How many times can you use a towel?

[crosses]

How many times can you use a towel before it's dirty and needs to be washed? I know that it depends, but for after showering or a bath. There are people in my family that think that towels have to be washed every single time and can't be used twice. This adds at least one extra load of laundry a week. Does everyone wash towels after every use?

[gakline]

Heck no, I use a towel for quite a few days. Occasionally, a week at most. I figure, the reason I'm taking a shower is to get clean, so the towel shouldn't be getting dirty since I'm drying off clean water.

Do these same people not wash the hand towel in the kitchen or bathroom as often? I think these get twice as dirty and that you can see.

[kashi]

I use my towel for a week at a time. I only use it to dry off after a shower, not to wipe off the sink or anything, so it's ok. If it smells at all or feels funny, I'll get a new one sooner.

That is a coincidence - I was playing a new board game recently (Would You Rather), and one of the questions was: "If you had to choose, would you rather never wash your bath towel again, or never wash your bedsheets again?"

What would you choose?

[gakline]

Never wash the bath towel without a doubt.

[DivaJen]

I once knew someone who would only use a towel once AND would often take more than one shower a day. You can imagine the laundry that generated.

We use our towels for a week, and we only use them for drying off after bathing.

[MrsChambers]

okay people.. I have to admit.. I REFUSE to use my towel more then once. This is what goes through my head when I use a towel that has already been used. Don't matter if I used it or my grrovy husband used it.

WHERE HAS THIS PART OF THE TOWEL ALREADY BEEN?

I just can't handle it.. I mean. I love my husband and everything, and I'm not grossed out by my own self..

I just can't handle not knowing what part of the body that this part of the towel last serviced... know-what-I-mean?

so yeah, clean towels each time for me

[PrincessPerky]

Oh good I am not the only one! My DH is adamant about one use towels, I don't mind using the one from my hair on me the next time, though It is often for the kids next time, they don't mind at all, and I know where it has been. Actually I usually use a robe and then I don't need a big towel for me. And I know where the whole thing has been .

Oh and the hand towels get replaced once or twice a day. The one from yesterday is used to wipe down the sink today, and the one my DH usues on his hair is used for my DSs hair then washed. (curly hair, gets soaked every morning to defrizz it.)

[mom-from-missouri]

We use ours for about 3 days-but each person has their own towel rack and towel. Bath towels seem to stay cleaner longer. Something about kids washing hands and faces and the handtowels are dirty and somehow the hands and faces still arent clean...

[asrai]

I worked at pig barn and we only got clean towels once a week. And they were crappy towels at that.

With a dozen people working there we couldn't do that much laundry. We already had to do our scrubs everyday.

[amomof4]

I have been known to use it for 2 weeks. But I shower only every other day. That's kinda like using it for a week isn't it?

[gypzye]

I use it til I think it's dirty. Generally about once a week? Once it starts to develop that slightly "off" smell, I toss it in the basket.

Definitely would rather never wash the bath towel again. FH and I dirty our sheets something awful.... fyi, I'm never buying white sheets again. I can't believe how fast they get dingy. :euw:!!

[kashi]

I would never wash the bath towel again too. there are just too many nasty things that go on in bed (especially if you have kids, and they sleep with you, and they are bedwetters), not to mention skin flaking off at night, and all that. ew. I would much rather put my bath towel outdoors in the sun to kill off bacteria and dry it out thoroughly. though that funky smell would definitely get to me after a while.

interesting how some of you think about where your bath towel has been. I wash really well in the shower, dry off quickly, and make sure the towel dries out thoroughly before I use it again, so I guess I've never really thought about it....interesting.