I had always worn an item of clothing only once before washing it. Same with bath towels. I've recently begun inspecting my clothing before automatically throwing something into the hamper. If an item of clothing isn't visibly dirty or less-than-fresh smelling, its get put into the "refresh" pile.
On laundry day, clothing that needs only to be "refreshed" either goes through a short rinse cycle with 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar, or into the dryer with a wet towel and dryer sheet for 5 minutes. And the bath towels? They get reused until I find a reason to have to wash them (usually a bath towel is good for nearly a week.)By Leann D
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I agree with re-using bath towels. You're drying off a CLEAN body. My teenage children have not gotten into this habit, but then again they probably don't see the need since they don't do the laundry! I'm sure once they're on their own and doing the laundry the light bulb will come on for them just as it did for me.
I am guilty of the one use towel. I know that I am clean after my bath but there are parts of my body that I dry off and I don't want that part of my towel to touch my face again. I just don't think it is very sanitary to reuse towels.
I use 2 towels when I bathe. A large bath towel and a smaller hand towel. I dry my body on the large one and my face and hair ( which i wrap up in the hand towel) with the smaller one and I use my towels for a week before I feel that I have to wash them
We reuse the towel we dry our hair on by hanging it over the shower rod to dry. After all, our hair is clean and this saves wear and tear on the towels and expense laundering them.
By Linda
To save on the amount of laundry, I have I just realized that I should be making my kids wear their pajamas for more than one day. I don't know why but I always had my daughter wear a new pair of pajamas, but I wear my pj's for several days, and it just hit me that she should be wearing hers more than once before I wash them too.
By Crystal
we reuse towels...and use girls re-wear our bras for a couple days, unless it's a really hot day and we sweat alot
I invested in a hair towel for myself. I actually have 2- one for home and one for traveling. They are highly absorbent and save on having to use 2 towels at a time. They also stay on your hair better than a regular towel. Growing up we used a towel or two per shower.
About the teens not catching on to reusing towels, etc. because they do not do the laundry...who not? They should be taught how those machines work so they will know when they get into the 'real' world. My 12-y/o son asked to learn, now he actually enjoys doing laundry, his of course, but that's ok. So many kids get out on their own w/out a clue as to the proper way to 'keep house'.
I do re-use towels after a shower because you are clean after a shower. If you are concerned about which end dried what, always use the end with the tag for your face and then you don't ever have to wonder! I personally use a towel for my hair, bath towel for the body and my hand towel for my face. Growing up, my brother was a year and a half younger, and I always took my towel to my room with me to make sure he wouldn't use it. Boys had cooties then, especially little brothers.
We use our towels more than once but I would never use a towel another family member used. Actually I had seen something on TV about the germs/bacteria that starts to grow in a used towel....dead skin is shed, etc and the towel is moist so perfect breeding ground for bacteria to grow. Probably replacing towels after a few days is better than after a week!
We get more than one wearing out of our clothes, unless stained. I will wear a pr of jeans a few days and tops perhaps less just because I am bad about slopping on myself :-( The children's clothes usually are dirty ea day after school but I inspect them and if they didn't get food or art supplies on themselves, then I lay out for another day or atleast to wear for play at home. I think it's foolish to throw something in the dirty clothes that doesn't look or smell dirty! I've got enough work to do!
Bath towels are reused here. There is one just for my body, one just for my hair, and a tissue is used for my face. They're hung up in front of the window plus dried by and shelter the room from the sun's heat. As an aside, there is one used just for drying washed hands.
I use a fresh towel(s) and wash cloth(s) daily, but my daughter will use her towels over and over, unless I take them away.
A cousin's family used the same towel and washcloth for the entire family, (oy! I was so shocked when I heard that). Well, someone got a boil (surprise) and since everyone used the same items, everyone in the family became contaminated because the germs spread on the towels. How hard is it to throw in a small load of towels daily and always have fresh laundry to use in the bath...I think it makes bathing a better experience.
Reusing a towel is gross to me! I cant stand to go into a bathroom and see a towel that someone has dried their germs and bacteria on....I use a clean towel for my hair and my body everyday.....
I use a face cloth to do a quick dry before I use a towel so that the towel is really dry and does me the week.
Reusing a towel just once can reduce your laundry by at least one load a week. To save time, money and energy - you could use Tag a Towels - this way everyone knows which towel is theirs, so they don't share germs or "cooties" and yet your family is still doing their part in conserving...and making mom happy ;)
www.tagatowel.com
One bath towel per person per week.
Fresh washcloth (1 in morning/1 at night)
Small towel for hair & face.
Works great here for each of us. We go through a lot of washcloths and handtowels are changed at least daily.
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