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Shabby towels but nice clothes

Aziraphale

Veteran

I was folding laundry the other day and noticing, ruefully, as I do every time I fold laundry, that my towels are in really bad shape. Although I seem to have hundreds of them, they are nearly all shabby or even shredded -- yet I never get around to buying new ones. Because, see, new towels cost money that I would much rather spend on clothes for myself or for my family! Shredded towels still absorb water perfectly well, even though they look terrible. It struck me as funny that I take such care with our clothing, yet have the worst towels ever.

Does anyone else have something they overlook or make do with, so that the money can be spent on clothing?

General

27 replies

Latest reply was from krishnidoux

MsMary

Veteran

Uh, other than, you know, dropping out of grad school, not really.

:-/

Maya

Veteran

To my dismay, I discovered that my comforter is dry clean only. I spent $128 on it and just assumed it could be washed because it's cotton. Why should that cause any problems? Oh right, cuz it's stitched oddly, the batting would ball up and become a mess, and the dye is probably cheap.

Well I can't afford to maintain it, so unfortunately I'm going to have to just replace it. Things just get dirtier quicker in a large city, and dry cleaning a large comforter on a monthly or basis is a major expense.

...but have I done that yet? No. I had a lot of makeup, purses, earrings, and necklaces to buy first. Too bad. A girl has to manage her priorities.

Anonymous

Maya, you might try washing it in cold water if you plan to replace it anyway. Maybe you could wash it at your parent's house, let it fluff in a cool dryer and hang it up. In between could you just air it out?
Elizabeth, I just noticed that my kitchen towels and dishcloths are needing to be replaced. Usually towels and such are seen with new eyes when one expects houseguests. Then they become a priority here.

Louise

Veteran

I'd stick with shabby towels so I could buy clothes, I would make sure I have a decent set for when guests come though x

MNsara

Veteran

I have the men in my life 'make do' with their clothing

Actually, they grumble if forced to go shopping, and I am no longer in the practice of bringing things home for their Highnesses to reject! So it's a win-win in our house -- happy mom, happy men

(and it's actually pretty amazing how little they get by with, and are content with!!!!!)

Diana

Veteran

Hee, I never think to replace my towels... mine are all about 10 years old, except for the new one my mom gave me last year (and SHE only bought new towels because she caught shingles and needed softer towels than the very old ones she had!)... that said, the towels she bought (Hotel Collection, I think) are fabulous and now I am considering replacing all my old ones with those.

Maya, have you considered getting a duvet cover for your comforter? I have a king sized down comforter (so, not really washable, also does not fit in my building's washing machines) with duvet cover and I wash the duvet all the time and the actual comforter almost never. Plus, if you get bored with the pattern, you can always switch to a different cover.

Patty

Veteran

My towel story:
My Mom NEVER bought towels--she bought Breeze laundry detergent that came with the different size towels inside--small box was wash clothes, med was hand towel, large was bath towels. When I went to visit my friends at their houses I always thought they must be getting really good detergent coz their towels were so luxurious and often of solid colours. I never knew you bought towels at the store, I'd never seen a towel section at the department store until my early teens!!!! Mom still uses 'Breeze towels' and that company disappeared 20 yrs ago--she says she still has some from when she was young--now that's thrifty!! I bought her her first matching towel set --a solid pale pink--bout 15 yrs ago but she keeps them hidden for when company comes! When she does replace towels she goes to the dollar store as do I coz I seem to wreck them and there are so many other things we want to get first!!!!!

rosee

Veteran

I actually LIKE old towels and I prefer to use them b/c they are so worn and soft. I have nice towels in a storage box that I'll pull out when guests come and you need to have nice towels for them.

MsMary

Veteran

I have the Macy's Hotel Collection microcotton towels and I LOVE them! Super soft and absorbent, and they wear like iron! And they're on sale right now: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/.....Type=PDPZ1

marianna

Veteran

We moved into this condo a year ago... (sold all our old furniture before moving)... and I still haven't bought a dresser, which is absurd. For some reason I can't bare to put out the money for a dresser, even though I desperately need one. So instead my closet is an unorganized mess (with lots of nice things in it!) Insanity.

Beth

Veteran

We live in a 168 year old, very high maintenance house. I've learned to do lots of things on my own (reglaze windows, strip paint, repair rotten wood, install board fencing) so I can keep my income for the fun things like clothes.

It's a balance I'm happy with:)

Queen Mum

Veteran

I'm embarrassed to say that my younger boys are using the dresser we bought 19 years ago to use as a dresser/changing table. They could really use more drawer space, but that would cut into my shoe budget
Yes, I severely neglect my children's needs to keep myself clothed and I don't lose much sleep over it.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I used my stepmom's bedroom furniture from the 50's up until I moved in with my BF 10 years ago. Now *his* mom is using said furniture since she moved out to CA from SC with limited items. It has certainly stood the test of time!
As for towels, it seems we get new ones whenever a bathroom remodel is done! In 2003 the downstairs got the soaker tub and nice deep blue towels to match. Then in 2009 the upstairs got torn up and a light robin's egg blue set to match the wall paint in there. Before that was purple towels to match the beams in the ceiling - yes, we have quite the colorful house

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I neglect my undies sometimes. They kinda have holes in them. And may be the same ones I wore in high school.

