Very serious question here....how many tea towels is enough ?

[Willowisp]

I'm completely useless at de-cluttering, so thought I might start off with the tea towel drawer, which I can barely shut.

So that's it really...next question will be about DD2's knicker & sock drawer.....

If your tea towel drawer shuts without a great degree of shoving you don't have enough!

When I clearer out my tea towels (when I was nesting....) I had 45!!!!
My bloody mother buys them for me if they are reduced, or Christmassy, or they match my kitchen.... I hadn't even used half of them!

I kept 10 and sent the rest to dh's work. I put the 10 in a bag, inside the drawer, and when I've used and washed them, I put them back but not in the bag. Have whittled down to 5 now as there was some staying in the bag that still never got used.
But I wash every day as have two under three.... So I guess it depends how often you have the washing machine on...

I'd whittle it down to a number that can fit the drawer and then take into account how many are in use and in the wash at any time. I like to have one to use, one in the wash and at least one spare. I think I own 4 now.

With clothing, I would allow for how much you need on holiday if you might be away for 2 weeks and not doing washing. You could always just wait til your DC need a new size and then buy less if you always have plenty of spares.

I have three t towels. That is plenty

We have 8 tea towels and a bunch of muslin cloths. But we do have two very messy children with an amazing talent for knocking drinks over.

10–15 depending on how many people are in the house and if you have a dish washer.

agree 7/10 - clean one every day plus spares

7-10 is perect I think. That way you can use a new one every day (if required) and have some spares.

My manky SIL seems to only own 1 - it's constantly fucking filthy! Urgh!

4 and a few old ones for mopping leaks

I only use them once then they go in the wash (well over the rail to dry then into a bag by the washing machine) - I only wash them together (ie not in with clothes etc) so I have around 20 I think (never counted them!!).

I can use 4 in a day without trying

I find none is fine.

I can't bear them even when washed daily. I use a dishwasher which dries them off nicely and kitchen paper if anything really needs it - which is very rare before everyone shouts at me for being wasteful hardly any gets used.

God we barely use ours hate drying dishes, always drip dry and mop up with another cloths/paper towels.
Thinking about it, it's only my mum who uses them and when she dries the dishes it makes me a bit grrr as I am an ungrateful wench

Barely use them.

I think most of my collection date back to my childhood, and were handed on by DM, who doesn't use them either. I have a great 1970s "Women's Lib" cartoon one.

I have got about a dozen I think. I too can get through loads in a day without really thinking about it.

20 is clearly too many then

Have removed 10, 2 currently in use (not sure why), the holey ones will be thrown away (one step at a time ) & the other nice ones are in the utility room for when the other 10 need replacing. Thanks.

I don't use them for drying up though, just to dry my hands. I seem to wash my hands constantly when cooking.

Dd2's sock drawer is another day, but excellent point about them changing sizes - both are moving up to the next size, although dd2 always inherits z mishmash of Dd1's cast off's.

Why not get a hand towel for the kitchen instead?

I have 2. They only get used to take stuff out of the oven, I use kitchen roll for drying dishes or hands.

Kitchen roll for drying dishes?

We have two tea towels and a matching hand towel. They're over 10 years old and I'm looking forward to getting new ones for a new kitchen.

I don't dry dishes, they stay in dishwasher or drying rack & then are put away.

If I used a hand towel in the kitchen, I'd have to loose 22 tea towels & would run out of hand towels all the time

one is more than enough.

unhygenic things.

hot wash, drainer, air dry, put away.

I have about 7. I need at least twice as many

I have about 25.
the one for drying dishes (have a d/w so only the odd plate and the puddles on the underside of mugs) gets changed every day.
but I also use them to wrap my homemade bread in. I need so many so I can wash them separately with just soda crystals so my bread doesn't taste of soap.

oh and we use a normal towel for drying hands. otherwise dc get confused and wipe their muddy paws on the dishtowel.