, 'cos they show the dirt too easily! I think stone and smoke are both good choices, with your colour scheme.

I buy white ones - I love white towels, but when they begin to look shabby I just dye them with Dylon. My last set of white towels are now Dylons Antique Grey.

Oh what a good idea! Thanks Coke. Didn't think of that.

Still wonder if I might get coloured not white to start off with this time, since the white ones do get grubby so quickly...

I am a white purist - and only from The White Company but only whenever they do 20% off and quidco.

Grime and dirt is there anyway. I'd much rather see it and know the towel needs washing.

Our rule is white inside the house, coloured for outside - swimming, garden, sailing, etc. That rule is easy for children to understand.

I go for coloured towels because our bathroom is completely white except the towels, blind and any accessories.

It makes it really cheap to give the bathroom a makeover by just changing all the co-ordinates.

linens limited is fantastic and VERY reasonably priced!

I prefer coloured towels. White show the dirt and probably go off colour.

Grime and dirt is there anyway. I'd much rather see it and know the towel needs washing.

I am clearly a slattern as I'd much rather not know and not have to do the laundry

White white lovely white!

Coloured towels bleach in the sun, bleach kills them and you just never know how grubby they are.

White bedding, white towels never a problem to do a white wash.

I love white:-)

Forgot good tip on the dylon, i just weeded out our old towels, might dye for the pool.

I have had John Lewis towels very similar to this colour for over 8 years (wedding presents) and they're still going strong. I think mine are called graphite but discontinued now.

They look great in our previous white/grey bathroom and current greenish grey bathroom (F&B light blue but not really blue!) and beige/white ensuite (match the small grey flecks in otherwise sandy beigey granite around the sink)

The colour hasn't faded, they don't show mascara if I haven't cleaned my face properly and the quality is fab. Good unisex colour too!

All 'outdoor' towels are cheerful bright patterned affairs; in the house DH has blue, DD has white (I don't want her to get away with not cleaning properly!) and I have other colors. And the dog has lots of old ones

The white ones don't go off colour - I have white bathmats and they make up one load which can be done together hot.

Hmmm ok some voices on the pro-white-towel side then.

I still can't decide ...

If I go for coloured ones it will probably be these

or possibly these in pumice (top of the pile) they are cheaper than JL but not quite as thick and not quite so keen on the colour.

I prefer white towels (and bed linen). Washed weekly (or so) with bio and vanish powder for whites they stay nice, and you can always stick some bleach on any really bad stains. I do keep some manky old dark towels and a bath mat and pillow case for use when I have just dyed my hair.

TK Maxx have some excellent American brands (eg Christys) atm, in both white and random colours.

We have loads of guests so use coloured towels so people know which ones are theirs. The bathroom is white so a bit of colour is quite nice. I'd never manage to keep a whole white set white!