One plus: it means I'm the same size.
One negative: if I ever pass out on the street and get brought into the ER; all my coworkers will know that I have sparkle hearts underwear with holes.

Aziraphale

Veteran

HAHAHAHA lyn, that's hilarious! And if you're ever in an accident (though touch wood you're not), at least you won't care when they have to cut your undies off you in emergency.

Rosee: me too. I have a few nice towels that only get used by houseguests.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Totally guilty. I have nice body towels but the hand and face ones are shot. I use a prescription topical that has benzoyl peroxide. Made my hand towels all splotchy. The towel I use to dry my face is shredded on the edges. I have nice ones in the closet, just can't be bothered to pull them out.

Beth

Veteran

Anna, I do the same thing. Our bath and hand towels are monogrammed and very nice and my washcloths are the lovely thin, scratchy ones from CVS. Perfect for exfoliating and I don't care if they get stained by makeup!

Queen Mum

Veteran

haha- my husband just commented that we need a new filter in the fridge... one more thing I keep putting off in the name of clothing money.
And while our bath and hand towels are fairly new, my whole washcloth collection dates back to our wedding... 21 years ago.

Refugee

Veteran

Really, Queen Mum, your boys actually put their clothes away? What's your secret? For our boys, new dressers would have been a complete waste of money. They either only do some of their laundry and leave most of their clothes dirty on the floor or cram drawers so full they break them. I'm sure the money is much better spent on your fab wardrobe.

Kate

Veteran

Anna, our hand towels, pillow cases, and fitted sheet are all ruined from our products with benzoyl peroxide too! But replacing them seems like a waste because they'll just get splotchy again... I've also been known to trim the shreds hanging off of my guy's towel (it helps) and trim the bath mat yarns that the cats have ripped out. Both work surprisingly well.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Ha! Ha! Ha!

OT: Refugee that is so true, my boy does that too. No matter how many times I tell him to pick up his clothes. If left to deal with it by himself for more than a couple of days, he comes to me and complains he has no more pants to wear. I walk in to find the room floor scattered with intermittent bizarre formations, similar in aspect to giant mushrooms that would have sprouted over night. Upon closer inspection, one finds that this outbreak is not organic in nature, but indeed consists of individual pairs of pants compressed vertically and abandoned upright, complete with its dirty socks and underwear still inside it.

If anyone has a solution for this, other than banishing video games, please share. I cannot use the computer restriction anymore than what I am using presently. In other words I am getting desperate. Thank you in advance.

Back on the subject: I used to be like you with towels and undies. But ever since I have started taking care of these, I could not go back. It provides so much comfort to 1) always find clean, cute and matching undies in your drawer and 2) clean, fresh towels for your face and body in abundance. For the towel I buy them in bulk at Costco, the cheaper hotel style ones. I always use a clean face towel for my face and it has done a lot to my skin. I keep a laundry basket not far so I can throw them in there right away. You can sometimes find very nice, cheap bulk seamless undies there too.

I find that I will cheap out on food. I think this comes from my mother who used to starve herself to buy an antique. She would say, nonchalantly pointing at a beautiful Louis XV chest of drawers, Yes, I ate salad bread for two months straight to get this one...

I asked her what on earth was "salad bread". Believe me it's not appealing.

Queen Mum

Veteran

Refugee... haha thanks for the reminder. Actually, the younger 2 (14 and 15) are pretty good about keeping their clothes put away. I'ts my older two who leave their laundry (clean) in a basket on the floor... along with a myriad of other belongings.

krishindoux~ how old is your son? Does he have any money? What I need to start doing with my older 2 is to daily collect anything left on their floor and when they come to me asking where their clothes are, I will sell them back to them. Someone told me to do this and I think it's brilliant.... it will just take time and energy to implement and stay on top of. If your son is leaving his dirty clothes on the floor, you could wash them and charge him both a retrieval fee and laundry service fee. I can't imagine that a few times of forking over his own money wouldn't get his attention.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Queen Mum, genius idea! Sell him back his clothes... charge him for the laundry! I'll do it! Actually have a load being washed this very minute. My son is 14, and has pocket money. He's always been diligent at doing things when I ask him to (sometimes complains a little but does it); it's just that he won't do it on his own, and this solution is perfect to make him be responsible. Thank you!

MsMary

Veteran

I cured the clothes-on-the-floor thing by literally standing over my son and making him pick it up every. single. time. he left something on the floor. If I saw it on the floor, I'd go get him and make him pick it up, no matter what he was doing.

And he did his own laundry from about age 11 or 12 on. Hubby does his own, too. I just do mine and the household linens. Banishing the Laundry Fairy was the best idea I ever had!!

Tessera

I am guilty of towel neglect. Just last December, I replaced the ragged towels I bought 20 years ago. Now we have fabulous plush, soft towels and I can't remember why I waited so long. (Oh yes, the shoes, the wonderful shoes...) I also recently replaced my holey cotton underwear. Maternity underwear. From when I was pregnant with my 11 year old son. (Have I mentioned that I love jewelry? Sparkles and shine, oh my.)

Louise

Veteran

krishnidoux BF used to complain about having no clothes and I told him if he didn't put it in the washbasket I wouldn't wash it. Worked a treat x

krishnidoux

Veteran

Thank you MaryK and Louise for your tips!